Limiting thoughts nurture limiting words and actions that render little.

Should you find yourself closing down toward someone, that is an excellent time to ask yourself these questions.

• What am I not aware of in this moment? Remain patient and allow insights to occur to you in their own time.
• How can I respond to the other person by choosing to become curious? Demonstrate curiosity about what impassions this person rather than the topic alone.
• How does this person’s experience resonate with me? Rather than dismissing and limiting your thoughts or opinions, identify with whatever engages you. Ex: Golf may not resonate. Being outside may!

There are numerous benefits of openness in the workplace:

• Discover new perspectives. Those from different backgrounds from us tend to think differently or see a situation from a different angle. When you are open, you can hear ideas without prejudice and develop more than just your one point of view.
• Promotes a friendly and collaborative environment. Being open means not taking things personally. It means open communication and the capacity for trust and teamwork.
• Contributes to flexibility and teamwork. Openness encourages new perspectives and open-minded thinking. In addition to expanding your knowledge base, it will help you work well with others – a valuable soft skill in any environment.
• Willingness to take risks. When you work in an open environment, you are more likely to feel comfortable expressing your opinions, and your authentic self will shine through.
• Nurture leadership skills. Openness is a valuable leadership quality, so when you are ready to take the next step up the corporate ladder, being open is worthy of your portfolio of skills and behaviors.
• Builds trust. As we open up to others, they are more likely to open up to us. Similar to taking risks, experiencing others taking risks builds our own faith in what we are capable of as well. When we discover that our environment is open to risk, we trust more in what we may have to contribute to it.

Openness is counter to narrow-mindedness, defined as unwillingness and intolerance of other people’s views—essentially, this state of being demonstrates prejudice. Prejudice is an ongoing burden that many carry, like old baggage that would be more beneficial to put down. We have seen that bag of prejudice dragged out in politics, in communities across the globe, and within every organization in some way or another.

Because where there are people, there are conflicts. Where there are conflicts, there are sides taken. When sides are taken, it is worth some introspection to determine whether it’s based on preference or preconceived opinion with no basis in experience or reason that can be explained and understood.

Yet, it is much easier to build connections when we allow ourselves to be open to others, particularly when others demonstrate openness in return! Otherwise, we shut down and feel frustrated, angry, and fearful—these feelings we experience in our bodies. Surprisingly, I’ve discovered how few leaders easily relate to their bodies and how negative feelings impact us biologically.

It can be difficult for people to grasp the impact of negative feelings on the body. These are not emotions that fare well in the business world. I hear it all the time from leaders that “those are unwanted emotions in business.” Yet they turn up largely due to the human condition encompassing conflict and ill feelings.

Therefore the significant question born of this inevitable circumstance is what can be done about it? I believe it all boils down to one word, curiosity. When curiosity strikes, fear is typically put aside, and possibility is born.

When you consider the concepts of good & bad, right & wrong, it is wise to recognize that these are judgments. When you feel judged by others, what reactions come to mind as ones you’d have in moments of being judged?

For 100% of my clients, when I ask the above question, the responses are all grounded in negative, unmotivating outcomes. When you consider the impact of negativity, how do you imagine those feelings would manifest were they pebbles thrown randomly in still waters?

The ripple effect of waves in still water can become so significant and concerning when they cause a boat to capsize. Or when living animals surface to experience turbulence in the water that is unsettling. Or even fatal. So, what do you do?

How open-minded are you? Do you have tunnel vision and feel there is only one way to accomplish a goal, or are you open to diverse ideas? Do you tolerate other people’s views even when you disagree with what they say?

Openness is one of the five basic personality traits (the others are conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism) used to measure one’s character and how they might respond to situations in the workplace.

Your level of openness is affected by how you were brought up, your education, the company you keep, and how you interact with others. Whether you are aware of it or not, your peers and subordinates recognize openness in your interactions. They react to you accordingly and adjust their behavior based on their perceptions.

In this installment of our leadership series, we explore the value of openness in leadership – what it is, how you can nurture it in your leadership style, and how it can benefit your working relationships.