As Canadians, we tend to do what we’re told, what’s expected. Therein lies the problem, says Amanda Lang, a celebrated business journalist who for 25 years has covered North America’s top business stories and interviewed some of the world’s most influential people. In times of complexity and ambiguity, curiosity is the difference between stagnation and innovation. Turns out curiosity didn’t kill the cat, complacency did.
Amanda was our opening speaker at Showcase 2025 — Speakers Spotlight’s annual client-exclusive, TED-style event. With Canada at a crossroads, this year’s theme was “Meeting the Moment” with each featured speaker offering clarity and guidance to help us better navigate the challenges ahead — from a big picture perspective to an organizational, leadership, and individual lens.
Drawing from her extensive journalistic experience as well as her two bestselling books, The Power of Why and The Beauty of Discomfort, Amanda delivered a thought-provoking, big picture examination of Canada’s economic position and the critical role curiosity plays in turning uncertainty into opportunity.
Amanda Lang was concise, to the point, and really broke down some complex concepts in such a great way.
Showcase 2025 attendee
Challenging Our Perception of Canada
Headlines claim Canada is struggling economically, even suggesting we’re as poor as the poorest state in America — Alabama. So begins our journey of learning to question the narrative, Amanda said.
This comparison is based on our GDP (Gross Domestic Product) per capita or person, which can be misleading. Canada has had record levels of immigration — 3.5 million new Canadians over the past few years. This temporarily divides the GDP among more people making it appear low in the short-term, Amanda said, but for each 1% increase in adult population there is a 2% GDP increase long-term. We’re also the only developed country in the world with no demographic problem, she added.
Economic metrics also miss critical factors like our happiness ranking — we are #1 in G7 countries, 18th globally, Amanda said. Our healthcare also ranks fourth in the world based on access and quality, and while affordability is “terrible”, our median income has raised 42.5% since 2020 in the same period inflation was 19%. This does not account for housing affordability, Amanda noted.
This isn’t denying our challenges but demonstrating their complexity. Nothing is entirely bad or good, yet we tend to focus on the negative because our primitive brains are more attuned to danger. This tendency, combined with our desire to oversimplify complex issues, prevents us from questioning what’s in front of us and holding contradictory thoughts — Canada isn’t perfect and we can make it better. This is an essential part of addressing complex problems.
The Lost Art of Questioning
Anyone who has ever met a toddler knows that we are born curious. Toddlers ask questions with such relentless force that it defines a critical stage of human development. Yet, we lose our curiosity over time. Where does it go? This question became the basis of Amanda’s book, The Power of Why. Curious children, she said, are met with dismissive adults, whether at home or school.
The modern-day education system was designed for the early industrial era — vocational schools meant to train factory workers. We’re taught that teachers have all the answers, that there is one right answer, and the faster you get it the more you’re rewarded, Amanda said. Worse, we learn that certain questions and thoughts are unwelcome, and this is reinforced for years. Today’s schools are not designed for the post-industrial era.
The soul-destroying part, Amanda continued, is that how you think is who you are. Being told your brain can be wrong shuts parts of it down, and this is why we ask less questions as we get older.
The Business Cost of Stifled Curiosity
The suppression of curiosity carries substantial economic consequences. Research reports that only 14% of employees are fully engaged at work with 24% actively disengaged and 62% “dialing it in.” At best, you’re getting obedience, diligence, and intellect, Amanda said, but no passion, creativity, or initiative — the elements that elevate organizations.
“Those things are not for sale,” she continued. “You don’t get them for a paycheque, you get them because people give them to you. They are literal gifts.” One of the best ways to encourage that gift is by allowing people to show up fully and their curiosity to flourish.
This matters more than ever in our era of massive uncertainty and ambiguity. We no longer live in a linear world where problems have one answer. We live within complexity, where problems could have multiple right answers. We have to get comfortable with this discomfort and get better at holding contradictory thoughts in order to push innovation forward.
Rekindling Curiosity
The good news is that since curiosity is innate to being human, we can relearn it. Amanda shared four practical steps to recover our natural curiosity within ourselves and others:
- Acknowledge the weakness: Recognize that we’ve been conditioned to suppress curiosity
- Slow down: Resist the urge to accept the first answer; instead, test assumptions and determine whether you’re facing a linear or complex problem
- Allow yourself to be curious: Experience the joy of reawakening curiosity and extend that permission to others
- Embrace humility: Good leaders understand that asking “What don’t I know?” is a strength, not a weakness
Amanda’s final world of advice: “Be more like a toddler. Listen without judgment, ask questions without ego, and have fun without intention.”
In a world facing unprecedented challenges, Amanda’s message resonated powerfully: our capacity to navigate economic uncertainty depends not on having all the answers, but on recovering our willingness to question. The path forward begins with a simple word that as children we all instinctively embraced: “Why?”
Book Amanda Lang for Your Next Event
An award-winning business journalist, Amanda Lang is currently the Chief Financial Correspondent for CTV News and the host of Taking Stock, a weekly national television news program airing across multiple Bell Media networks. She delivers compelling keynotes on navigating economic uncertainty, the power of curiosity, embracing discomfort, and leadership in complex times.
Known for her incisive analysis and practical strategies that challenge conventional thinking, Amanda equips audiences with the tools to transform uncertainty into opportunity and complacency into innovation.
Contact us to learn more about Amanda and what she can bring to your next event.