About Leadership Development Expert Kirsten Siggins - Stay Curious When It Counts

I Don't Guess At What's Getting In Your Way.

I show you, with data precise enough to change everything.

KIRSTEN SIGGINS Co-Founder, Institute of Curiosity. TEDx Speaker · ICF Certified Coach · Certified WE-I Practitioner · Certified National Psychological Health and Safety Professional, CMHA

THE STORY

You’re capable. You work hard. Yet there’s a gap between who you are and who shows up when the pressure is real. That gap has a name. And it’s completely visible, if you know where to look.

Maybe you react in ways you regret. Maybe you avoid the conversations that need to happen. Maybe you’ve just stepped into leadership, and no one handed you a manual. Or maybe everything looks fine from the outside, but you know you’re not performing at your true potential.

Whatever brought you here, the gap between who you are and how you show up under pressure is exactly what this work addresses.

I know what that gap feels like because for years, I couldn’t see mine either.

I LEARNED IT THE HARD WAY

Before developing this work, I learned about pressure the hard way—twice.

As a competitive swimmer training at the highest level, I saw athletes with identical preparation perform dramatically differently when it mattered most. Physical ability was the same; the true differentiator was mental, how you manage what’s happening inside when everything is on the line.

Later, I spent a decade in the entertainment industry, fast, unforgiving, relentless. I learned quickly: you can’t control the chaos, only your response to it. Staying calm and centered—resisting the emotional noise—isn’t a personality trait; it’s a skill. The people who thrive aren’t always the most talented; they’re the ones who’ve learned to perform when it’s hardest.

That’s the work.

I THOUGHT I WAS GOOD AT THIS

I was hired for my communication skills, and I believed I was good at them.

That was the story I told myself for years. What I couldn’t see was that I was more of a teller than a listener, performing presence instead of practicing it. The gap between who I believed I was and how I actually showed up was invisible, even when others tried to point it out. Then I started asking more and telling less. Unlearning a lifetime of habits took practice, and it transformed everything.

Then I discovered the WE-I Profile, and everything became clear. It didn’t reveal new information; instead, it surfaced the patterns driving my behavior under pressure—the default version of me that took over before I even realized. I had dismissed that version with a story I’d told myself so often it felt like fact: this is just who I am.

But it isn’t. That’s simply what an unexamined pattern sounds like. Once you see it, you have a choice.

Here’s what most organizations overlook: we screen for skills, experience, and cultural fit.

We build teams around expertise and personality, but rarely ask the most important question: how does this person perform under pressure? How we show up when the stakes are high is the single greatest predictor of success—individually and as a team. Yet, it’s almost never considered when hiring, developing, or building teams.

The same goes for difficult conversations. Few people are ever taught how to have them. We’re expected to know, so we repeat what was modeled for us regardless of whether it actually works. That’s why so many avoid conflict, not because they’re weak or naturally conflict-averse, but because nobody ever showed them how to step into it effectively.

These aren’t character flaws. They are gaps. And they’re exactly what this work addresses.

The WE-I profile was an eye-opening experience. It gave me clear insights into my strengths, blind spots, and how I interact with others when I'm stressed. Kirsten's thoughtful guidance made the results easy to understand and apply right away. I left feeling more confident, self-aware, and equipped to grow both personally and professionally. I highly recommend Kirsten and her work to anyone seeking to gain a deeper understanding of themselves and foster stronger connections with others.

Drew

CFO · Multi-Company Executive

Wow. The WE-I profile is mind blowing! The awareness it created plus working with Kirsten has been transformative for me. I used to avoid conflict in every area of my life, but now I finally understand why, and I have the tools to do something about it.

Valerie

Director

The insight I gained into my work and personal relationships through the WE-I profile was mind-blowing. Kirsten’s gentle yet unwavering approach gave me space to look at myself without shame, only growth. The experience was life-changing, and I’d love to see it in every workplace - imagine how much healthier and more connected we’d all be.

Dhorea

Founder

THE WORK

I’m the only practitioner who uniquely combines the WE-I Profile with the Curious Conversation Framework—the Institute of Curiosity’s proprietary methodology, developed over 15 years in partnership with my mother and co-founder, Kathy Taberner.

The WE-I reveals your patterns with unmatched precision. The Curious Conversation Framework equips you with the exact skills you need to change them. Together, they don’t just create awareness; they create transformation. Change happens faster than with coaching alone, faster than with any assessment you’ve taken, and faster than you thought possible.

This isn’t a methodology I studied. It’s one I’ve lived, developed, refined, and proven — across healthcare, government, law, financial services, technology, education, non-profits, and entertainment — with committed leaders who were ready to stop hitting the same wall.

WHERE IT BEGAN

The Institute of Curiosity was built alongside my mother and co-founder, Kathy Taberner, co-author of The Power of Curiosity and the driving force behind this work. The idea of curiosity as a leadership practice, a communication framework, and a way of being under pressure began with her. This work is as much hers as it is mine.

If you're ready to see it, I'm ready to show you.

CREDENTIALS & RECOGNITION

The Talk That Started It All

The communication patterns we form early don’t disappear when we step into leadership. They show up under pressure; in the room, in the conversations we avoid, in the moments that matter most. This is where that idea took the stage.

Featured In

THE BOOK THAT STARTED IT ALL

AMAZON BEST SELLING BOOK

The work started with a conversation. Then it became a framework. Then it became a book.

The Power of Curiosity, co-authored with Kathy Taberner, has been an Amazon bestseller, translated into Japanese, and endorsed by Daymond John. It’s the foundation the Institute of Curiosity was built on — and the place many leaders start.

GET THE BOOK

The next step is simple.

Thirty minutes. Free. No pitch, no pressure, just an honest conversation about what’s happening for you or your team and whether this work is the right fit.

If you’re ready to see it, I’m ready to show you.

LET'S TALK

E-Mail

I Don't Guess At What's Getting In Your Way.

KIRSTEN SIGGINS Co-Founder, Institute of Curiosity. TEDx Speaker · ICF Certified Coach · Certified WE-I Practitioner · Certified National Psychological Health and Safety Professional, CMHA

THE STORY

I LEARNED IT THE HARD WAY

I THOUGHT I WAS GOOD AT THIS

THE WORK

WHERE IT BEGAN

If you're ready to see it, I'm ready to show you.

CREDENTIALS & RECOGNITION

The Talk That Started It All

Featured In

THE BOOK THAT STARTED IT ALL

AMAZON BEST SELLING BOOK

The next step is simple.

Work With Me

LEADERSHIP PERFORMANCE SYSTEM

PACKAGES

TEAMS

ABOUT KIRSTEN

BOOK DISCOVERY CALL

RESOURCES

FIND YOUR BLINDSPOT -
TAKE THE QUIZ

Book

GET TOOLKITS

DOWNLOAD POC WORKBOOK

DOWNLOAD POC AUDIO WORKBOOK

CURIOUS LEADER BLOG

LOCATIONS