Curiosity Experts Reveal How Questions Drive Innovation

Lessons from 10 leading thinkers on curiosity show its power to improve learning, leadership, and organizational results.

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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Dr. Diane Hamilton interviewed 10 of the world's leading experts on curiosity, including Warren Berger, Michael Bungay Stanier, Dr. Debra Clary, Stefaan van Hooydonk, Barry Rhein, and others. Their insights reveal how curiosity, fueled by asking better questions, can dramatically improve innovation, performance, and adaptability in organizations.

Why it matters

Curiosity is a critical but often overlooked driver of learning, leadership, and innovation. The experts interviewed show how curiosity-driven questioning can transform communication, problem-solving, and organizational culture to deliver measurable results, with some companies reporting over $1 million in annual savings.

The details

The experts highlight how curiosity often begins with simple questions like "Why?", "What if?", and "How?", which open the door to discovery and new solutions. They emphasize that curiosity tends to decline as people move through traditional education, so leaders must intentionally rebuild cultures that encourage questioning. The experts also show how curiosity requires restraint, as leaders must resist the urge to immediately solve problems and instead ask questions that help others think more deeply. Their frameworks describe how curiosity must progress from exploration to execution to drive meaningful results.

  • Dr. Diane Hamilton began researching curiosity more than a decade ago.
  • The interviews with the 10 curiosity experts were conducted in 2026.

The players

Warren Berger

The author of "A More Beautiful Question: The Power Of Inquiry To Spark Breakthrough Ideas" who has researched the role questioning plays in innovation, leadership, and learning.

Michael Bungay Stanier

The author of "The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More And Change The Way You Lead Forever" who has written extensively about the importance of questions and curiosity in leadership.

Dr. Debra Clary

The author of "The Curiosity Curve" who examines curiosity as a leadership and organizational capability that must be balanced and intentionally developed.

Stefaan van Hooydonk

The author of "The Workplace Curiosity Manifesto" and "Curiosity: The Secret Ingredient for Success in Personal and Professional Growth" who focuses on building curiosity into organizational culture.

Barry Rhein

The creator of the "Selling Through Curiosity" methodology who teaches a course on curiosity in sales at Stanford.

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What they’re saying

“Curiosity often begins with simple questions such as "Why," "What if," and "How." In our conversation, he described how innovators frequently cycle through these types of questions as they explore problems and develop solutions.”

— Warren Berger, Author (Forbes)

“Leaders must resist the instinct to solve problems immediately and instead ask questions that help others think more deeply. One of his most well-known questions is simple but powerful. After someone answers a question, he encourages leaders to follow with the phrase, "And what else?”

— Michael Bungay Stanier, Author (Forbes)

What’s next

Dr. Diane Hamilton plans to continue her research on curiosity and how organizations can build a culture that encourages questioning and exploration.

The takeaway

Curiosity is a critical but often overlooked driver of learning, leadership, and innovation. By intentionally building a culture that encourages questioning, experimentation, and continuous learning, organizations can unlock significant benefits in terms of improved problem-solving, adaptability, and measurable results.