Are you facing any problems in your leadership? In your organization? On your team? Of course, you are. If there were no problems, there would be no need for leadership. Problems are perpetual, typical, aggravating, but not always normal and not all are unavoidable. Leaders are problem solvers. If you dig deep you will discover that the most effective leaders are those who have greater problem-solving skills. Let me share some principles that when embraced can help you to be a better problem-solver.
- The Principle of the Triage: You cannot solve a problem that you do not know how to diagnose. Triage is ordinarily used as a medical term. It is the process of sorting injured people into groups based on the severity of their injuries to prioritize which patients are in most immediate need of care. Failure to diagnose properly can result in death or greater injury to the patients. As a leader, you want to take caution against over-reacting to small problems on one side and failing to address other problems that can grow causing even greater damage on the other. Effective problem-solving begins with a good diagnosis. What can you do to be better at diagnosing? Read books about leadership. Read books, blogs, and other sources about the systems that you lead. Ask others (internally and externally) to give their perspective on the problems you are facing. Pause before acting if it is possible. Get all the facts from all angles before reacting if possible. You may suppose that this will slow down your decision making. However, as you are better equipped you will find that the combination of instinct, knowledge, and experience will enable you to move quicker as time goes by.
- The Principle of the Emergency Room: Though the wait is long, and the bill is high, the trip usually beats the alternative. The emergency room is one of the last places in the world that I want to visit. No one goes there for leisure, entertainment, or time for relaxation. The experience is often unpleasant for the patient as well as for family members and friends. However, there is another way to look at the emergency room. It is the place where healing begins. Be cautious not to ignore problems simply because dealing with them will be unpleasant. Do not let a minor ailment become a serious infection or perhaps a disease that can cause great harm to your organization, relationships, or ministry. The sting of alcohol is preferable to an amputation resulting from an infection that grew out of neglect. Though the emergency room experience is not something to which you aspire, do not let fear or neglect cause a problem to worsen. Tackle the problem and do it now.
Watch for more next week and we will continue to discover principles that maximize your leadership!