Questions Before Answers

Have you ever wondered if your greatest strength as a leader might actually be holding your team back?

Most of us are promoted because we’re good at solving problems. We have the experience, the judgment, and the ability to make difficult decisions. But what if the very skill that earned us the promotion is the one preventing our team from reaching its full potential? Great leadership isn’t measured by the number of problems we solve. It’s measured by the number of people we develop who can solve problems without us.

I have always enjoyed solving problems. There is something deeply satisfying about taking a difficult situation, finding a solution, and watching things move forward. Every time I solved a major problem, I experienced that rush of accomplishment that comes with success.

For years, I believed that was the hallmark of great leadership.

I thought my ability to solve problems validated my position as a leader. If I could solve problems that others couldn’t, then I was proving my worth. I welcomed every challenge that came my way because each one reinforced my sense of value.

The result was exactly what you might expect.

People brought me more and more problems. I worked longer and longer hours. My calendar became a revolving door of people seeking answers, and I gladly provided them. I thought everything was working perfectly. I felt indispensable, and my team appreciated that their problems were being solved quickly.

Then everything began to unravel.

Some of my best people left because they weren’t growing. Projects started falling behind because every significant decision required my involvement. I was working nights and weekends, edging closer to burnout. My family saw less and less of me, and despite all of my effort, the organization wasn’t becoming stronger—it was becoming increasingly dependent on me.

I had it completely backwards.

My responsibility wasn’t to solve every problem. My responsibility was to develop people who could solve problems without me.

That realization changed the way I led.

Instead of providing answers, I began asking questions. Instead of rescuing people, I coached them through their thinking. I gave people permission to make mistakes, learn from them, and discover solutions that were often different from the ones I would have chosen. Rather than assuming my way was the best way, I became curious enough to explore theirs.

Something remarkable happened.

My people grew. The organization grew. I grew.

I discovered that while it is exciting to have all the answers, it is far more rewarding to help someone else discover their own.

Someone once told me, “When you fail to delegate, you deny someone else the opportunity to grow.”

I’d add one more thought.

When leaders solve every problem, they don’t just limit the growth of others—they eventually limit the growth of the entire organization.

Where might your problem solving be preventing someone else from becoming the leader they were meant to be?

What question could you ask today instead of providing the answer?