Every leadership team has issues.
The question is: How long are you going to let them sit there?
I’ve worked with a lot of smart leadership teams. They have good people, successful businesses, and plenty of experience. And yet, they can still get stuck.
Usually, it’s not because they don’t know what to do. It’s because they’re talking about the wrong problem.
It sounds something like this:
“Sales are down.”
“Communication needs to improve.”
“Operations dropped the ball.”
Those are observations. They’re not necessarily the real issue.
The real issue is usually underneath them. And this is where leadership teams get into trouble. They start looking for solutions before they’ve taken the time to figure out what’s actually going on. So they have a good conversation. Everyone weighs in. A few ideas get thrown around. The team moves on.
Then the same issue shows up again next week.
That’s not solving an issue. That’s talking about it.
Get to the Real Issue
This is why we use IDS. Identify, Discuss, Solve.
And there’s a reason Identify comes first. Before you start debating solutions, make sure you’re solving the right problem.
Ask “Why?”
Then ask it again.
Keep digging until you get to the root of the issue. Once you’ve identified the real issue, the conversation gets a lot easier. You can focus the discussion, make a decision, and move forward. You don’t need to solve every issue in one meeting. You need to solve the right issue.
The best leadership teams aren’t the teams with the fewest problems. They’re the teams that don’t let problems sit around and become bigger problems. If you keep having the same conversation over and over, stop and ask yourself: Are we actually solving the issue, or are we just talking around it?
Find the real issue.
Solve it.
Move on.
Leadership Challenge
At your next Level 10 Meeting, look at your Issues List.
Pick the issue that has been sitting there the longest.
Ask your team:
“What’s the real issue here?”
You might be surprised by what comes out of that conversation.