Why Issue Structuring is the Key Leadership Skill Nobody is Talking About

In an era of rapid change and increasing complexity, issue structuring and identification is a skill with the potential to separate good leaders from great ones. It involves not just defining and framing the problem, but also selecting the right issue to focus on in the first place. ?

Yet, it's rarely discussed, taught, or even recognised as a critical area of focus for leadership development.?

The numbers paint a stark picture: McKinsey research shows that organisations in the top quartile for problem-solving capabilities earn 3.5 times higher shareholder returns than those in the bottom quartile. Despite this, problem-solving rarely features in executive development programs or corporate strategies. Let alone issue structuring. And problem solving against the wrong challenge isn’t really problem solving, because the perfect definition of the wrong problem won't get you anywhere.

Instead, many organisations focus on implementing quick fixes, adopting industry trends, or addressing specific challenges without asking a fundamental question:?

Are we focusing on the right problem at the right time?

The Urgency Trap: Why Leaders Focus on the Wrong Problems

Leaders are often caught in a whirlwind of urgent tasks, firefighting, and operational demands. The Eisenhower Matrix, a time management tool, highlights the tension between urgent and important tasks. Urgent crises dominate our attention, followed closely by urgent distractions. Meanwhile, the important but non-urgent tasks—like strategic thinking, future planning, and clarifying priorities—are repeatedly pushed aside.

This dynamic creates a risk for leaders and organisations alike. By focusing on efficiency without questioning effectiveness, we risk "pedalling faster in the wrong direction." It's the organisational equivalent of taking painkillers for recurring headaches without investigating the underlying cause.

An interesting study in the Harvard Business Review describes the art of asking smarter questions to drive strategic decision-making. However, the reality is that time pressure and risk aversion makes it difficult for leaders to act even if they understand the opportunity. Experience suggests that many busy people avoid questions they find uncomfortable, or potentially exposing and default to asking questions and solving problems they've seen before, using approaches they've tried before. This habit can get embedded to the extent that it becomes almost impossible to identify or generate questions beyond the familiar evaluate, investigate and implement types.??

The challenge is recognising the questions you aren’t asking, and figuring out how to create the time, space and security to venture into unfamiliar territory.?

Leadership Development: From Thinking to Doing

Current leadership advice emphasises that change happens through doing, not thinking. But for managers and leaders, stepping into unfamiliar action can feel overwhelming. This raises a critical question:?

How can leaders take action when the cost of experimentation feels so high, and the time and space to do it so scarce?

Many leaders fear being perceived as unprepared or ignorant. The stakes feel higher for those in senior positions who often believe they are valued for having answers, not questions. This mindset stifles curiosity and experimentation, leaving leaders trapped in their uncomfortable ‘comfort’ zones, repeating familiar ways of thinking and working.

Herminia Ibarra, a leading voice on leadership transitions, describes this as the "do-it-yourself" challenge. Leaders moving into senior roles are often left to figure out for themselves how to delegate tasks, develop their teams, and redefine their contributions. But without structured support, they default to tasks that feel urgent or familiar, postponing the strategic work that truly defines leadership.

The Cost of Inaction: Why Leaders Struggle to Start

Even when leaders recognise the need to shift their focus, there is much that stands? in the way:

1. Fear of Risk: The cost of learning grows with expertise and authority. Leaders may hesitate to take risks that expose gaps in their knowledge or capabilities.
2. Narrow Perspectives: While authenticity is important in leadership, it can also constrain a leader’s sense of possibility. Leaders often underestimate what they are capable of, simply because they haven’t done it yet.?
3. Overwhelming Workloads: Middle and senior level leaders are often inundated with responsibilities. With endless to-do lists, they prioritise tasks that are urgent or directly within their control, leaving broader strategic challenges untouched. Or on the list for ‘tomorrow’.?

These challenges create a vicious cycle: leaders avoid exploring unfamiliar terrain, reinforcing their reliance on short-term solutions and technical expertise.

A Practical Framework for Leaders: Issue Identification

To break this cycle, leaders need a practical framework that not only helps them tackle complex challenges but also builds their leadership capacity. This framework categorises our attempts at strategic issue identification into three types, each requiring a different approach. Leaders should aim to increase the proportion of ‘type 2’ questions they are asking at any given time:

1. Type 1: "Just Do It" (JDI)

Although strategic in ambition, in reality these are relatively straightforward opportunities where the desired outcome and the appropriate solutions are understood. Implementation could even be delegated to others. Examples include improving meeting structures, streamlining processes, or gathering customer insights. These things aren’t day to day, probably aren’t top of the ‘urgent’ list, but they can be progressed.?

• Approach: While the problem may have a clear answer, the nuances of successful delivery (e.g., meeting frequency or communication methods) will be context-specific and evolving. Delegate delivery to team members and coach them to experiment with solutions. Focus on outcomes over inputs.?
• Benefits: This approach builds team engagement, frees up leaders' time, and fosters a culture of experimentation. By coaching your team in this way, you also develop their problem-solving skills, build engagement and enhance the capability of the whole organisation. You also free up your own time to generate more Type 2 questions.?

2. Type 2: Curious Questions

These are exploratory challenges where the best course of action is not immediately clear, and where we are concerned with considering ‘how might we…?’. Examples might include: "Do we even need to write these reports anymore?" or "Could we offer new services to specific customer segments?". These are the questions that are often lost in the face of workload and risk aversion, because the solution is not known or agreed.?

• Approach: Engage in formal or informal experimentation to reduce risk and engage others. Clarify the desired outcomes and explore multiple pathways to achieve them. Involve your team and other stakeholders to generate diverse perspectives. Be willing to articulate and challenge the long held assumptions about how your business works. Be ambitious within the bounds of your own area of control and responsibility.?
• Benefits: This process reduces the fear of uncertainty and opens up opportunities for innovation. It encourages leaders to embrace curiosity, shifting from a mindset of "knowing" to one of "learning."

3. Type 3: Context and Clarification

These are strategic challenges beyond the scope of your authority that require alignment with organisational goals and priorities. Examples include addressing gaps in company strategy or responding to market disruptions.

• Approach: Focus your curiosity upward. Ask questions that clarify organisational direction and purpose. For very senior leaders, tools like hackathons or strategic workshops can foster shared understanding and innovation.
• Benefits: This approach strengthens alignment across the organisation, enhances strategic clarity, and allows emerging leaders to demonstrate their enterprise mindset.

From Framework to Action: How Leaders Can Start

The key to effective issue structuring is prioritisation and iteration. Leaders don’t need to solve every challenge at once. Here’s how to get started:

1. Create a Safe Space: Foster a culture where you and your team can explore ideas without fear of judgement or failure. Secure, collaborative environments enable innovation and build trust.
2. Start Small: Dedicate 30 minutes to identifying what could be better in your own area of responsibility. “Question” or “Issue” storming rather than brainstorming for solutions. Try to cluster the outputs in line with the different question types shown here. Ask yourself where your focus is now. It’s fine if your focus is on ‘type 1’ issues ("Just Do It"). By addressing operational inefficiencies, you can free up time and build confidence in your ability to lead change. You can work alone, or with your team.
3. Move Up the Ladder: How many ‘type 2’ and ‘type 3’ challenges have you identified? If you don’t have much, use the time you’ve gained to brainstorm more in this space. The more you do this the easier it becomes. Your objective is to spend more of your time generating ‘type 2’ questions where you can create real value for the organisation.
4. Don’t get sidetracked: Remember ‘type 3’ challenges don’t have to be solved today, but they are great topics for discussion with more senior colleagues.
5. Iterate and Learn: Issue structuring is an ongoing process. Use each challenge as an opportunity to refine your approach and expand your leadership capacity.

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Final Thought: Issue Structuring as a Strategic Imperative

Beyond solving individual challenges, mastering this approach builds a culture of curiosity, resilience, and adaptability - critical qualities for thriving in an unpredictable world where organisations that create the conditions where curiosity thrives build a potential source of competitive advantage that others cannot match.?

In times of rapid change, leaders who embrace structured issue identification don’t just respond to opportunities; they shape the future.?