In the late 1950s, as the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) transitioned to what we now know as NASA, one pioneering mathematician pursued what might have seemed an unusual course.
Dorothy Vaughan had already blazed a lot of trails. As one of NACA’s first African-American “computers,” Dorothy put her math degree to use in flight research and engineering projects that led to Allied victory in World War II.
But Dorothy could see the writing on the wall, and by the late 1950s, she knew the days of calculating complex formulas solely by hand were coming to an end. She knew that to stay relevant at work she needed to adapt and in 1958, she started teaching herself the programming language FORTRAN, and by 1961, she was teaching it to her staff and leading NASA’s programming department.
How did an African-American woman born in 1910 have the foresight to navigate racial and gender boundaries to pioneer a field that didn’t even exist when she was born?
Curiosity. She was curious!
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The Importance of Being Curious
Dorothy spun her curiosity into a career that addressed the challenges of her emerging future. Our own emerging world requires the same curiosity. We’re adapting to technologies that were once firmly in the realm of science fiction. For example, artificial intelligence (AI) has become ubiquitous in just a couple of short years.
Nowhere are these changes more apparent than on LinkedIn’s “Jobs on the Rise” report for 2025. A careful analysis of this list shows that over 50% of these jobs did not exist 20 years ago, including AI Engineer and AI Consultant, first and second on the list. Companies are looking for talented people to meet new and evolving needs.
The future belongs to those who are willing to engage their curiosity to drive them toward learning new skills. Here are four keys to staying curious and current in an ever-changing environment.
1. Ask questions.
It can be tough to ask questions sometimes. Questions are an admission that we have blind spots or that we don’t know everything. We might hesitate to “be a bother” or worry about looking too nosy.
But questions are a sign of curiosity—of an openness to new information and a willingness to learn and expand thinking. They help us challenge assumptions and confront our own biases. And they help us learn how things work and keep us humble by reminding us that we don’t know everything.
Of course, the key to asking questions is to be open to answers—even when we may not like them! But taking in new information and processing it carefully can help us solve problems, manage new challenges, and provoke improvements across our organizations.
2. Pursue interesting “side quests.”
In the world of video games, a side quest is an optional mission or task that the player can undertake to achieve extra rewards, pursue new challenges, or just experience a different part of the gaming world.
Curious people understand that side quests can have career benefits in real life, too. In a 2024 post for the tech blog Path to Staff, Chaitali Narla, former Google Engineering Director and current Engineering Lead at the payment platform Stripe, shares how pursuing her passion projects or “side quests” helped propel her career forward. Narla shares that not only did her passion projects expand her network and open up new opportunities, but they also helped her keep her career “sparkling.” “The best way to advance your career is to always be in the learning zone,” Narla says.
3. Use your imagination.
Imagination has long been the key ingredient in innovation, but it has power far beyond simply inventing new products or services. Engaging in imaginative thinking can improve organizational planning, lead to better scenario-based planning, and even help leaders repurpose products and services to meet needs consumers might not even realize they have.
Take regular time for cloud watching to let your brain make new connections. Indulge in creative hobbies and personal pursuits outside work; such outside activities can help our brains recharge and reset so we can bring our best to our jobs. And don’t forget to actually go outside regularly—“green therapy” offers great benefits for your brain and your leadership abilities!
4. Learn new skills—and employ them!
Change can be tough, as those of us who still mourn the disappearance of our BlackBerry keyboards can attest. New technologies can be scary and overwhelming, and rather than engage with them, we might be tempted to just ignore them and hope they go away.
But the future doesn’t wait, and workers and leaders need to stay current to meet whatever unexpected demands await. Take control of your personal development. Think about the skills you will need in the future, and create an action plan to develop them. As you acquire new skills, look for ways to implement them in your current role. If you are a senior leader, actively support learning and development across your organization.
Dorothy Vaughan didn’t fear the changes she saw on the horizon—she embraced them. Like Dorothy, we all need to avoid career stagnation and let our curious natures bloom!
Self-Check:
- What is one new skill I can learn to improve my effectiveness in my current role?
- Is there a future role or function I can start preparing for now? What is one step I can take toward that goal?
- Do I need to make more time for outside activities or “side quests”? Is there one that might directly improve my effectiveness at work?
