Curiosity as an Inclusive Leadership Practice in Academic Libraries

russellsmichalak
Apr 23
3 min read

In academic libraries, we often encourage curiosity in our users—students, faculty, and researchers—but the most transformative environments are built when leaders foster curiosity in themselves and across their teams. As highlighted by Zheng, curiosity is not a “nice-to-have”—it’s a critical capability of inclusive leadership.

Leaders influence how inclusive and psychologically safe an organization feels, and their willingness to model curiosity, humility, and continuous learning has measurable impact. For academic library leaders, cultivating curiosity within leadership practice isn't just good for personal growth—it's foundational for building equitable, innovative, and resilient organizations.

Curiosity About Your Leadership

Inclusive leadership starts with authenticity and self-awareness. Understanding your leadership style—its strengths, gaps, and growth potential—can unlock more genuine, adaptable leadership.

Actions to Build Leadership Curiosity:

• Seek Feedback: Ask for input from your team and peers. Use anonymous surveys, listening sessions, or reflective one-on-ones to uncover insights.
• Reflect on Leadership Challenges: View missteps as learning opportunities. Document lessons and apply them in future decisions.
• Explore Frameworks: Engage with leadership theories like servant leadership or participative management to challenge assumptions and grow your style.

Example in Action: A library director journals after major projects, analyzing both successes and mistakes to inform future decisions—modeling humility and curiosity for the team.

Commitment to Lifelong Learning

Inclusive leaders embrace active learning, recognizing that curiosity isn’t passive—it requires intention. Ongoing professional development becomes a way to keep equity, inclusion, and innovation front of mind.

Professional Development Opportunities:

Attend Conferences: Stay current on emerging trends in academic librarianship, higher education, and DEI.
Join Communities of Practice: Exchange ideas with other inclusive library leaders.
Take Courses: Formal learning in areas like AI ethics, data equity, or inclusive management can expand your capabilities.

Example in Action: A library leader completes an online course in AI tools, integrating the knowledge to improve services and guide staff with confidence.

Cultivating a Learning-Oriented Team

Just as inclusive leaders redefine outdated norms, library leaders can revise internal team expectations to encourage learning, creativity, and belonging.

Ways to Support Staff Learning:

Invest in Practical Training: Prioritize PD in areas like user experience, research equity, and inclusive metadata.
Normalize Experimentation: Celebrate curiosity—even when things don’t work the first time.
Allocate Growth Time: Give staff protected time for learning and collaborative exploration.

Example in Action: A library director creates a monthly “Curiosity Hour” where staff explore new tools and share PD insights—embedding inclusion into the culture.

Curiosity About Organizational Growth

Inclusive leadership requires questioning outdated practices and reimagining how the library can support evolving institutional goals and community needs.

Fostering Organizational Curiosity:

Revisit Vision and Mission: Do your statements reflect current values like DEIA and innovation?
Benchmark: Look to peer institutions and underserved communities to identify practices that expand equity.
Ask Strategic Questions: Challenge assumptions with “what if” and “what’s next” to unlock creative strategies.

Example in Action: A library leader hosts a cross-campus retreat to co-create a new strategic plan focused on equitable access and inclusive innovation.

Modeling a Growth Mindset

Zheng reminds us that inclusive leaders “prioritize authenticity and psychological safety.” Sharing vulnerability and being open to feedback not only models curiosity but also creates space for others to learn, grow, and take risks.

Leadership Practices to Model Growth:

Share Your Story: Be transparent about your leadership evolution.
Invite Feedback: Practice listening with humility and act on what you hear.
Recognize Curiosity: Celebrate staff who explore new ideas, challenge norms, or propose inclusive alternatives.

Example in Action: A library director shares their learning curve using ChatGPT and ClickUp to streamline operations, showing the team that curiosity drives improvement, not perfection.

Curiosity Creates Inclusive Culture

Inclusion doesn’t happen by accident—it’s intentionally built through daily practices. Curiosity helps library leaders stay responsive, humble, and agile. As the Harvard Business Review authors emphasize, inclusion is “everyone’s responsibility,” and leaders who model curiosity help embed it into the culture.

Academic libraries are evolving rapidly. Let’s ensure curiosity isn’t just a trait we encourage in our users—but one we champion in ourselves.