Key Leadership Skills for Problem Solving

Problems aren't roadblocks. They're invitations. An invitation to innovate. To rethink. To leap. The difference between stuck and unstoppable? It's not the challenge. It's you. Your lens. Your toolkit. Your willingness to dance with the difficulty. As a tech leader, your ability to solve complex issues can make or break your career. I've led teams across continents, industries, and crises. Here's what I've learned: 𝟭. 𝗥𝗼𝗼𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀 Peel back the layers. Ask "Why?" repeatedly. You're not fixing a leak; you're redesigning the plumbing. 𝟮. 𝗦𝗪𝗢𝗧 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀 Map your battlefield. Know your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Sun Tzu would approve. 𝟯. 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 Visualize the chaos. Connect the dots. Your brain on paper, minus the mess. 𝟰. 𝗦𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 Prepare for multiple futures. Be the chess player who sees ten moves ahead. 𝟱. 𝗦𝗶𝘅 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗮𝘁𝘀 Wear different perspectives. Be the critic, the optimist, the data analyst, the artist, the operator. Your mind is pliable; use it. 𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨: - 76% of IT leaders rank problem-solving as the top soft skill (Global Knowledge) - Strong problem-solvers are 3.5x more likely to hit strategic goals (Harvard Business Review) - 70% of problem-solving pros drive more innovation (PwC) These aren't just methods. They're mindsets. Tools to reshape your thinking. I've used these to navigate multi-million-dollar projects and multinational teams. They work. Period. But the real differentiator: consistency. Use these daily. Make them habits. Your problem-solving muscle grows with every rep. Start now. Pick one method. Apply it to a current challenge. Share your results. The best tech leaders aren't born. They're forged in the fires of solving complex problems. What will you solve today?

Wise leaders treat the disease, not the symptoms. Use these 6 questions to solve the right problem permanently. 1️⃣ What output fell short? Everything is a factory. People, process and technology combined to yield an outcome. Sales is a factory. Customer service is a factory. Strategy is a factory. What is yours designed to deliver? The problem we want to start from is where our factory came up short. Typically it's: - Quality (bad output) - Volume (not enough output) - Cost (expensive output) 2️⃣ Who is responsible? Someone is in charge of that factory:  - They own the design.  - They address problems.  - They handle exceptions. If there's confusion about this, address this issue first. 3️⃣ Do they know what excellent looks like? Without a vivid picture of the goal and clear agreement on how to accomplish it, your factory will produce one thing: chaos. The remedy: training. A factory without trained employees should strike fear into every leader's heart. 4️⃣ What broke? Usually the factory breaks in many ways, not just one. List them out. Then I pick one based on three criteria:  - Is this a pattern I've seen before?  - Is something (or someone) new? - Is it connected to our current bottleneck? 5️⃣ Why? Many leaders have heard about the 5 Whys, but start with one. Most employees aren't forced to move past the surface level (which is often an excuse) and own the motivation behind the action. This is why, if genuine, it will yield a very different problem to solve. One that is much higher value. 6️⃣ Who should do what differently? Answering this question is the entire goal. Growth requires trust, clarity, and accountability. Leave with agreement on who will do what by when. --- As Abraham Lincoln said, "Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe." These questions might not feel natural at first. That's good. If you want different results, you need to try a different approach. And the most effective way to solve problems is to solve the right problems.  One of the most popular MGMT Playbooks goes deeper on this topic. I expand on these questions and tell you precisely what to listen for. https://lnkd.in/eXXhiby8 It's free to subscribe.  Readers get 50+ playbooks and templates, plus a new one every week. Or follow Dave Kline for more practical leadership insights.

Struggling to Solve Problems as a Leader? Here’s How to Master It in 3 Simple Steps As a leader, your ability to solve problems starts with defining them. But what if I told you most leaders skip this step—and pay the price? Too often, leaders jump to solutions before they fully understand the problem. The result? Wasted time, frustrated teams, and unresolved issues. Great leaders know that clarity is power. Defining the problem is the foundation for finding effective solutions and guiding your team to success. 3 Steps to Identify & Define Problems Clearly: 1️⃣ Ask Better Questions: Start with why, what, and how. Example: Why does this issue exist? What impact is it having? 2️⃣ Get Multiple Perspectives: Talk to your team. Problems often look different depending on the role or viewpoint. 3️⃣ Focus on the Root Cause: Don’t just treat symptoms. Use tools like the 5 Whys to dig deeper. At a former organization, I faced a drop in team productivity. The knee-jerk solution? Add more resources. But by asking better questions and talking with the team, I discovered the real issue: misaligned priorities. Once addressed, productivity skyrocketed. If you want to lead your team with clarity and confidence, start by mastering the art of defining problems. It’s the difference between guessing and leading. Want more actionable leadership tips like this? Hit follow or subscribe and turn on notifications so you don’t miss my next post. What’s one leadership challenge you’re currently facing? Drop it in the comments, and let’s solve it together. #Leadership #ProblemSolving #LeadershipDevelopment #CriticalThinking #TeamLeadership #RootCauseAnalysis #LeadershipSkills #DecisionMaking