Seduced by Solutions: The Bigger Leadership Challenge...

Make Time for Understanding…

I was chatting with a friend this week, the former co-lead with me of the Impact Circle we ran together for many years. We were reflecting on one of the final sessions we led for the group, some content I’m considering rolling out on a wider basis, and I wanted to get her feedback on what had stayed with her and what she might change, looking back.

She was telling me how she’d loved that we’d looked in a different direction to some of the incredible presentations that we’ve facilitated over the years,

It’s very cool when we bring people in to talk about what they’re doing, but nothing changes inside us unless we understand why and how.

I know this, of course, which is why most of my work is focused on deepening understanding rather than sharing knowledge.

Even so, it’s so easy to be seduced by cool solutions; passionate people doing interesting things—who doesn’t love that?! And to want to emulate what they’re doing, especially in times like these when we reach for experts to take the responsibility of ‘deciding’ out of our hands.

Those shiny projects are captivating, exciting, I love them too! But fashions are fickle, and what we were doing for a good reason can overnight become a tired habit that no longer serves us.

There’s one thing that will never let us down, though, and that’s knowing how to look to understanding.

Not the kind of understanding driven by information, but understanding that comes from deep inside; from a way of thinking, and holding lightly, rather than attaching too quickly to the 'right' solution.

That's a tremendously powerful way of being, a leadership challenge that is so valuable right now, who wouldn’t want to step up for it?

When we hold less tightly to what we do or what we want — a product, a person, a model, or a method—the easier it is to refresh and regroup; to think for ourselves and to listen to our own wisdom. It’s a way of looking at things that brings us closer to understanding why change happens, so that we can create for ourselves, or we can adopt what someone else is doing, but for reasons that make sense rather than simply because we were tempted by the cool.

Ability to Pivot…

This is so obvious right now as I see some businesses pivoting in what looks like a millisecond—the local craft beer shop that is running online tasting with their ‘ciderologist’ (who knew that was a thing?), and the lovely neighbourhood deli that has switched to box-meals and wickedly gorgeous sourdough bread. My cheap and cheerful gym, instantly putting membership on hold and holding daily classes on Instagram. They weren’t prepared for this, no-one was, but, in another way, they were perfectly prepared.

Create Understanding, not Attachment…

The older I get the more curious I get about understanding, and the less I feel attached to any one ‘thing’ or way of doing something. It's all made-up at the end of the day isn’t it? (well mostly ;-)).

When it doesn't look as if there's a ‘right’ way to get somewhere, or even no right place to get to, then we can never be wrong, and we can always take a side-step or a change of direction.

It's easy to miss that we’re often attached to a solution for some reason other than what its function. We seek knowledge rather than understanding, we value expertise rather than wisdom, we like the flavour of something, rather than being able to question whether it’s fit for purpose.

Not a problem of course, unless our expectation is of a destination rather than an experience of enjoyment. There’s nothing wrong with admiring my neighbour’s car because I like the colour but if I neglect to take the key when I borrow it to go to town, I won’t get very far.

Mostly, this is fine, life goes on. A few bumps here and there don’t matter at all because there is nowhere to get to, no destination on this journey of life.

But sometimes, in a crisis, a time of uncertainty, when we want to adapt rather than dig in, it helps to reflect, to go deeper, to ask good questions, use why and how, rather than what, to question the mechanisms of change, rather than sticking to our models or theories.

A different perspective will take us further—or at least becomes foundational to getting us to adapt and evolve, rather than simply admiring, and trying to own our own version of, the beautiful paint-job on the vehicle of life.

Be well,

Cathy

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