The Holy Curiosity of the Explorer

Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance.” — Proverbs 1:5

If you’ve ever been told you ask too many questions, spend too long down rabbit holes, or get distracted by all the things…this might be for you.

I’ve had the joy of coaching many people whose top motivational ability is Explore. And let me tell you, there’s something absolutely contagious about that kind of wonder. It’s not surface-level interest—it’s a holy curiosity.

A pursuit of truth.

A desire to uncover, learn, connect, and understand.

People with Explore are rarely satisfied with the first answer. One question leads to another, and then another, until they’ve turned a topic inside out and upside down.

They’re not aimless. They’re thorough.

Focused—just not always in the way others expect. Sometimes it's focused on everything at once, sometimes it's a deep dive into one thing for a very long time.

They are the ones reading five books on a topic that most people just skim a headline about. They’re the first to say, “Have you heard about this?” or “What if we tried it this way?” They’re the team member who shows up to the kickoff meeting with a list of ten best practices and a curiosity that can spark the room into action.

But here's the tension: Explore without boundaries can lead to overfunctioning. The search never ends. The questions never resolve. The work never feels done. Without direction or feedback, the person motivated to Explore can keep gathering input long after a decision needs to be made—leaving them frustrated, exhausted, or misunderstood.

In my coaching, I’ve seen how powerful Explore becomes when it’s paired with clarity. If you've got someone on your team or in your life highly motivated to explore and you're finding yourself frustrated or exhausted by them, the best thing you can do - for both of you - is to give them as much clarity without micromanaging as possible.

Tell them what you’re looking for. Be specific about timelines and formats. "Find 5 reliable vendors from our approved vendor list and send me the list by Friday" works a whole lot better than "See what you can find whenever you get to it."

Give them structure, and they’ll shine. No structure? They'll have 90 tabs opened before you say get to it.

It’s also important to recognize that Explore often needs a partner. Someone or something to say, “That’s enough. What will you do with what you’ve found?” Because exploring is only part of the story. The next part—the sharing, applying, creating—requires a different motivator to step in. And that’s okay.

Not everything we explore has to become a project. Sometimes the search is for us. Sometimes it’s for others.

And sometimes, it’s both.

If this is you, I want you to hear this: your desire to understand, connect, and seek truth is not a flaw.

It’s a gift.

One that reflects the image of the God who both creates and reveals.

One that, when rightly ordered, can bring immense clarity and richness to the world around you.

And if you’re curious about how Explore works within you—or someone you love—stay curious.

There's more where this came from.