Good Leaders Solve Problems; Phenomenal Ones Solve Them Quickly. Here’s How.

“Everybody has a plan ‘till they get punched in the mouth” Mike Tyson.

The only certainty is uncertainty, might as well be ready for it.

My job is to solve problems.

I am brought in when everything has fallen apart.

I have the privilege of leading an organization that, should it fail, could compromise our livelihoods as Americans.

No pressure.

Besides, I don’t know Mandarin or Russian.

Everyday I watch seemingly intelligent, reasonably minded human beings lose their minds over simple issues.

They’re not encumbered by the weight of the problem, they are wrapped up in the who, what, when and why of the problem rather than how to solve the problem.

In every organization, (I recognize my generalization here) massive amounts of productivity is wasted because the flow of energy of the team is in the opposite direction of the solution.

We prefer to blame, deflect, and deny all the while, the problem remains.

For my teams, I give the 95/5 mandate for all problems and issues.

You are only allowed to spend 5 percent of your energy on the problem; the remaining 95 percent will be spent on the solution.

Our energy is a finite resource. We must be intentional and wise about where we choose to spend it.

Blaming, deflecting and denial are addictive viruses that will sneak in, infect your team and kill your goals. These responses are the normal pattern humans follow when things go wrong.

Our job as the leader is to step in, break that pattern, reset the team and redirect the energy towards the solution.

Solution minded teams always win.

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