The first pages of the book made a deep impression on me. They pulled me out of my innate desire for life to be easy, for things to always go my way. Peck wrote:
Once we truly know life is hard – once we truly understand and accept it – then life is no longer hard. Because once accepted, it doesn't matter that life is difficult.
Most don't fully see this truth that life is hard. Instead, they moan more or less incessantly, loudly or subtly, about the enormity of their problems, their burdens and their difficulties as if life were generally easy, as if life had to be easy!
It is true that life is difficult for everyone. And if life is hard for individuals, its difficulty is multiplied for leaders. Individuals may think me, but leaders must think us. Thinking of us means other people are included, which means their problems are also yours.
Remember, as Peck told us, life isn't meant to be easy. So I want you to consider one of the positive aspects of the many problems and inconveniences you will face on a daily basis. Because I believe they represent an opportunity for you to stand out and gain credibility as a leader as quickly as possible. My CEO, Mark Cole, reminded me that a pragmatist takes things that others see as problems or distractions and turns them into opportunities. Problems have potential benefits:they introduce us to ourselves, to others, and to opportunities.
Whether you are looking for the opportunity to lead for the first time or you already have leadership responsibilities and want to make an impact, problem solving offers you unique opportunities. Expand in this area by answering the following three questions.
The way you see problems shapes your attitude and your leadership. Do you see them as opportunities to use your leadership to improve your team and your organization? Or are they just downsides that just ruin your plans and discourage you?
You can change your mindset when it comes to problems and solving them. Make a list of past issues that led to lessons or opportunities. Now make a conscious decision to look for positives in all issues that arise from this day forward.
Some time ago, I asked a friend about the character of an acquaintance of ours whom we did not know very well. He told me he couldn't comment on the character of the man because he never seemed to handle adversity. How true, I thought. You can learn a lot about yourself by how you handle problems, but you can learn just as much about others by how they react. Some people will make it worse. Some people become problem magnets. Others give up. The people you need to hold closest are the ones who will turn problems into stepping stones to success. The difficulties you encounter allow you to determine who is who.
Starting this week, when new issues arise, start using questions to learn more about your team members. Gather information, brainstorm ideas, and come up with multiple solutions. Here are some questions to get you started:
Choose a big problem that you are currently working on. When looking for solutions, think of as many creative opportunities as possible that could be associated with the problem and the solution. Allow these thoughts to shape the problem-solving process, because if you are able to use a problem to move your team or organization forward, you will have performed one of the most difficult leadership tasks of all:you will have become a change agent.
