If you listen carefully in finance meetings, you will notice something interesting.

Most of the time, the energy in the room rises when someone shares an answer. A new forecast, a clever model, a strong recommendation. But the quality of those answers usually depends on something that happens earlier and more quietly. The questions.

For professionals in a Doctor of Business Administration program, especially those who work in finance-related roles, curiosity is a practical leadership skill. 

Research in organizational psychology has linked curiosity in the workplace with better learning and stronger job performance.^{(See disclaimer 1)} In parallel, writers in management and leadership studies argue that asking more insightful questions is central to effective strategic decision-making.^{(See disclaimer 2  )}

In other words, curiosity can have a real return. It can change the quality of financial decisions that shape budgets, investments and strategy.

Finance is full of uncertainty. Leaders work with incomplete information, volatile markets, noisy data and competing objectives. In that environment, the instinct to rush to an answer is understandable, but it is also risky.

Curiosity prompts leaders to slow down just enough to thoroughly explore the problem before committing to a solution. It shows up in questions such as:

• What is really driving this change in revenue?
• Which assumptions are carrying the most weight in this forecast?
• Whose perspective is missing from this analysis?

Studies of curiosity at work suggest that curious employees engage more in learning and adapt more effectively to new situations, which in turn supports better performance.^{(See disclaimer 1 )}In financial contexts, that same learning posture helps leaders see patterns other people miss and recognize when the story in the spreadsheet does not fully match reality.

Curiosity also creates space for alternative views. Instead of defending a position, a curious leader invites colleagues to share doubts, exceptions and local knowledge. Taking this open approach can offer valuable insights and help leaders identify potential issues earlier in the process.

A common habit in organizations is what we might call answer-first thinking. Someone presents a decision, and the conversation jumps straight to support or opposition. Should we approve this capital project? Should we launch this product? Should we restructure this service line?

Question-driven thinking starts earlier. It asks:

• What decision are we really trying to make?
• What problem are we truly solving?
• What options have we not considered yet?

Writers in strategy and leadership describe this shift as transitioning from solution mode to inquiry mode, noting that well-structured questions can enhance both the process and the outcome of strategic decisions.^{(See disclaimer 2 )}

For DBA students, this will feel familiar. Doctoral work is built around the research question. Until the question is clear, the method, data and conclusions remain uncertain. The same logic applies in finance. If the decision question is vague, even a sophisticated analysis can fall short.

Curiosity in leadership is not random. It can be focused and purposeful. In practice, three types of questions often make a large difference in financial decisions.

1. Framing questions

These questions assess whether the decision has been clearly framed.

• What exactly are we deciding today?
• Over what time horizon are we judging success?
• Which constraints are truly fixed, and which ones are assumptions we could revisit?

A framing question might reveal that the group is mixing two decisions, such as an investment choice and an organizational design issue. Separating them can improve clarity and reduce conflict.

2. Assumption questions

Assumption questions explore the logic inside the analysis.

• Which three assumptions will most change our conclusion if they turn out to be wrong?
• How did we select the historical period on which this model is based?
• Are we relying on data from one region or client segment and applying it to all?

These questions are especially important when an organization has strong data in some areas but weaker data in others, or when data is spread across several systems with limited oversight. The curiosity to ask about definitions, sources and ownership can surface gaps that might otherwise stay hidden until after a decision is made.

3. Stakeholder questions

Stakeholder questions connect the numbers to the people and systems that will carry the impact.

• How will this change affect frontline staff who work with this process every day?
• What will our customers notice first if we move forward?
• Who will need to say yes for this decision to work in practice?

These questions do not replace financial metrics. They sit beside them and help leaders predict how realistic and sustainable a decision will be once it leaves the conference room.

One area where curiosity is essential is the common problem of data silos and weak data oversight.

Imagine a health system where the finance team, the clinical operations team and the marketing team each maintain separate views of patient revenue.

• Finance builds forecasts based on billed and collected amounts.
• Clinical operations track service volumes and case mix in a clinical system.
• Marketing tracks campaign responses and new patient inquiries on a separate platform.

All three groups believe they are working with accurate data. Yet their dashboards tell different stories about the same service line.

So, why is curiosity important in this scenario? A leader who accepts each set of figures without question may never see the conflict. A curious leader will notice that the numbers do not quite align and will ask:

• Are these reports using the same definition of ‘active patient’ and ‘service line’?
• Who owns the master record of revenue data?
• How often are these data sources reconciled, and by whom?
• What governance exists to resolve differences when numbers do not match?

These questions are not criticisms. They are an expression of responsibility. They help the organization move from parallel interpretations to a shared view of reality.

Moving along the curiosity curve isn’t just helpful; it can provide a competitive edge. Curious leaders make better decisions, build stronger relationships, and foster more innovative cultures.^{(See disclaimer 3)}

For DBA learners and graduates, curiosity is already built into the program structure. The entire dissertation process rests on several core moves that are, at heart, acts of disciplined curiosity. 

• You notice a recurring problem in practice.
• You ask why it occurs and how it might be changed.
• You search the literature to see what others have learned.
• You design a way to gather and interpret evidence.
• You communicate what you found and its significance.

Research on curiosity suggests that this kind of question-driven learning supports both exploration and performance at work.^{(See disclaimer 1)} Business schools and executive programs are increasingly explicit about teaching inquiry skills, not just technical tools, as a foundation for leadership.^{(See disclaimer 4)}

When you carry that same stance back into your organization, your role begins to shift. You are no longer the person expected to provide answers only. You become the person who helps the group ask better questions before it makes a decision.

The good news is that curiosity is something you can practice. You do not have to wait for a perfect research opportunity. You can begin to adjust how you show up in everyday meetings and decisions.

Practice one: Add one more question

When you feel ready to respond in a meeting, pause for a moment and add one question before you share your view. For example:

• What concerns do others see that we have not discussed yet?
• Which assumption in this model makes you least comfortable?
• What would have to be true for this plan to work in the next three years?

Adding a question does not slow the conversation as much as people fear. Often, it saves time by bringing obstacles and insights to the surface early.

Practice two: Rewrite metrics as questions

Take a dashboard you use often and rewrite each key metric as a question.

• Instead of “operating margin,” think “Are we generating enough operating income to support our mission over time?”
• Instead of “days cash on hand,” think “How many days could we sustain operations if revenue stopped, and is that enough for our risk profile?”

By turning metrics into questions, you remind yourself and others that numbers are tools for inquiry, not just scores. This simple habit can change the tone of financial discussions and invite more thoughtful engagement from nonfinancial colleagues.

Practice three: Use your dissertation as a curiosity laboratory

Your dissertation or applied project gives you one rare opportunity to design a study end-to-end. Treat it as a space to cultivate deliberate curiosity.

• Spend time refining your research question until it is precise, answerable and meaningful to practice.
• Keep a short log of the questions that come up most often as you design and run your study. Many of those questions can be directly applied to your leadership work.
• When you present your findings, focus not only on what you discovered but also on which new questions emerged.

Over time, you will begin to see your doctoral work and your leadership practice as two expressions of the same underlying habit of mind.

Curiosity has another return that is easy to overlook. It builds trust.

When you ask thoughtful questions and listen carefully to the answers, colleagues notice. They see that you are interested in their perspective, that you are willing to reconsider your own view, and that you care about understanding the full picture before making a recommendation.

This is especially important when you communicate financial information. Many people outside finance feel some anxiety around numbers. A curious and patient communicator can help reduce that anxiety by inviting questions, acknowledging uncertainty and explaining key points in clear and concise language.

Work on curiosity and leadership often emphasizes that curious leaders are more likely to foster learning, creativity and adaptability in their teams.^{(See disclaimer 5 )}Those same qualities support healthier conversations about financial risk and reward.

In finance, it is tempting to equate value with certainty. To believe that the leader with the fastest answer is the most effective.

Not only do question bursts help reframe a challenge and generate at least one new idea Gregersen said, but “the act of doing it actually increases human connection and increases a sense of psychological safety.”^{(See disclaimer 6)} This is because leaders who lead with curiosity are better equipped to navigate complexity, identify market shifts, and inspire teams to think outside the box.^{(See disclaimer 7)}

For DBA students and graduates, this is an encouraging message. You are already training yourself to live in the space of careful questions and evidence-based answers.

The next step is to treat curiosity as a financial asset. Like any asset, it needs attention and deliberate practice. When you invest in it, the return shows up in better decisions, stronger relationships, and a culture where people feel safe to bring real information and honest doubts to the table.

In an environment where capital is scarce, data is abundant and uncertainty is constant, the leaders who stand out may not be the ones with the flashiest models. They will be the ones with the most thoughtful questions.

At Grand Canyon University’s College of Doctoral Studies, students can choose between four distinct Doctor of Business (DBA) programs: data analytics, entrepreneurship and innovation, management and marketing. You’ll work through flexible online courses, a streamlined dissertation process from the start of your DBA program and in-person residencies on or near GCU’s campus in Phoenix.