How Curiosity Accelerates Your Career Growth
In this episode of the Leadership Sovereignty Podcast, Ralph Owens and Terry Baylor engage with Shachella James, a seasoned technology leader, discussing the pivotal role of curiosity in leadership and personal development. Shachella shares her insights on how curiosity can drive innovation, foster inclusion, and enhance leadership effectiveness. The conversation explores practical principles for cultivating curiosity in both personal and professional contexts, emphasizing the importance of asking the right questions and creating a supportive environment for learning and growth.
Takeaways
- Curiosity is essential for progress and innovation.
- Asking powerful questions can accelerate careers.
- Leaders should prioritize learning over knowing.
- Curiosity can elevate conversations and relationships.
- Shifting focus from problems to possibilities fosters growth.
- Encouraging personal agency empowers individuals.
- Building a culture of curiosity enhances team dynamics.
- Curiosity can boost confidence and visibility in leadership.
- Effective questioning engages and includes others.
- Curiosity is a key driver in STEM education and diversity initiatives.
Chapters
- (00:00) - The Power of Curiosity in Leadership
- (01:06) - Meet Shachella James
- (03:19) - Why Curiosity Matters in Your Career
- (03:55) - The Personal Side: Half Marathons and Resilience
- (05:32) - Defining Curiosity for High-Level Leaders
- (07:38) - Guiding Young Professionals with Curiosity
- (09:11) - Three Curiosity-Driven Leadership Principles
- (11:14) - Asking to Elevate, Not Incriminate
- (13:46) - Building a Culture of Curiosity
- (14:57) - How Curiosity Builds Confidence and Visibility
⭐ Enjoyed This Episode?
Leave a quick review to help others find the show:
https://www.leadershipsovereignty.com/review
💬 Share Your Voice
🎙️ Leave us a voicemail — we might feature you on a future episode 🔥
https://www.leadershipsovereignty.com/vm
🔗 Connect With Us
🌐 Website → https://www.leadershipsovereignty.com
📺 YouTube → @LeadershipSovereignty
💼 LinkedIn → @TheLeadershipSovereigntyPodcast
📸 Instagram → @leadershipsovereignty
📘 Facebook → @TheLeadershipSovereigntyPodcast
🐦 X (Twitter) → @LdrSovereignty
🧵 Threads → @leadershipsovereignty
🎵 TikTok → @leadershipsovereignty
💰Support the show
We are a listener-sponsored show. Consider donating to keep the show going.
https://buymeacoffee.com/leadershipsovereignty
💌 Join Our Newsletter
Get exclusive leadership tools, episode updates, and behind-the-scenes insights:
https://www.leadershipsovereignty.com/nl
© 2025 The Leadership Sovereignty Podcast | All Rights Reserved
00:00 - The Power of Curiosity in Leadership
01:06 - Meet Shachella James
03:19 - Why Curiosity Matters in Your Career
03:55 - The Personal Side: Half Marathons and Resilience
05:32 - Defining Curiosity for High-Level Leaders
07:38 - Guiding Young Professionals with Curiosity
09:11 - Three Curiosity-Driven Leadership Principles
11:14 - Asking to Elevate, Not Incriminate
13:46 - Building a Culture of Curiosity
14:57 - How Curiosity Builds Confidence and Visibility
Shachella James
Vice President, Enterprise Systems
Shachella James is an award-winning technology professional with well over a decade of professional experience across multiple industries, consulting services, manufacturing banking, telecommunications, and now utilities. She is responsible for information and operational technologies, and enterprise architecture. Her expertise also spans strategic and capital planning, cloud services, data center operations and infrastructure operations. She is keen on workforce management and serving up the talent pipeline for the future.
