Why Curiosity is a Leadership Skill VCSE Leaders Can’t afford to Ignore
When you're leading in uncertain times, it’s easy to think the answer is to work harder. Add more meetings. Tweak the plan. Launch another pilot. Write one more bid.
But often the most useful thing you can do is step back. Not to switch off completely—but to make space for curiosity.
Noticing. Wondering. Thinking beyond the task in front of you.
This isn’t indulgent. It’s about being resourced. It’s about having the headspace to ask better questions and make decisions that stick.
What happens when you stop filling the gaps?
In the VCSE sector, white space is rare. There’s a culture of constant delivery. Most of the leaders I work with are juggling urgent needs, underfunded services and a team that needs more support than they can give.
In that context, pausing can feel risky. But filling every moment with output makes it hard to get to the deeper work—the strategic shifts, the creative leaps, the things that quietly pile up in the margins.
When you stop filling the gaps, something shifts. You start to notice what’s been avoided or postponed. You catch the edge of an idea. You make sense of a conversation that didn’t quite land the first time.
That’s often when the next step becomes clear.
Curiosity creates momentum
Curiosity isn’t a luxury. It’s a way of paying attention—to what’s changing around you, and what’s shifting within.
It’s asking:
What’s really going on here?
What are we not naming?
Where’s the energy now?
What might be possible?
These aren’t questions for a spreadsheet. But they’re often the ones that lead to meaningful change—especially in complex, values-driven work.
You need places that allow for wandering thought
Not everything needs to be solved in the workplace or a boardroom. Sometimes ideas show up when you’re walking. When you’re off screen. When you’re with people who ask good questions and give you room to think.
Leaders need that kind of space too. Not as a reward after the work is done, but as part of how we do the work well.
The Curiosity Retreat
If you’re looking for space to pause, reflect and reconnect—without needing to explain yourself—the Curiosity Retreat might be what you need.
It’s not a workshop. It’s not a strategy session. It’s an energising day in good company, where you walk, write and think at your own pace. A chance to step away from the noise and return with clarity.