The agriculture industry is changing fast. The leaders who thrive are up to speed with the newest technology, industry trends and latest challenges. They’re the ones who are curious enough to ask better questions and truly understand the situation.  

Blaze saw curiosity truly come to play while in Iraq. 

Fresh out of college, he joined a team conducting agricultural assessments during Operation Iraqi Freedom. One day, an IED detonated near their convoy. Later, soldiers apprehended a young man suspected of planting it. The suspect was about Blaze’s age, with a wife and children. 

“I kept thinking, why would somebody so young with so much life ahead of them throw it all away?” Blaze admitted. 

But his mentors pushed him further: “If you were in his shoes, why might you do that?” 

That question challenged his outlook. 

Curiosity turns assumptions into understanding. It makes you slow down long enough to see the human behind the decision. 

1. Curiosity Opens the Door to Better Decisions 

Curiosity is how leaders keep up with the ever-changing agriculture industry. 

“Where there is technology or highly technical things and a lot of change, there’s often a requirement for a lot of learning.” 

Curiosity fuels that learning. 

It helps leaders: 

• Ask why things work the way they do 

• Understand root causes instead of treating symptoms 

• Learn faster than the change happening around them 

His go-to practice? “Usually, if you ask why five times, you get to the real insight.” 

2. Curiosity Strengthens Empathy and Trust 

Blaze is a believer that leadership is people work, not process work. And curiosity gives leaders a bridge into other people’s experiences. 

“I find I’m better able to lead or problem-solve if I take a moment and ask: What might be going through their mind?” 

Empathy grows with perspective-taking. Trust grows when people feel understood. Curiosity is the discipline that forces you to slow down long enough to truly hear and see someone. 

3. Curiosity Helps Leaders Adapt Faster 

Adaptive leadership is built on curiosity. 

Blaze learned this the hard way while launching an AgriCorps program overseas. Two weeks before his team arrived in Liberia, the Ebola epidemic struck. Plans changed. Borders closed. They had to pivot the entire program to Ghana in 14 days. 

“We make the road by walking. You get better at adaptability by putting yourself in situations that require it.” 

Staying curious helps leaders: 

• Assess what’s truly happening 

• Explore unfamiliar paths 

• Reimagine solutions under pressure 

Curiosity won’t always make change easier, but it will keep you moving, learning and adapting when everything around you shifts. 

4. Curiosity Makes You a Better Communicator 

Blaze believes the future of agriculture requires “apex communicators.” AKA leaders who can listen deeply and communicate clearly. 

“The best communicators are really effective listeners.” 

And listening is impossible without curiosity. 

Curiosity helps you: 

• Understand your audience’s fears, needs and motivations 

• Communicate truth with clarity and compassion 

• Connect with people emotionally  

It is easy to default to information-dumping. Curiosity helps you switch to understanding-first and crafting a message second. 

5. Curiosity Gets Power From Reflection 

Without slowing down long enough to process what you’re learning, curiosity becomes noise instead of wisdom. Reflection is what transforms questions into insight. 

“A learning moment doesn’t become full circle until we take time to reflect on it.” 

Reflection turns curiosity into clarity. 

Strength curiosity through reflection:  

• Build a simple ‘end-of-day' question 

• Debrief big moments before moving on 

• Talk it out with someone you trust 

High-achieving leaders often stay in motion, but the leaders who grow the fastest are the ones who pause, look back and connect the dots. 

The Bottom Line: Curiosity Makes You a Better Leader 

Curiosity is one of the fastest ways to unlock empathy, clarity, adaptability, communication and meaningful learning. 

High-achieving leaders often chase mastery. Curiosity reminds us that leadership isn’t something you master, it’s something you keep discovering. 

Learn More  

Blaze Currie, Practice Lead for Food & Ag at Vivayic, joins The Cultivating Leaders Podcast to explore what it really takes to guide people, teams and organizations in leading agriculture forward. He brings a rare blend of global perspective and ag-rooted wisdom. Blaze has built a career staying curious, listening deeply, and adapting boldly.