A few years ago, I was in a strategy session with a leadership team under intense pressure. Investors demanded better results. Employees craved direction. And all eyes turned to the C-suite for answers.
But the reality was murkier. New technologies were rewriting business models. Competitors were making bets no one could predict. The team was searching for a definitive plan in a landscape where certainty simply did not exist.
Then, in the middle of a heated debate, the COO asked a simple but disarming question: “What if we’re solving the wrong problem?”
The room fell silent. Then, instead of defending assumptions, the team began surfacing new perspectives. Within an hour, possibilities emerged that had been invisible when everyone was fixated on “the right answer.”
That moment revealed an insight I’ve carried ever since: certainty narrows options; curiosity expands them.
In today's environment, this truth is even more critical.
AI makes you faster at whatever direction you set. But if the direction is flawed, AI only helps you get to the wrong destination faster.
Curiosity is the safeguard against automating yesterday’s logic and the gateway to discovering tomorrow’s opportunities.
Answers anchor us to the past. Questions free us to imagine the future.
IN THIS ISSUE
- Netflix’s bold pivot shows how questions reshape industries
- A curiosity-driven leadership playbook for executives
- Market signals proving the ROI of curiosity in action
- Tools, prompts, and culture checks to practice this week
REINVENTION STORY
When Netflix announced plans to shift from DVD rentals to streaming, critics scoffed. Why abandon a profitable model? Why bet on an unproven customer behavior? Why take on incumbents with deeper pockets?
The easy path was defending the status quo. Instead, Reed Hastings and his executives leaned into curiosity.
They asked:
- What would consumer habits look like if broadband scaled?
- How would behavior change if convenience outweighed ownership?
- Could a subscription model reshape economics?
By asking bold questions, Netflix unlocked reinvention. They didn’t know all the answers, but they created space for new perspectives.
The result was transformational, not just for Netflix but for the entire entertainment industry. Today, streaming accounts for more than 80% of global viewing hours!
When you ask the right questions, you reframe risk as possibility.
REINVENTION STRATEGY
Behind every reinvention story lies a discipline of inquiry. Here’s a 5-step playbook you can apply immediately:
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Frame the future as questions: Replace “What is our strategy?” with “What must be true for this to succeed in three years?”
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Challenge assumptions: Create space in meetings for a “What if we’re wrong?” round.
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Model vulnerability: Admit what you don’t know because it builds credibility and earns trust.
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Reward discovery: Recognize teams that surface insights, even without immediate answers.
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Use AI as your sounding board: Use generative AI to explore blind spots and forecast alternate scenarios.
REINVENTION SIGNAL
Signals are the early clues that tell us where the market is headed and how to respond. These trends show why curiosity has become a measurable advantage for leaders.
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Curiosity gap: 83% of executives believe curiosity sparks positive change, yet only half of employees feel it’s encouraged. This disconnect means leaders may think they are fostering curiosity, while teams experience a culture of certainty putting a hidden brake on innovation (Forbes, 2023).
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AI adoption gap: Nearly 40% of executives already use AI tools weekly to explore scenarios and test assumptions. Those who don’t are missing the chance to learn faster than competitors, widening a performance gap with every cycle (Korn Ferry, 2024).
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Performance impact: Leadership programs that emphasize questioning and continuous learning deliver 25% stronger business outcomes than traditional training. Curiosity translates directly into measurable results and resilience (Exec Learn, 2025).
REINVENTION IN ACTION
Culture Check: At your next leadership meeting, ask: “What’s one assumption in our current strategy that could be wrong and what would change if it is?”
Tool to Test: Use AI scenario-generators (like ChatGPT or Gemini) to explore “What if…” questions. For example: “What are 5 plausible futures for our industry in the next 24 months?” Then debate which ones your team is least prepared for.
Power Prompt: "Given our top three priorities, what blind spots or assumptions could undermine success? List counter-examples, emerging data, or disruptive signals we may be overlooking."
Which bold question will unlock your next growth opportunity?
Until next time...stay curious!
Cheers,
Nikki
