The monster around the corner is your friend.
Painful problems transform good ideas into great solutions.
In order to be great, you must solve a great problem.
Your destiny is tied to a great problem.
The bigger the problem the more important the solution.
The more painful the problem the more urgent the solution.
Great problems:
- Define danger. What if we don’t act?
- Contribute to urgency. We must act now.
- Disrupt thinking. What worked yesterday doesn’t work today.
- Create curiosity. What are our options?
- Galvanize teams around rallying points. We must work together.
- Align energy.
- Open minds to new alliances. Who else has this problem? How can we work together?
- Minimize infighting. When a big monster is at the door internal conflicts often shrink.
- Identify teammates who don’t contribute or fit.
- Clarify values. Why do we care?
- Establish priorities. We can’t wander anymore.
- Define wins.
Help people want solutions by helping them feel the pain of their problems.
4 ways to create great problems:
- Explore what isn’t working and find a root cause.
- Define the tipping point your organization sits on and what happens if you don’t act.
- Identify a compelling danger that lurks around the corner.
- Describe the failure of organizations that followed the path you’re on.
Priority:
Focus on solutions even as you point out problems. Leaders who talk problems and neglect forward-looking solutions are downers. Talk problems with optimism. Use the 80/20 rule. Spend 80% of your time focused on solutions.
If you don’t have a problem to solve, go find one now.
How might leaders create problems to solve?
If you become a problem finding leader, what must be true of you?