All great leaders solve great problems, says Dan Rockwell, who blogs on the subject at LeadershipFreak.wordpress.com. Leaders shine lights on painful gaps. Problems are gaps between what is and what should be. The bigger the gap the bigger the problem.
Short-sighted leaders sweep problems under the carpet. Successful leaders confront the inclination to ignore uncomfortable topics, situations and circumstances.
- Maximize: Don’t say, “It’s not that bad.” Make problems worthy of solutions.
- Listen: Pay attention to frustrations. Don’t appease frustrations; explore them.
- Urgency: Define reality by explaining the negative impact of urgent problems.
- Acceptance: Accept that current programs, systems, or processes aren’t working as well as intended. Don’t point fingers.
- Use “we”: “We have a problem.” “I” doesn’t invite participation. “You” makes leadership irrelevant.
- Ownership: Take problems personally.
- Fast: Quick solutions create momentum. Solve a few easy problems, quickly. Don’t make it hard if it isn’t.
- Postpone: We can’t solve this right now. Throw it in the problem bucket.
- Difficulty and optimism: It may require hard work, adaptation, and experimentation, but we’ll find a way. Confronting problems without optimism is a death sentence.
- Test as you go.
Bonus: Embrace the positive power of problems. Problems give meaning to actions. Problems explain your value. The bigger the problem you solve the more value you offer.
More problems mean more solutions. Organizational mission is explained by the big problem you are solving. An organization that isn’t solving a problem has a problem.
