Skip this step at your peril

All too often I see brilliant teams encounter a problem and then excitedly throw more time, money or resources at the problem, expecting the situation to improve. It doesn’t. All it does is put out one fire whilst igniting another somewhere else in the business. They don’t stop to understand the root cause of the issue and continue to paper over the cracks.

I get it. Time is short and it takes time to really resolve the issue. But slowing down will help you speed up in the long run, if you choose to fix the right problem.

Skipping the diagnosis step will cost you time, money and results, and ultimately leads to failure. Failure to do this results in reactionary firefighting, which is exhausting and does nothing to progress or innovate. You are simply running to stand still. If you don’t ask the right questions, how can you be sure that you are solving the right problems?

On an animalistic level, we are conditioned not to think when under threat (failures and problems feel like a threat) and instead our brains and bodies gear up to fight, defend or run. Lying to ourselves, blame and justification are just what we do. Add to that our addiction to dopamine rushes that come from fixing things, and can see why most businesses skip the MyPresent step.

Driven by their emotions, unskilled leader react to situations and make quick decisions. This might work in a real crisis, but most issues at work aren't huge fires, they are problems that need to be solved. Yes they are important, but are they really so urgent that taking a moment to step back, assess and think rationally isn't an option? Reacting without worrying about the facts or the repercussions often doesn't end well.

Skilled leaders know that they need to be calm, composed, even under pressure and lead consciously. They need to think, reflect, and take in all of the facts before giving a measured response. 

You are human, and that means you have the instinct to react, but you also have rational, strategic and analytical thinking capabilities.  When you learn to control your thoughts and feelings, and when you can master this, you will become a more effective leader, you will become LeaderX.