In this episode I am joined by Professor Nicholas Thomas, an anthropologist and historian who has been a Director of The Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in Cambridge since 2006. He is the author of several books including his latest book called The Return of Curiosity: What Museums are Good For in the Twenty-first Century. Nick Thomas gives us fresh perspectives on museums and their potential role in fostering curiosity and open dialogue as key leadership skills in the contemporary VUCA world.

What Was Covered:

• The resurgence of museums and why their importance is growing in contemporary society where everyone is supposedly online
• Why a visit to a museum is unique and different from other cultural activities and what it can offer to a business leader
• The importance of encounters with the unknown in a safe setting that a museum can provide a visitor

Key Learnings And Takeaways:

• A museum visit is an unscripted experience and a space for reflection that may be critical for looking at problems from different perspectives and inspiring innovation
• Asking simple questions of curiosity is a critical skill in today’s heterogenous world
• Anthropological thinking and taking cultural differences into account has become of fundamental importance in business

Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• The Return of Curiosity: What Museums Are Good For in Twenty-first Century, a book by Professor Nicholas Thomas
• Connect with Nicholas Thomas by email
• The Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
• Tate Modern
• British Museum
• Louvre Museum
• Louvre Abu Dhabi
• Apartheid Museum
• Museum of Anthropology at UBC
• El Anatsui: Triumphant Scale, a past exhibition at Haus Der Kunst in Munich
• Books by Gillian Tett, author and journalist at Financial Times
• Clarissa: Or the History of a Young Lady, a book by Samuel Richardson