August 17, 2023 – Anyone who watched the Larry King show with any regularity (as I did) could easily see that he was a talented conversationalist. But what stood out even more than that was the fact that his knowledge of pretty much everything was so current. There wasn’t a topic that came up that he was unfamiliar with.
So when I had a chance encounter with Larry during a business trip to Los Angeles, I asked him what I had always wondered about: how he stayed so current and relevant in so many areas.
His answer was quick and emphatic: “Stay curious. I’m a very curious person, and it has always kept the show interesting because people can tell that I truly am interested in what is important to them.”
One of our core values at Quantum Leap is “Always Innovate,” and it’s based on the belief that continual learning and curiosity spark innovation’s fire.
A spark can come from anywhere – inspiration is literally all around us. Having worked with some of the world’s most ingenious creatives at Mattel and Nike, I fully believe that creativity and idea generation is a skill we can all nurture and develop.
As I worked to learn and grow alongside such creative people, the most common practice I observed in them was feeding their unending curiosity by immersing themselves in new areas of interest. They were always watching documentaries, signing up for a class in something they’d never tried, or reading a book on a new topic. And they did it all just for fun.
When people allow their curiosity to lead them in new and interesting areas without knowing where the new path will lead, the process of exploration inevitably creates a unique connection back to their work and produces something truly innovative.
So the next time your curiosity leads you down a new and seemingly-unrelated path, don’t dismiss it as a waste of time. It just might be the very thing your brain needs to solve your current challenge or to come up with your next big idea.
And it also helps you stay highly relevant for a lifetime, just like Larry.