Curiosity Is Not a Soft Skill, It Is a Leadership Survival Skill

Host Julia Felton welcomes Ryan Ware, CEO of Connective Consulting Group, to discuss why curiosity is essential in business, especially in construction where teams and conditions constantly change. Ryan explains how “hand-me-down” answers and routines can prevent validation and learning, and how fear on both sides of change can block curiosity, making psychological safety critical. They explore connecting the human side of work to technology and process shifts (including AI), building relationships as social capital, and reducing judgment through asking better questions. Ryan shares an example of leading a change-fatigued team by apologising for past churn, creating space to learn, testing like a laboratory, and building shared ownership that enabled larger national projects and leadership growth. He closes with his legacy: helping people build stronger relationships with change through empathy, clarity, choice, and connection.00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro01:00 Why Curiosity Matters02:49 Questioning Old Habits04:45 Fear and Psychological Safety07:45 Connecting Humans to Change12:02 Building Connection on Projects16:04 Social Capital and Conversations19:47 Case Study Leading Through Change24:57 Experimentation and Industry Shifts30:10 Legacy and Staying Curious32:29 Where to Find Ryan34:17 Final Takeaways and GoodbyeYou can connect with Ryan at https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryankware/Connect with Julia:WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagramTake the IMPACTFUL Teamwork Quiz to assess your team's communication, creativity culture, goal clarity, and conflict resolution skills!Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on Spotify