#86 Ken Woodward: The Smallest Act of Authorship

"The smallest act of authorship is a question." - Ken Woodward

Nine months ago, Naomi Campbell of the Right Question Institute said one word that gave me a word I had been searching for: agency. I felt it land in my body before I understood it in my head. I promised my listeners I would come back with an answer. This episode is that answer.

Agency is the authorship of our own lives. Not control, which none of us has. Authorship is something smaller and more stubborn. It is the refusal to be only what the world wrote about us. And the smallest act of authorship, it turns out, is a question. The moment we ask, we stop receiving the world and start writing on it.

I carry two stories from my walk across Washington. A man I call Doc, raised by a mother who would not let him absorb anything without questioning it first. A woman I call Pearl, who answered the worst day of her life by building a neighborhood for the children coming up behind her.

Agency is inherent. It can be suppressed, but never removed. The whole question is whether we pick up the pen.

This Curated Questions episode can be found on all major platforms and at CuratedQuestions.com.

Be sure to subscribe to the weekly Curated Questions Dispatch newsletter for more fun with questions and curiosity! (https://substack.com/@curatedquestions)

Keep questioning!

#85 Larry Robertson: What Will You Soon Realize You Already Know?

" The more you play around with it, and the more you see the power in a question, the more you realize that it actually is the cure for the uncertainty that ails many of us." - Larry Robertson

Larry Robertson has spent three decades advising leaders on growth, innovation, and strategy. He is also a US Fulbright Scholar, a columnist, and the author of four award-winning books. His newest, Great Question: The Art of the Ask and Getting More of What You Really Want, draws on more than 140 interviews spanning neuroscience, psychology, business, and the arts.

Larry believes we are not a storytelling species. We are a questioning species. He arrived at that conviction book by book, pattern by pattern, over two decades of research.

In this conversation, we explore the power of questions as a form of agency. We examine intellectual humility and what happens when you stop performing certainty. We discuss leadership, polarization, and the Braver Angels framework. We also unpack Larry's five-element Art of the Ask.

Questions are not a technique. They are a behavior. They are something you already know how to do. This conversation is a reminder to start practicing again.

This Curated Questions episode can be found on all major platforms and at CuratedQuestions.com.

Be sure to subscribe to the weekly Curated Questions Dispatch newsletter for more fun with questions and curiosity! (https://substack.com/@curatedquestions)

Keep questioning!

#55 Ken Woodward: The Locked Door: How Avoided Questions Hold the Key to Transformation!

"Your avoided question isn't just personal development, it's an act of resistance." - Ken Woodward

In this episode of Curated Questions, host Ken Woodward explores the transformative power of confronting the questions we're avoiding. Delving into neuroscience, psychology, and personal reflection, he highlights why these avoided questions create discomfort and how they serve as a gateway to significant change.

Ken introduces tools and methodologies to help listeners identify and tackle these questions, both in their personal lives and within organizations. With practical advice and real-world examples, this episode encourages listeners to pause, reflect, and take actionable steps towards growth.

Ken also underscores the importance of curiosity and its role in overcoming avoidance, ultimately leading to meaningful transformation.

This Curated Questions episode can be found on all major platforms and at CuratedQuestions.com.

Keep questioning!

#49 Naomi Campbell: The Key to Helping Others Find Their Own Questions!

"Questions are an extremely sophisticated thinking skill that everyone can use and practice all the time." - Naomi Campbell

In this episode, host Ken Woodward is in conversation with Naomi Campbell, Director of the Right Question Institute (RQI) Legal Empowerment Program. They delve into the transformative power of teaching people to ask questions, highlighting its impact across various fields, including education, legal practice, and healthcare.

Naomi shares her journey from an inquisitive childhood encouraged by her family and school, through law school at Harvard, to her work in Mexico City advocating for migrant workers. The episode emphasizes the importance of questioning as a sophisticated skill that fosters personal agency and enhances democratic participation. Naomi also discusses RQI's unique methods for teaching this skill and how they support change agents in different communities.

The conversation provides insightful examples of how empowering people to formulate their own questions can lead to meaningful social change and better navigating decision-making systems.

This Curated Questions episode can be found on all major platforms and at CuratedQuestions.com.

Keep questioning!