Sometimes there is not one thing that solves a problem.
These days problems are so complex and systems are so precariously interwoven that you may never know what one intervention actually made the difference. This can mean you throw everything at it and you’ll never know what worked or it can mean you do nothing because you don’t know what will work.
Long gone are the days where you could try one thing at a time to eliminate it and move on to the next intervention. That’s just not real life anymore.
I was prompted to think about this by following (true) story:
There’s a little girl playing a football match this weekend.
On its own, no big deal, but…
This little girl is lucky to be with us (or rather, we are the lucky ones).
She was a much-hoped for IVF baby, and her mother was supported by a brilliant acupuncturist through that journey.
On its own, no big deal, but…
After her birth, this little girl suffered life-threatening health challenges for many years, and her father was supported by his football club to raise both funds and his spirits during that journey.
On its own, no big deal, but…
This weekend, that little girl is representing her club as a senior for the first time. The club she is representing is the one that supported her father. And entirely coincidentally, the referee for that game is the acupuncturist who supported her mother.
It goes without saying that there will be an endless list of friends, family, specialists and strangers who did one small (or big) thing to contribute to this happy outcome.
So if you are at work looking at a problem that is too complex for you to solve on your own, I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed or underwater I’d encourage you to do two things:
- Share the challenge. They say it takes a village to raise a child and frankly it takes a village to lead a function or a business sometimes too. Let alternate ideas and experiments in.
- Do one thing within your control. Do not wait to be certain it’ll work – you may never be certain. Trust your instinct and your expertise, after all, you’re a leader because both are sound.
Is that advice that I would give to a parent? No, it’s not, but I’m not an expert on kids, I’m an expert on leaders.
I believe a business is not a baby, and a leader is not a parent.
Experimenting with a series of interventions is a critical, adaptable mindset. Because sometimes no one thing works but a combination of many things might.
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Rebecca is Australia’s pre-eminent advocate for B-suite leadership – the expert in developing hi-impact B-Suite leadership at both a team and individual level.
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