A Leader’s Role in Solving Problems

What Role Do Leaders Play in Problem-Solving?

You won’t hear an effective leader say, “Not my problem.” A true leader takes accountability for a problem as soon as they become aware of it. But does that mean you’re on your own when it comes to finding a solution?

What Do You Think?

True or false. Effective leaders solve most problems independently

Individual vs. Collaborative Problem-Solving

It’s a common misconception that leaders solve all their company’s problems single-handedly. While individual problem-solving works best when solving simple, routine, or minor issues and challenges, collaborative problem-solving is the better approach for solving complex problems.

Problem-Solving Activities

So, if leaders don’t solve every problem themselves, then what are they contributing to the process? Move through the following cards to learn how to tackle problem-solving as a leader.

Prevention

Preventing problems from happening in the first place is better than having to solve them. Leaders can prevent problems by helping their teams keep an eye on the big picture.

Identification, Prioritization, and Communication

You must know about a problem before you can solve it. While employees execute day-to-day tasks, leaders stay two steps ahead—sniffing out points of friction or conflicts.

Facilitation

A leader’s job doesn’t stop with finding problems. They also gather perspectives from various people and facilitate creative brainstorming or problem-solving discussions.

Decision-Making and Implementationt

Some problems have multiple, acceptable solutions. Others may not have any clear solution. In these cases, leaders must decide how to proceed, develop an action plan, and assign clear roles for executing that plan. Employees will get behind a leader who demonstrates confidence and decisiveness.

The Bottom Line

When faced with a complex problem, leaders guide people to solutions. They do this by identifying problems early and communicating high-priority problems to their teams. They then bring together the best minds to work on the problem, providing them with a framework and prompts for creative discussion. However, in the end, a leader still makes the final call on how to proceed, and who will execute each part of the action plan.

Now let’s look more closely at the ideal scenario: preventing problems before they happen. In the next lesson, explore best practices for problem prevention and detection.