Why leaders should stop trying to solve problems.

Riddle me this.

Read the 3 statements in the hero image above.

What do you see?

1. A bird in the hand.
2. Once in a lifetime.
3. Springtime in Paris.

Simple enough, right?

Good.

Now…

Solve the problem.

That’s right, solve the problem.

For your thinking pleasure, here is a link to the Jeopardy music with a handy 30 second countdown timer.

Give’r!

…

Now that 30 seconds have passed, I’m going to make the wild assumption that if you’re still reading this you’re stumped.

That’s OK.

As leaders in business and in life, we all encounter problems like this every day… and we all scramble for answers.

I’ve got a deadline looming!

I’m under pressure to perform!

I need to solve this problem NOW!!!

Sound familiar?

Good.

Guess what?

I don’t have the answer for the problem that you’re trying to solve, because chances are…

You haven’t even seen the problem yet.

Read the hero image again and tell me what you see.

Do you see this?

1. A bird in the hand.
2. Once in a lifetime.
3. Springtime in Paris.

Or…

Do you see this?

1. A bird in the the hand.
2. Once in a a lifetime.
3. Springtime in in Paris.

As leaders, it’s easy to jump into problem scenarios (and subsequently problem solving mode) before we really, and I mean REALLY see the problem that we’re trying to solve.

That’s not good for any one.

As leaders, our job is to inspire, educate and empower our teams.

That means removing barriers to success and then getting the hell out of the way.

That doesn’t mean getting stuck in the minutia of everyday nonsense.

This post is not about attention to detail.

This post is about mindset.

As leaders, we all face problems every day.

Before you jump in, do yourself a favour…

See the problem before you try to solve it.

 ****

Now it’s your turn!

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About the author:

Regarded as one of the top talent acquisition and employer branding professionals in Canada, John Fleischauer has proven himself to be a disruptive thought leader, TEDx speaker, and hiring expert. As the Chief Operating Officer of Pivot + Edge, John helps organizations build sustainable hiring capability so they can consistently hire great people quickly and cost-effectively. 

To book John for your next event, or if you would like to provide ideas for future posts, feel free to message John directly on LinkedIn/Twitter. He accepts all invites to connect and does his best to respond to all messages within 24 hours.