Awe and the unexpected leadership habit that fuels innovation

Innovation. Leaders want it but few can create the conditions to make it thrive. And while innovation sits high on the agenda for many CEOs, employees don’t always feel their workplaces are designed to support it.

It’s no surprise. We’re moving at breakneck speed, and there’s a feeling of great uncertainty, with the World Economic Forum predicting more than one-in-five jobs are expected to be disrupted by 2030, and nearly 40 percent of the skills we rely on today are set to change.

It’s the perfect storm; a relentless drive for growth, breakneck speed and deep uncertainty. Innovation feels like the answer, but only if it’s done right.

There is, however, one powerful leadership habit that can create better conditions for innovation: wonder.

What is wonder?

Wonder is that careful combination of awe, curiosity and optimism that opens us up to possibility. It creates the mental conditions creativity needs: a shift in perspective, an appetite for questions and the belief that a different answer might be possible.

Let’s break it down a little. In his book Awe: The new science of everyday wonder and how it can transform your life, social researcher Dacher Keltner describes awe as the feeling we get when we encounter something that challenges our thinking, that forces us to understand the world differently.

We become curious. We start to question and explore possibilities, seeking answers but enjoying the process of not knowing.

And throughout, there’s genuine optimism. At its heart, wonder is an emotion that feels open and expansive – a sense of possibility and hope about the future.

Together, awe, curiosity and optimism help us loosen our grip on the obvious answer and imagine a better one.

So what leaders can do to make wonder a practical part of meetings, strategy and culture?

Introduce awe

Awe shifts us out of our everyday. It’s also not commonly found at work. So leaders can deliberately create opportunities for it: think theater shows, concerts, inspiring talks, away days and genuinely memorable corporate retreats. The point is to focus on creating the feeling, not a token, tacked-on part of a planning day.

We can cultivate awe in ourselves, too – actively seeking out experiences that will make us feel that feeling. We can leave our desks and go for a walk, or maybe even walk home a different way to the route we normally take. We can stop in at a museum or art gallery, and challenge ourselves to spend five minutes longer just taking it all in. Awe begins with noticing and paying closer attention.

Awe may also help counter some of the conditions that contribute to burnout. Research has linked awe-focused practices with lower stress and greater wellbeing – a promising reason to make room for it, although it’s no substitute for addressing workload or unhealthy culture.

Cultivate curiosity

As leaders, we often feel like we need to have all the answers – to set a path of certainty for our team to follow.

But the best leaders don’t answer, they ask. And that’s where curiosity – specifically, wonder – comes in. Instead of reaching for the answers, practice sitting in a state of uncertainty, of not knowing.

Here’s how to cultivate curiosity:

1. Acknowledge you don’t know the answers. It opens up opportunities for others to discover them.

2. Ask questions yourself, and don’t be afraid to ask foolish ones. Most people don’t ask questions because they’re terrified of looking incompetent or unintelligent. Show them it’s okay to ask questions, because it’s okay to not know the answer.

3. Hold back judgement. Instead, ask questions that help people think more deeply about their perspective and remain curious.

Build optimism

Most innovation gets shut down before the team has even left the brainstorm room. Responses like "That wouldn’t work" or "We’ve tried that before" mean potentially great ideas get squashed before they’ve had the chance to be properly explored.

Instead, shift the language to openness. The phrase "I wonder…" is a simple framing that keeps possibility alive, and ideas burning.

"I wonder how we might…" This gentle prompt encourages the team to be curious, to volunteer ideas that aren’t fully resolved, so that everyone can tease them out together.

Later, when you’re evaluating and challenging ideas, use the phrase again,

"I wonder who…"

"I wonder when…"

"I wonder where…"

"I wonder if you’ve considered…"

Notice how the language is positive and optimistic? It’s a subtle shift – but a powerful one.

Create space for wonder

Divergent thinking is where we dream up ideas without constraints. We think big, we think bold, we think wild. It’s what we call blue-sky, or out-of-the-box thinking.

Convergent thinking is where we evaluate. We consider. We weigh up ideas against criteria and decide which ones to take forward.

The problem with most workplaces is that they combine the two. Wild and wonderful ideas that bubble to the surface are just as quickly determined impossible – too unwieldy, too hard.

The key is to allow for the "wondering" time in between. Time for ideas to percolate, time for possibilities to emerge. Incubation is well-documented as being proven to support the innovation process. Social psychologist Graham Wallas first described the concept in 1926 in his book The Art of Thought as a period in which ideas continue to develop away from conscious effort.

Space for wonder doesn’t mean losing speed. It can be as little time as booking in brainstorming (divergent) and prioritization (convergent) sessions a day apart, or even just scheduling a break for lunch in between. The key is having a brain break – a chance for ideas to evolve themselves.

The leadership practice of wonder, at its heart, is the ability to pause before rushing to the answer, to ask better questions and to create the conditions where their teams experience new perspectives. These habits, learnt and honed over time, help unexpected insights and ideas surface – and meaningful innovation begin.

Opinions expressed by The CEO Magazine contributors are their own.