Episode 5: Curiosity Is Your Secret Weapon

Not confidence. Not cleverness. Curiosity is your secret weapon.
The boldest, most unexpected careers aren’t powered by perfect plans. They’re built by people who stay curious - strategically, unapologetically, and often just a little cheekily.

What’s Inside:

• Why curiosity (not confidence) is your best career edge
• The 5 types of curiosity (and how to use them on purpose)
• Real-life story of Captain Sully and the 208 seconds that changed everything
• Listener dilemma: “Am I flaky if I want to try something new?”
• 3 Quickfire Career Moves to stretch your curiosity (without setting off alarms)
• This week’s Career Quote Crime: “Jack of all trades, master of none” gets the truth treatment

Big Idea:

Curiosity isn’t a fluffy trait, it’s a high-performance skill. It helps you:

• Adapt faster
• Spot the right opportunities
• Build influence without shouting

Most importantly, it helps you move—even if it’s messy.

You can take our 'How are You Curious?' Quiz here

Quickfire Career Moves:

1. Use Curiosity as a Visibility Strategy
   Frame your questions to show proactive intent, not flight risk vibes.
2. Ask Smarter Questions in Meetings
   Try: “What’s the one thing we’re assuming that could be wrong?”
3. Create a Curiosity Calendar
   Monthly 15-minute chats with someone outside your usual bubble.

Career Quote Crime:

“Jack of all trades, master of none”
Actually: “…oftentimes better than master of one.”
Versatility isn’t dilution, it’s dynamite.

Listener Dilemma:

“I want to try something totally different, but will it damage my ‘reliable’ reputation?”
Auntie Caro’s take? Stretch. Test. Pilot. Don’t quit, just investigate.

Words of Encouragement:

“You don’t need to be fearless. You just need to stay curious long enough to find out what’s possible.”

#careertips #careeradvice

Ready to make your next bold move? Grab the free Bold Move Audit and join the insider crew.

Stuck, simmering, or onto something juicy? I want to hear it. Drop me a line at caroline@inspireyourgenius.com - I read them all.

Chapters

• 0:00 What fuels the best careers
• 1:33 Too many people wait for certainty
• 6:39 Game time: Love it, loathe it or test it
• 8:04 Curiosity is about strategic testing
• 10:15 What are the 5 flavours of curiosity?
• 12:42 Captain Sully's secret weapon
• 15:47 What Would Caro Do?
• 17:12 3 Quick Fire Career Moves
• 18:48 Career Quote Crime
• 20:04 Words of Encouragement

Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00.152)
you know what quietly fuels the best careers? It's not confidence. It's not cleverness. It's curiosity. It's the quality senior leaders say they love until it makes them twitch a little bit. Because curiosity doesn't just accept the status quo. It questions it, nudges it, holds it up to the light and asks, is this really still working? And yet, done badly, curiosity can feel like chaos, but done well.

It's electric, it's strategic, it's the thing that spots opportunities, connects dots and opens doors that haven't even been built yet. So no, you don't tone it down. You learn to use it so well, even the twitchiest leader starts to ask you what you see next. Thank you for joining me at Little Moves Big Careers. I'm Caroline Esterson, career strategist and sticker of brilliant people and your

co-pilot through the chaos of real-world careers and this podcast, well, it's for you if you've ever done everything right and still feel stuck, overlooked or like you were shouting into a team's call on mute. Welcome to episode 5. Curiosity is your secret weapon.

Speaker 1 (01:20.386)
This isn't a pep talk, it's a practical guide with a glitch in its eye. Smart moves, slight chaos, welcome to little moves, big careers.

Speaker 1 (01:33.9)
Let me be blunt. Too many people are stuck in jobs they don't love because they're waiting for certainty. They won't move unless they know the next step is the one. Guess what? Progress comes from being tested, from being nosy, from poking at ideas and seeing what's behind the curtain. You don't find clarity first, you earn it by being curious. So let's move on to a cheeky little game for you.

Now, welcome to the chaos. It's game time!

Zero prizes, mild embarrassment, but hopefully...

So, game time. Are you all familiar with the game Snog, Marry, Avoid? Okay. Well, I hope so because we're playing it, but the business edition. Love it, leave it or test it. I'm going to give you a situation and you decide which you do. Ready? So let's do a few test ones before handing them over to our audience, Are you ready? Let's see what you think. So the first one, Bill.

Now I kind of know the answer to this one. Public speaking. Love it, leave it or test it.

Speaker 2 (02:49.55)
Well, thanks, Caro. Well, you probably did guess. I think 20, 30 years ago, it was something I hated. It wasn't something that came naturally to me. But in my job, it's essential. And I had no choice but to get good at it. And I think I've managed to do so just by practice, by trial and error, by really going for it. And now it's something I actually really enjoy.

I've gone from something that I hate to something I love. So I think that's, let's go in the full hog.

Yeah, I get that actually, because what I would encourage people to do, if you're panicked just thinking about it, start testing it out because public speaking is actually a really essential skill as you develop in your career, whether you're leading a team meeting or a project, for example, internally, but as you go up, progress through your career, you're going to be asked more and more to be able to do presentations. So start now and start earlier, reckon, don't you?

I think the best time to have started was when you first were asked to do something and then the second best time is down. So go for it.

Okay, so moving on to the second one for you. Are ready? What about a secondment in a different department? Love it? Leave it or test it?

Speaker 2 (04:12.258)
I spent nine years as a shadow minister in opposition and what happens when you're a shadow minister, and it's the same for people who are ministers, you get moved every few months or so to a different job in a different department. So you learn to live with it, even if you don't learn to love it. And I had some changes that I didn't really want to make.

I got on with it and actually you find you learn a lot in whatever role you move into. So I think it's one of those things that you have to learn to love. And in the end, you find you benefit from expanding your understanding and your range and your development. one of the things that really helped me was in my preparation for my new role as chair of a select committee and all the changes and all of the...

different topics that I covered, all the people I met, all the relationships I developed as a shadow minister have turned out to be invaluable in my current role. So go for it.

Absolutely, Bill. This is about going into different departments is about giving you a range of skills and a range of experiences that you can draw on and will be essential as you develop. And so we've got the last one for you. And I'm looking forward to your response on this. Would you ever make a TikTok resume?

I'm not exactly thrilled at the prospect.

Speaker 1 (05:41.812)
I didn't think you were going that.

So, no thank you. I think we'll leave it.

Alright.

Yeah, okay. Cool. Yeah, I leave it one. Okay, so thank you, Billy. I mean, I think that if we were playing Stog Bury a void, you'd probably be marrying a lot of things, a lot of people. So I'm probably glad that you've married me before this game, but I'm going to hand over to you now to take our audience through their examples.

Yes, so back to the game for you. Some practical examples. Here we go. Following a hunch, even if it makes no logical sense yet. Would you love it, leave it or test it? Asking your boss why the process works that way. Strategic curiosity or professional kamikaze? Would you love it, leave it or test it?

Speaker 2 (06:39.672)
Volunteering for something you know nothing about yet. Bold move or recipe for chaos. Love it, leave it or test it. Booking a virtual coffee with someone in another department just to find out what they actually do. Genius networking or professional small talk torture. So that is that love it, leave it or test it. Reading a leadership book by someone you don't agree with.

on purpose? Are you love it curious or a little bit allergic? Bringing up a big what if idea in a room full of senior people, courageous or career self sabotage. Following a random spark of interest instead of ticking off your to do list, smart curiosity or just another procrastination rabbit hole.

So there are no right or wrong answers there for you, just a chance for you to check in what kind and level of curiosity you're comfortable with and to consider where you might be playing it a little safe. Because the truth is strategic curiosity isn't reckless, it's powerful. And knowing where you're curious and what you want to do with it might just be the key to your next big move.

Speaker 1 (08:04.034)
So let's look at this another way. Being clever is about knowledge. It's about knowing. Whereas being curious is all about learning. And in a world that's changing daily, wins hands down because learning allows you to follow the trail and look for opportunities if everything changes around you. Curiosity is about strategic testing. You try the thing. You ask the question. You go to the random talk.

It's not being distracted, you're collecting data for your future self. Let's make something clear. Curiosity isn't some fluffy follow your passion nonsense. It's a legitimate career accelerator if you know how to use it. It's a high performance behavior when you know how and where to aim it. Let me give you some of the research. Spencer Harrison from London Business School.

found that curious employees adapt faster, connect better and generate smarter ideas, especially in ambiguous changing environments. Todd Cashton from George Mason University showed that curiosity builds emotional resilience, flexibility and the ability to handle complexity and challenge. Psychologist Thomas Shamuru-Premorzic from UCL has shown that curiosity drives smarter leadership, better decision-making and greater adaptability.

making it one of the most critical skills for thriving in these uncertain environments. So if you've been treating curiosity like a nice to have or something you do after the real work is done, think again. People who cultivate it, direct it and use it with purpose. They build better relationships, better ideas and better careers because the right kind of curiosity isn't chaotic, it's catalytic. The secret? Curiosity isn't one size fits all.

and knowing which flavor to reach for, well, that's your edge. Everyone says, you know, be more curious like it's a personality trait. And being curious in a work setting isn't just about reading Harvard Business Review articles, watching Ted Talks or stalking your ex-boss on LinkedIn. The different types of curiosity are all useful, but not all the time. For example, you see a weird email about your new initiative and your brain lights up.

Speaker 1 (10:24.152)
That's what we call Diversive Curiosity. Itchy, nosy and quite snackable. It makes you want to explore new places, people and things. And then if you find yourself wanting to dig deep into a new skill because you actually want to understand it, that's Epistemic Curiosity. It's nerdy, sexy and slightly dangerous if you forget to eat your lunch. You'll probably still be there at dinner time too. Or if you're watching your boss and see something is kind of off kilter.

and then you wonder what the hell your manager is really worried about, that's empathetic curiosity. And it's so powerful to help you deepen your relationships in work. Researchers like Berlin and Kashtan actually studied this. They broke curiosity down into different types. I just made them more work-proof and hopefully a little bit easier to understand. So there's epistemic curiosity, which is deep learning, diversive curiosity, which is novelty seeking, empathetic curiosity is

all about being people focused. And another one to add, social curiosity. Yep, the professional version of eavesdropping. and self curiosity, which is basically asking, why am I like this at 3am? Here's how you play the game. Different types of curiosity, unlock different doors in your career. You want to trends? Go diversive. Want to build trust? Go empathetic.

Want to stop repeating the same drama every six months? Hello? Self-curiosity. So curiosity isn't soft, it's strategic, but only when you use the right flavour at the right time for the right reason. The goal is to know your flavour and lean into it like it's your own signature spice. In my research, yet you've guessed it, my natural curiosity is epistemic.

to know things and have been known to still be searching in the wee hours of the morning using matchsticks to prop open my eyes and a tea towel into my mouth to stop the drool from dripping on the keyboard. Anyway, this isn't about me. Back on points. As I was doing my research for this, I came across an example that I just had to share with you. Now, most of you aren't actually in jobs that literally life and death and it's easy to dismiss ideas because you aren't. And that's okay if you want to stay where you are.

Speaker 1 (12:42.734)
But as we've already said, if you want to get on, you need to get more curious. So here's a number I want you to remember. Are you ready? 208208 Remember Sully, Captain Chesley Sully Sullenberger, who landed a plane of 155 people on the Hudson River? You may have seen Tom Hanks actually cry when he played him in the film. Anyway, simulations since the event have shown that any other option at all would have been catastrophic for all on board.

And it turns out Sully's secret weapon wasn't heroism, it was habitual curiosity. Every single flight he asked himself, what can I learn today? So when disaster hit, he didn't freeze. He scanned, adapted, stayed curious and saved 155 lives. 208 seconds. That's all he had after the bird strike between realising his engines had absolutely no thrust and actually landing the plane.

less than three minutes to work out what to do and actually touching the river. That just blew my mind. Can you imagine being in that position? 208 seconds of pure high pressure, palm sweating, adrenaline fueled decision making. You're not scrolling through contingency plans. You're not downloading a fresh strategy document. You're relying on instinct, pattern recognition and every curious question you've ever asked that made it just a little bit sharp.

Because in moments like that, it's not about having the perfect plan. It's about having the mindset that has been trained to adapt in chaos. And that doesn't happen by accident. That happens because you stay curious in the quieter moments. You know, this isn't just romantic. Research backs it up. People who focus on learning, not performance consistently, perform better at work, solve harder problems, sell more, get higher ratings after training.

bounce back faster from failure. So if you're more obsessed with how you look than what you're learning, you might actually be stalling your own growth. Curiosity is the engine. Cleverness is just the paint job. Be the person asking, what else could this be? Not the one polishing your KPIs while the plane goes down. And before we move on to listener dilemmas, chew on this for a minute. Curiosity will conquer fear more than bravery will.

Speaker 1 (15:09.326)
That's James Stevenson and frankly, I think he's onto something. We live in a world where change is the only constant and certainty is not a bug, it's the default setting. And in that kind of world, curiosity into nice to have is it? It's your growth strategy. You don't have to be fearless. You just have to stay open, stay questioning and keep moving. Which brings us to this week's Dilemma. What would Caro do? Real dilemmas, bold answers, fewer cardigans.

and a bit more fire.

It's time for What Would Caro Do? Like a career agony arm but with less cardigan and more fire.

because sometimes you don't need permission, you just need better advice. This week it's by Scratchy Shingles from Stirling.

Dear Auntie Caro, I've got an itch to try something completely different, but I don't want to look like I'm flakier uncommitted. I've always been known as the reliable one. How do I experiment without blowing up my reputation?

Speaker 1 (16:13.058)
Ooh interesting. As someone who actually has an insatiable appetite for learning, I'd say what the hell, just do it. What's the worst that could happen? However, my more measured support career hats would say, first of all, curiosity isn't flaky, it's proactive. And no one ever built a brilliant career by staying in the same bloody corner for 20 years. You don't need to blow it all up, you need a pilot test. Stretch test.

This is curiosity with a plan. We're not quitting, we're investigating. Ask questions like, where can you stretch with your current company? What can you learn to help you explore? What side projects allow you to test the waters in different areas? And these are all really important questions to ask when you're thinking about moving in your career. But here are some more fundamentals as well. Three quickfire career moves to lean into to help you become more curious.

Speaker 2 (17:12.75)
Small shifts, sharp impact. These are quick fire career moves. Real things you can do before your next coffee refill.

Firstly, use curiosity as a visibility strategy. Curiosity doesn't have to look like chaos. If you're curious about another project, process or team, don't sneak around. Frame it. Say, I'd love to understand how that works so I can connect the dots better from my side. Now your manager sees you as a proactive team player, not a potential flight risk. You get fresh insight. They get a smug sense of developing talents. Everybody wins and nobody panics.

Next up we have ask a smarter question at the next meeting. Don't just nod along like a bobblehead in team sync. Be the one who asks, what's the one thing we're assuming that could be wrong? It's thoughtful, it's brave, and it positions you as someone who isn't just clocking in, but is thinking ahead. Curiosity shows up as influence when it's well timed and well framed. And this kind of question, well, that's you lighting the match. And finally,

Create a curiosity calendar. Don't wait for permission. Schedule a monthly 15-minute curiosity chat with someone from a totally different part of the business. No pressure, no agenda, just a simple, tell me what's going on in your world lately. You'll hear things before they're official, learn the language of other teams and build unexpected allies.

Speaker 2 (18:48.238)
This quote has the right vibe and the completely wrong advice.

So let's fix that before someone puts it on a mug. Here you go, your fabulous quote crime for the week and a reframe with punchlines of course.

Jack of all trades, master of none.

Let's set the record straight. The full quote is actually Jack of all trades, master of none, but oftentimes better than the master of one. That extra bit total game changer. This isn't about being wishy washy. It's about being agile, adaptable and actually useful in fast changing worlds. In a world where entire industries are getting reinvented over lunch, versatility isn't a red flag. It's a career advantage.

So next time someone side-eyes your range, smile sweetly and say, I'm not scattered, I'm strategically curious. Or better yet, curiosity isn't dilution, it's versatility. Put that on a hoodie and wear it while learning your fourth new skill set this quarter. So you don't have to know everything. You just have to stay curious enough to find out. The clever people, they'll build a neat plan. But you, my friend,

Speaker 1 (20:04.214)
You'll build momentum. So go try something. Kiss a frog. Poke a system. Ask a weird question. Your next move might be hiding behind the one you almost didn't take. Until next time.

Speaker 1 (20:25.518)
So that's a wrap on this episode of Little Moves Big Careers, where progress isn't perfect, but it is happening. If your brain's buzzing and you want more magic like this, head to inspireyourgenius.com forward slash podcast for the show notes, cheeky extras and the kind of tools your career's been crying out for. Share it, steal it with pride, start a movement. So if you did enjoy this episode, please subscribe, share.

send me your dilemmas for what would Caro do and any ideas that you've tried to caroline at inspireyourgenius.com. And if you want to bring fresh thinking into your team or company, that's literally what we do. Drop us a line, we'll make it sing for you. Until next time, make the move. Even if it's tiny, especially if it's tiny.