How one trait changed the course of my entire life
I’ve been obsessed with curiosity for a long time.
It started during my career in education. When curiosity was genuinely encouraged, both in children and adults, the results were palpable.
Engagement increased
People asked better questions
Problems were solved in unexpected ways
The research backs this up: Harvard Business Review found that curiosity is the single best predictor of leadership competency across all core leadership skills.
But I also witnessed something that troubled me: curiosity being actively discouraged. Children told to stop daydreaming. Adults expected to conform.
The message, over and over again, was:
“Don't ask too many questions”.
So I began incorporating curiosity more consciously into my teaching and my own life. In the way I approached challenges, the way I listened, the way I interacted with everyone around me. The changes I felt in myself, and saw in others, were significant.
Curiosity wasn't just a nice trait to have. It was a practice. A skill. Even a superpower once developed.
My personal journey brought this home even more. Having dealt with severe depression in my 20s, I know first-hand that curiosity isn't just good for business and learning, it's vital for life and mental wellbeing. Connecting with my sense of curiosity and wonder helped me find the joy in the small things. To understand that joy is never too far away, only the other side of any challenge I may be experiencing.
Curiosity builds resilience and shifts perspectives. It helps you stay open when everything in you wants to close down.
The moment everything clicked
A few years ago, I attended a creative retreat in Skyros, Greece. I joined a course run by renowned performance artist Richard Layzell, expecting a performance art class, and got something far more profound.
Richard led our group through a series of unexpected activities, speaking only when necessary and leaving space for each of us to find our own way in… and to get curious!
There was a quiet magic to it.
By the end, I knew I had to make Curious Agenda my focus.
At the time, I didn't know exactly what form it would take. I only knew I was determined to create something that would give more people more ways to find joy, creativity, and connection… just as I had in that classroom, on that retreat, and throughout my life.
My obsession led me to deep‑dive into the scientific research on curiosity, reading countless studies that support my belief that curiosity is a key to success for both people and businesses. That research has only strengthened my sense of purpose.
What we've built
Since founding Curious Agenda in 2022, our small team has thrown itself into the deep end in the most wonderful way. We have:
Inspired thousands through collaborations, events, workshops and more
Produced three large-scale immersive arts festivals in Hastings under our A Curious Town banner: growing from 5 days in 2022 to 5 weeks in 2024, each bringing together over 100 artists and performers
Grown our youth and community programmes
Transformed empty town centre spaces into vibrant canvases
Developed curiosity training for businesses that draws directly on the science.
Studies show that curious employees are:
More innovative
More resilient
Better at decision-making
Significantly less likely to burn out
Curious leaders build stronger teams and make better strategic choices. Curious organisations attract the best talent and adapt faster to change.
Everything I witnessed in the classroom, I now see confirmed in boardrooms, workshops, and communities too.
That's the thread running through everything we do at Curious Agenda:
Whether we're working with a business team, running a festival, delivering a youth workshop, or supporting someone one-to-one, the mission is the same…Help people reconnect with their natural curiosity.
My experiences, both personal and through my Curious Agenda work, have only increased my resolve to lead with and encourage curiosity. I’m excited to see the benefits that inspiring more people to harness their natural curiosity will bring to businesses, the community and beyond.
Curious about what this could mean for your team or organisation?
We offer curiosity training for businesses of all sizes, built on research, delivered practically, and genuinely unlike anything else out there.
Drop us a message at training@curiositytraining.co.uk, or connect on LinkedInI'd love to talk.
#CuriousAgenda #Curiosity #WorkplaceWellbeing #BusinessTraining #Leadership #LearningAndDevelopment
