By Manoj Gupta

Let's face it, even if you are in the leadership team, you can’t go around acting like a Mr know-it-all.

Building a culture of asking the right Questions is more important than having the right Answers…

One must accept that they do not have all the answers but having the right questions and curiosity can do wonders!

3M's Post-it Note: A Solution without a Problem

Let's face it, the only constant in any business is ‘change’.

Remember the Post-it Note invention by mistake in 1968?

Isn’t it interesting to know when Spenser Silver, an employee researcher at 3M accidentally invented Post-it notes because he wasn't satisfied with the strength of his adhesive formula.

That’s when the world saw: “A Solution without a Problem”.

Today, 600 Post-it Note products are sold in over 100 countries, with more than 50 billion individual notes per year!

That's the power of curiosity!

Innovation often comes from unexpected places.

So, instead of resisting it like not selling your first car and keeping it in your garage like a trophy, buy a brand-new one! The bottom line is to stay agile by adapting to new situations.

This means being open to new ideas, encouraging experimentation, and having processes that allow for quick decision-making. It is like training for a marathon to better your endurance and stamina for handling the unexpected twists and turns.

Embrace Change Because Change is Gonna Embrace You Anyway

Remember Nokia?

One of the reasons Nokia spiralled into a big success was because of its agility in embracing the change, fuelled by innovation and strategic decisions - making it the world's largest mobile phone manufacturer in the 1990s. They manufactured the first GSM mobile phone, and their tagline ‘Connecting People’ did wonders to them.

However, the same global market leader suffered the cliff hanger fall because of lack of agility to change management. Their complacency and inability to recognise the smartphone revolution and rapid technological shifts culminated in their steep fall.

The key is to develop a business culture of curiosity within an organisation. Create a space and atmosphere for the leaders and team members to see problems from a fresh perspective. Motivate them to experiment with new ideas and embrace a continuous learning mindset. Embrace the Change, else Change is Gonna Embrace You Anyway!

Summing Up…

For over three decades, I've navigated the ever-shifting sands of the corporate world, from bustling boardrooms across all subcontinents of this planet.

During this journey, I firmly learned that the only constant in any business is ‘change’! Therefore, one must embrace the Change, else Change is Gonna Embrace You Anyway!

It is more so applicable in today’s digital tsunami!

As a Consciouspreneur®, I firmly believe that erstwhile adage will be modified as:

“Curiosity is the mother of all Inventions”.

What’s your take?