By Veronica Robbins

Most wouldn’t list curiosity as one of the most important habits for successful business people, but that’s exactly what Brian Grazer advocates in his book A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life.

Grazer co-founded Imagine Entertainment with Ron Howard in 1986, won an Oscar for Best Picture for A Beautiful Mind (2002), and has received 43 Academy Award and 131 Emmy nominations.

There’s no doubt about his success in his industry.

Grazer writes about how “curiosity conversations” have changed his life, his creative work, and his business. These aren’t conversations held with the goal of getting something, but ones enjoyed for the value of learning from the other person, a genuine give and take of information, knowledge and insight.

He’s had such conversations with some of the most interesting and accomplished people in the world – Steve Jobs, Mohammed Ali, Margaret Thatcher, Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan, Jack Dorsey, Fidel Castro, Jonas Salk, and Carl Sagan, among others.

It’s easy to imagine why curiosity and curiosity conversations would matter for someone in the entertainment industry, but how can they benefit those of us in the business world?  Grazer discusses how curiosity has helped him overcome constant rejection in business. He writes, “I know just how often people get told ‘no’ to their brilliant ideas – not just most of the time, but 90 percent of the time.”

Curiosity expands a person’s mind and inspires the creative thought needed to turn a “no” to a ‘yes.’ And every business person needs that.

Carmine Gallo, reviewing the book for Forbes, wrote, “If you feel stuck in your business or career, or if your company is failing to stay ahead of its competition, perhaps Grazer’s method of “curiosity conversations” might provide the spark you need to ignite your best ideas.” Exactly.

A Curious Mind is part memoir and part inspirational text, with lots of insight for those looking to add a new tool to their success toolkit. While it’s engaging overall, it’s a bit wordy, and told predominantly through Grazer’s stories of his encounters with the world’s most interesting people.

If you’re curious enough to check out A Curious Mind, you might just have what it takes to let curiosity change your life and your business – like Grazer did.

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Veronica Robbins is the owner of several successful small businesses. In addition to staying current on the best resources and tools to help her own businesses thrive, she coaches other business owners to help them be successful, too.