To be the best in your field, asking questions and taking constructive criticism makes you a better leader. Humility is the most powerful quality a woman in leadership can have.

Having a PhD you're reminded that you do not know everything, and that is why you are studying your subject. I am ok admitting I do not know something, especially if I want to learn more than "Google" can tell me.

Working with young children, I learned that if you don't ask, you don't know. Curiosity comes from a place of learning, growth, and self-betterment. Not knowing something (yet) doesn't threaten your worth or your competence; it helps you build on them. When you create a culture of growth and acceptance, there is a place for curiosity and learning. Curiosity helps you lead from a place of trust. Insecurity comes from a sense of threat and the fear that not knowing will expose you, trapping you in a place where you hide so nobody can see the gap. Insecurity treats not-knowing as dangerous. You can't lead and be yourself when you are hiding or pretending to be something you are not.

When I became comfortable asking questions and admitting that I didn't know everything. I guess just from making mistakes and learning from them. Just growing personally and self-development. Just getting out there, networking and going to networking conferences that developed me personally, from a physical and a mental standpoint. Now I'm comfortable to ask anything and not shy at all. Especially after getting up on my first stage, it truly gave me the confidence that I needed.

I became comfortable saying "I don't know" when I realized that credibility is strengthened by honesty and a willingness to learn. In healthcare compliance, the best outcomes often come from asking clarifying questions, and I have found that curiosity creates trust, strengthens collaboration, and helps to build a culture where people feel safe learning, speaking up, and solving problems collaboratively.

I became more comfortable saying "I don't know" when I realized it didn't make me less credible. It made me a better instructor, because curiosity keeps me learning and reminds me that being knowledgeable doesn't mean having every answer.

I became comfortable admitting what I didn't know when I realized that asking questions isn't a weakness it's how we grow. Curiosity has taught me to listen more, learn from others, and lead with confidence without pretending to have all the answers.

Curiosity changed the way I lead once I realized that active listening was more powerful than attempting to be the person with all the answers. I've also always tried to lead my teams as collaborative, and if I'm the only one with the ideas and answers, we could be missing amazing opportunities. One person can't be all things.

Early on, as one of the only women in the field, I thought every question I asked was evidence against me. It took years to see it the other way: the people who trusted me most were the ones who watched me ask something hard, then go find the answer.

As a professional, I do not ever think any question is a "dumb" question. Questions should be known as a learning tool to earn experience, knowledge, also the respect of superiors. As managers or supervisors, we would much rather have a colleague ask the question to ensure the reporting or task is done correct the first time rather than waste extra time, energy, and effort doing the task several times when trying to get it right. Ask the question no matter how minimal, it will increase the productivity and respect of the team.

I became a better leader when I stopped believing I had to know everything and became comfortable saying, 'I don't know, help me understand.' Curiosity taught me that the best leaders aren't the ones with all the answers; They're the ones willing to ask better questions.