You can tell the good from the bad. Leadership does not come naturally to everyone. Many people will identify a problem within their company and that’s as far as they will go. They find the problem, report it, and then wait around for people to situate themselves and rely on these other people to come up with a plan. A true leader will take initiative to solve a problem.
A great leader will know the strengths and weaknesses of their employees. If you are faced with a problem, you know who to put on the case to solve it. Maybe some people are great at damage control with clients, others are great at PR with stakeholders and the public, and you have other great members of the team to solve the main issue. As a leader, it should be your job to gather these people together and designate duties.
There are a few elements to solving a problem that I think you could learn from. Here is a brief introduction to each:
Communication
This may seem obvious, but some leaders really have trouble communicating the problem and how to solve it to their employees. Implementing transparent communication in your company is key. Your employees should be free to discuss their apprehensions and opinions so that the problem can be solved most efficiently. Communication is fundamental. If the people involved in the problem are afraid of speaking their mind out of fear of losing their job, then the problem may never be solved correctly. Once all point-of-views have been heard, then a plan can be put into place with everyone’s input. Multiple minds are greater than one.
Break down the barriers
There are some people in the company that are just in it for themselves. They want to be the savior to boost themselves further into the company. When a problem comes along, it needs to be solved by a team that views themselves as equals. CEOs all the way down to the interns are all in it together. One is not self-enhancing and solving a problem should not be a discouraging task. Teamwork is key. Everyone gets their hands dirty and solves the problem together.
Strategy
A solid strategy needs to be implemented in order to solve a problem. Many leaders will try to dissect the problem instead of just figuring out a strategy to fix it. Effective leaders know their employees as far as who to gather and who to put on what tasks. If you have hired the right people, you’ll know who will be best at solving the problem. Avoid guessing. Try to hear out everyone that has input and put all of your ideas together into an effective plan.
Failure is the greatest lesson you can receive. But do not fail just because your leadership skills were lacking. Your team depends upon your maturity, courageousness, and accountability. Embrace the problem and allow your employees to grow with you and work as a team.