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 Intro

01:00 Why Curiosity Matters

02:49 Questioning Old Habits

04:45 Fear and Psychological Safety

07:45 Connecting Humans to Change

12:02 Building Connection on Projects

16:04 Social Capital and Conversations

19:47 Case Study Leading Through Change

24:57 Experimentation and Industry Shifts

30:10 Legacy and Staying Curious

32:29 Where to Find Ryan