Wonder - The Secret Ingredient in Your Leadership Recipe
Ever notice how the best leaders, like master chefs, don't just follow recipes? They sense what's needed in the moment.
Do leaders truly see their world through the lens of wonder, or are they merely following well-trodden paths? Just like seasoned chefs who adapt recipes on the fly, the most impactful leaders possess the curiosity to explore beyond the obvious.
Walking around the Ferry Building in San Francisco, you constantly see people holding bags of mysterious goodies. But here's the real magic, when I ask about their cooking plans, the most enthusiastic responses are from people who say, "I'm not sure exactly. I just sense what the dish needs."
These culinary magicians operate with a sense of wonder. They approach each dish with curiosity rather than rigid certainty, responding to subtle cues that most of us miss when blindly following a recipe. Remind you of anyone, product people?
This cooking approach mirrors the most undervalued ingredient in teams today: wonder - that spark of curiosity without the immediate pressure to find answers. It's the secret ingredient that turns good leaders into great ones, capable of navigating the complexities of today's evolving tech world.
Here's the problem: When we operate from knowing rather than wonder, we're shocked when a rushed product launch is a blah, flavorless mashup that leaves teams disheartened, wondering why they put in any effort at all. But it doesn't have to be this way. By embracing wonder, we can transform our leadership approach and unlock our team's full potential.
Mistaking Recipes for Mastery
Many leaders build and run a team by following “best practices” without understanding people are not a template or canvas to be filled in. They forget that creating a motivated team, like an inviting meal, requires adaptability and trust.
Let's get specific: I recently co-facilitated a Career Clarity session for Women in Product. Two-thirds of participants were dissatisfied with their job, mostly because their boss was not listening or acknowledging their contributions. Then, the boss was surprised when the team was disengaged. Big shock!?!
This disconnect illustrates how following a "recipe" for leadership without truly considering and adapting to your team can lead to undesired results.
The Ingredients of Wonder
Wonder isn't just a nice to have, it's essential for meaningful team development. But what exactly is it?
Joe Hudson of the Art of Accomplishment defines wonder as a state of curiosity without the pressure to find an answer. Being in wonder helps individuals ask the right questions, fostering a mindset that is open to exploration and discovery.
Embracing wonder in your leadership creates four powerful outcomes:
It dissolves defensiveness: When we’re genuinely curious, our guard doesn’t go up. We seek to understand the meaning behind a statement without leaping to conclusions.
It generates better questions: With AI, answers are a click away but good questions are rare. Wonder helps us formulate questions that open new possibilities rather than shut off growth.
It keeps learning fresh: When we think we know the “why” behind a teammate’s actions, we often tune them out. Wonder motivates us to seek out their strengths and how we can complement each other.
It creates space for innovation: Certainty halts learning. Wonder fosters unexpected connections and insights, enabling ‘aha’ moments that lead to a truly unique approach.
How to Cultivate Wonder at Work
There's a misconception that wonder means indecision or lack of clarity. Let me share a personal example. I recall my manager when I joined Pearson. He was one of the most effective leaders I’ve worked with during my career. He maintained an open mind, acting with certainty while remaining encouraging of new ideas.
He might say, "I believe our next step is to implement this innovation model." Then he would ask me, "What other approaches do you recommend and what can we learn?" He held his certainty lightly, ready to update his understanding based on new information.
This is fundamentally different from the rigid certainty in many organizations, where leaders feel compelled to know everything and view asking for input as a flaw rather than a strength.
Authentic Wonder Test
Wonder can be pursued or adopted inauthentically. At my recent job, a colleague often pretended to be curious while actually pursuing a hidden agenda. This feels manipulative because it is.
Authentic wonder isn't strategic. It's a genuine state of curiosity. It arises naturally when we're truly interested in what's happening around us rather than attempting to control outcomes.
The test is simple: Ask yourself if you are placing questions to confirm what you already believe, or are you genuinely open to changing your mind?
Bringing Wonder to Your Organization
How to infuse wonder into your leadership? Here are four practical ways to get started:
Question assumptions, not the person. Instead of challenging individuals, challenge the underlying assumptions. "What if our beliefs about customer needs isn't right?" opens more possibilities than "Why did you make that decision?"
Focus on context. Wonder thrives when we see that truth depends on context. A statement like "We don't have enough resources" means something different in a startup than a large organization. Exploring context opens new perspectives.
Follow your genuine curiosity. Notice what naturally piques your interest in conversations and follow that trail without forcing an outcome. This authentic curiosity often leads to unexpected insights.
Lean into questions rather than rushing to answers. Set aside time to explore questions with your team without immediately jumping to solutions. This allows for deeper understanding before action.
Here are exercises to help make the concept more tangible and incorporate wonder into your leadership approach.
"What If" Meetings: Suggest holding occasional brainstorming sessions where the only rule is to start ideas with "What if...". This can help teams break out of conventional thinking patterns.
Reverse Mentoring: Pair senior leaders with junior team members, asking the leaders to approach the session with an open mind to new perspectives and ideas. We created a new ally, when a Future Tech developer mentored our CFO.
"No-Answers" Hour: Propose setting aside an hour each month where team members focus solely on asking questions and listening, rather than jumping to solutions. This can help cultivate a culture of inquiry and exploration.
Cross-Pollination Visits: Arrange for team members to spend time with customers or shadowing different departments, approaching the experience with wonder to gain fresh perspectives on their own work.
Embracing Wonder in the Real World
While the power of wonder in leadership is clear, it's natural to have some doubts. Can leaders really shift their mindsets? Will wonder become just another buzzword?
These are valid concerns. Leaders can indeed be resistant to change, and it's easy to fall back into old habits. This is why embracing wonder is so crucial.
It's not about “sounding” innovative. It's about seeing things differently before competitors catch you off guard with their own version of wonder.
Strike a balance. Wonder doesn't mean abandoning decisiveness or speed. Instead it enhances these qualities by encouraging new ways of thinking.
By incorporating wonder, you're not following a trend. You're fundamentally changing how you interact with your team and approach challenges.
Incorporating wonder may be challenging, but the rewards in team engagement, innovation, and growth make it a worthwhile for any leader willing to take the leap.
Your Wonder-Full Future
Organizations that thrive in our complex world won't be those with the most certainty. They'll be those that maintain wonder while taking decisive action.
The real magic happens when you approach your team and colleagues with a sense of wonder, like watching a chef craft a dish, with interest, curiosity, and openness to new experiences.
Your team deserves more than a bland leadership approach. They deserve the magic of an intentionally crafted environment that comes from true wonder.
Ready to master leading with wonder? Book a quick chat to discuss how we can transform your approach and unlock your team's full potential.
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