Ask to Elevate: How Curiosity-Driven Leadership Accelerates Your Career

Getting results is important. But you don't have to have all the answers.

In this episode of the Leadership Sovereignty Podcast, host Ralph Owens and co-host Terry Baylor introduce Shachella James — VP of Enterprise Systems at CenterPoint Energy and 17-year technology executive — for a five-part conversation on one of the most underrated career accelerators in leadership: strategic curiosity. This is Part 1 of 5.

Shachella introduces three curiosity-driven leadership principles that have shaped her career and the careers of people she has led — including the concept of asking to elevate, building a culture of curiosity, and bending your personal arc from know-it-all to learn-it-all. She shares what it means to be the only woman, the only person of color, or the youngest person in the room — and how asking the right question changes everything.

What you will learn in this episode:
- The three curiosity-driven leadership principles that separate promotable leaders
- How to ask questions that elevate others instead of exposing gaps
- Why being a learn-it-all beats being a know-it-all at every level
- How to shift problems into possibilities using one reframe
- Why curiosity is a career accelerator — not just a personality trait

This episode is for you if:
- You want to be seen as a strategic thinker at the leadership table
- You are early in your career and want to build visibility fast
- You lead teams and want to model curiosity-driven culture
- You are the only one in the room who looks like you and want tools that work

👤 View Shachella James's guest profile

🧾 Chapters

• (00:00) - The Power of Curiosity in Leadership
• (01:06) - Meet Shachella James
• (03:19) - Why Curiosity Matters in Your Career
• (03:55) - The Personal Side: Half Marathons and Resilience
• (05:32) - Defining Curiosity for High-Level Leaders
• (07:38) - Guiding Young Professionals with Curiosity
• (09:11) - Three Curiosity-Driven Leadership Principles
• (11:14) - Asking to Elevate, Not Incriminate
• (13:46) - Building a Culture of Curiosity
• (14:57) - How Curiosity Builds Confidence and Visibility

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📄 Full Episode Transcript
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