Richard Potter advises business leaders around the world on a range of digital transformation challenges. However, it's the building of innovative enterprises that is his real passion.

In his day job, Richard works with Microsoft's customers giving them clarity and confidence about their digital journeys, helping them turn their aspirations into transformational business results.

He is a renowned keynote speaker and event facilitator with an energising and engaging style. He lives in the UK but travels extensively, shamelessly collecting and telling stories everywhere he goes.

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Transcript

Hadley: [00:00:00] So welcome to the show, Richard. Great to have you. 

[00:00:04] Richard: [00:00:04] It's great to be here. Great to be here. 

[00:00:07] Hadley: [00:00:07] Cool. So, so look as you know, We want to essentially get to understand the essence of our guests, right? Uh, we want to know what makes you tick. We want to know what brings you alive, and we want to know how the trait of curiosity has impacted you over your life and career, uh, from when you were young through to now.

[00:00:26] Uh, so, so what we'll do is we will have campfire, like discussions, uh, imagine yourself sitting around a campfire and we telling the story of our lives and tag. You it. So before we get into the, the essence of Richard, tell me what does curiosity mean to you? 

[00:00:48] Richard: [00:00:48] Wow. I would say Hadley. I think curiosity ultimately is the measure of your success to navigate the world.

[00:00:56] It's just, it's so important to me, what it really is in my head at least, is that little sweet spot between humility and confidence. It's the humility to recognize that there's learning everywhere, but it's, it's coupled with that, that self-confidence to investigate and make sense of it. And it's that fine balance between those two bits and your ability to sit in that sweet spot I would contend is the greatest ability that you can have in your life.

[00:01:34] Hadley: [00:01:34] That makes sense. In fact, I think I take the confidence thing just one step further and saying it's also the confidence to ask questions because so many people don't have the confidence to ask questions. Then most of the times everybody else in the room would ask if only they had the self-confidence to know that the lack of understanding a specific question, or having the answer to a specific question, doesn't define your worth.

[00:02:01] Richard: [00:02:01] Yeah. Yeah. And I think that's so, that's so true, Hadley. It is that confidence of inquiry. Isn't it, rather than the confidence of conceit in thinking that there is no more to know. So it is. Yeah. I mean, it's in that, that location. 

[00:02:18] Hadley: [00:02:18] Awesome. I love that. In fact, one of the things I always say is, and this it's not being cocky, but it's being confident in your ability to learn something.

[00:02:27] And I firmly believe that I can do anything that anyone else can do. As long as I've had the same exposure to get to that point because nobody just knows what they know or can do what they do well without what has come before.

[00:02:42] Richard: [00:02:42] So that's great. And you know, a nice thing. This is what the topic of your conversations are with, with your guest in this space.

[00:02:50] Is, is that, that, that exposure, how did everybody through exposure through their lives, equip themselves with the ability to be curious. That's where we...