Leaders Face This Every Day

Leaders face problems every day.  Some are mere challenges to overcome and be better for it.  Many times they are problems to be appreciated and solved.  As leaders, we know solving problems is a skill we need to continually hone and develop because there will always be a need! 

When we learn to appreciate problems for the opportunities they bring, everyone wins. In the book, Sometimes You Win - Sometimes You Learn, Maxwell gives us this reminder, “problems always bring opportunities, and opportunities always bring problems.” 

Wes and I have faced plenty of problems and I'm guessing you have too.  The exciting news is that problems are not all bad.  A friend called recently explaining that someone was leaving her organization and the challenges it presented to fill this role and keep all the company plates spinning.  We talked through some things to consider and the opportunities this opened up for her and her organization.  By the end of the call, instead of being concerned, she was excited, having realized the opportunities this opened up for the growth and direction of the company.

For many reasons I won’t go into here, there were far more opportunities than challenges and she got to work solving the problem by acting on the opportunities she now had before her.

As Carly Fiorina says, “leadership is about solving problems and changing things for the better.” We couldn’t agree more!