When I transitioned to my first leadership position, I had this idea in my head I needed to be the one with all the answers. It may have been imposter syndrome creeping in, but I was sold on the idea I needed to be the source of answers. Many years and experiences later I realized I couldn’t be further from the truth.

At some point it finally clicked with me that while I may have some good ideas and answers here and there, I have an entire team ready to jump at opportunities to solve problems. I realized my impact as a leader isn’t about delivering all the answers but instead, it is about helping create an environment where the collective group can accel at creating new ideas and uncovering answers to complex situations.

To help create this environment of curiosity and discovery for the entire team, there’s one question I typically have in my mind. Are we asking the right questions or are we settling because we have an answer? In our fast-paced world it’s easy to see a potential solution, check it off the list, and move on to the next problem to solve. In some scenarios this quick movement may be needed, especially if the importance and risk levels are low.

But there are plenty of situations we run into where an answer simply won’t do. This becomes a critical point for leadership. When we have an answer, who’s going to pull the inquisitive card and keep asking questions? Who’s going to let curiosity continue to explore well beyond just the readily available answer?

Albert Einstein famously stated, “I have no special talent, I am only passionately curious.” I would argue his passion for curiosity was his incredible talent. There was no settling for him. Settling at the first arrived answer is so tempting when everyone needs to move with speed. But speed isn’t just about finding an answer as quickly as possible. It’s about finding the answer that puts a team or organization in the best position which in turn allows the team or organization to move forward with greater speed.

Curiosity is the catalyst behind so many great ideas and discoveries so as a leader, while being the one with answers can feel great, our energy needs to be spent facilitating environments of curiosity. An entire team or organization of curiosity can make transformational changes but we as leaders must buy-in to help architect this environment of inquisitiveness. The focus can’t be on assessing leaders based on what their individual ideas and solutions are but instead, on the ability to foster a collective group to find even better ideas and solutions.

Are we asking the right questions or are we settling because we have an answer? When there’s an entire team or organization driven with curiosity, settling is not part of the equation. Curiosity by focusing on the right questions drives more exploration, additional diversity of thought and perspective, and makes for an exciting environment to discover what’s next.

Take your step: whether you’re a formal or informal leader, the next complex and difficult situation you’re involved in, pause and ask the team if they’re settling because they have an answer or if they’ve asked the right questions to challenge whether it’s the answer the group should move forward with. Complex and difficult situations warrant curiosity and not just an answer. Be an advocate for fostering an environment to be inquisitive and not just settle on the first readily available answer but instead, be willing to explore.