Whatever sector you operate in, there’s no doubt that you’ll have come across ‘experts.’

Professionals who because of several reasons – including knowledge, skills, and experience – stand apart from others in their chosen specialist field.

But whilst you no doubt respect these individuals – and perhaps even hold them in great respect and awe – there’s something you must never forget.

No matter how many years’ experience they’ve got, and no matter what levels of knowledge they possess – no one ever knows everything.

That’s why we often hear about Continuing Professional Development (CPD) – with the emphasis on CONTINUING.

The idea that our mind is always ready to absorb facts and information.

This commitment to lifelong learning is an important trait for today’s business leaders. And essential contributing factors to our ongoing education are curiosity and openness.

But what do these two things mean, how do you develop them, how important are they, and what are their benefits?

Let’s consider the meaning.

I’d explain curiosity as the desire to learn or know about anything. I consider it as inquisitiveness - an opportunity to make a deeper inquiry into what’s really going on.

If you’re curious, you often don’t ‘need’ the information you’re inquiring about. Instead, you’re seeking answers to your questions for the sake of gaining knowledge.

Curiosity is a key ingredient of learning.

I define Resilience as “Springing Forward with Learning”

Learning leads to knowledge - but also to the ability to make connections among various pieces of information. 

Openness to experience, or simply openness, is a basic personality trait denoting receptivity to new ideas and new experiences.

It’s one of the five core personality dimensions that drive behaviour - known as the five-factor model of personality, or the Big 5.

People with high levels of openness are more likely to seek out a variety of experiences, be comfortable with the unfamiliar, and pay attention to their inner feelings more than those who are less open to novelty.

They tend to exhibit high levels of curiosity, and often enjoy being surprised.

People with low levels of openness prefer familiar routines, people, and ideas - and can be perceived as closed-minded.

Look out for the next three blogs in this series – “How to develop curiosity and openness,” “What’s the importance of curiosity and openness and “What are the benefits of curiosity and openness?”

If you need further information about these approaches, or any other resilience topic, please contact russell@theresiliencecoach.co.uk.