Curiosity and Courage
by Mariah Burton Nelson  

Let's take a break from that old "battle of the sexes" paradigm. Instead, as Annika Sorenstam today becomes the first woman since Babe Didrikson to play in a PGA Tour event, let's consider the relationship between curiosity and achievement.

"This is a test for me personally," explains the golfer who won 13 times in 25 tournaments last year -- more than Tiger Woods or any other player for the past 40 years. "I am curious to see if I can compete in a PGA Tour event."

The best athletes are curious. The best leaders, managers, musicians, nurses, and public servants are curious to see how much they can achieve, how well they can perform under pressure, what they might discover about themselves or the world when they venture beyond the familiar.

Curiosity is defined as an eagerness to learn. It does not guarantee success. But curiosity motivates people to try new things -- and that's essential for success.

Curious people don't just ask, "How will Annika fare against the men?" They ask challenging questions about their own ambitions: How do my skills compare to those of others? What could I possibly accomplish? How might my team or company succeed if...? How well could we perform if...? What might be achieved if...?

Curious people surprise themselves in many ways, including some unpleasant ones. To act on one's curiosity, and to cultivate it, takes courage.

What will happen this weekend? "I have no idea how well I'll do," says Sorenstam. Therein lies the thrill.

And if Sorenstam does not play well?

"The worst thing that can happen is that I can learn something," she says. Then, like all successful people, she'll surely be curious to see what she can accomplish next.

Point #1: Successful people cultivate curiosity about their own potential -- and summon the courage to act on it.

Point #2: It can be thrilling -- and educational -- to ask, How well might I do?

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The Stronger Women Get, The More Men Love Football