When you encounter a problem in life or business, it can be tempting to sweep things under the rug or pretend challenges don’t exist, like when there is trouble with a team member. We do this for many reasons; because we don’t want to deal with having to replace someone, we’re afraid they will quit, or it just seems too daunting to have a tough conversation, especially if they are a high performer. This week, Hallie and I talk about how a large part of leadership is being able to identify a problem, then take steps to solve the problem from a place of clarity. Have fierce conversations, gather information, and take action so you can course-correct before it becomes an even bigger issue. We also talk about how having challenges in your team doesn’t necessarily mean you are doing anything wrong and how it’s a universal issue — even when it comes to some of our most respected sports heroes.
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Timestamps:
[6:49] Ray Dalio said on his LinkedIn that one of his top principles is once you identify a problem, don’t tolerate it. Tolerating a problem has the same consequences as failing to identify it, whether you tolerate it because you believe it cannot be solved, you don’t care enough to solve it, or you can’t muster enough of whatever it takes to solve it.
[8:46] What are some of the reasons we tolerate things? We don’t want to deal with the discomfort of the issues that are showing up, and we aren’t fully seeing the ways that our culture will be eroded if we let it go on.
[17:32] What if the troublemaker is the top performer? Hallie and I talk about Michael Jordan — was his attitude really an issue for the team and other players, or was it just an unfortunate annoyance?
[18:44] Why is it important for even the top performer to know that there are consequences for actions that may end up eroding the team?
[25:00] So you’ve identified a problem and decided you will no longer tolerate it. Now what?
How do you gather and triangulate all the information in a way that you have facts and figures, but you aren’t making anyone feel uncomfortable?
[28:40] At its core, leadership is about managing people and making three to four high-quality, world-class decisions every day.
[30:35] If you have identified a problem (or many of them), know that this is common. Even huge global companies like Amazon and Elon Musk go through the same issue.
