From Doing It For Them To Helping Them Do It

From Doing It For Them To Helping Them Do It

You know the moment. Someone brings you a problem, and it's genuinely faster for you to just solve it than to walk them through solving it themselves.

So you do. Every time. Because it's kind, and it's fast, and it feels like leadership.

One of the biggest shifts I see leaders make isn't about working harder. It's about moving from doing the work for people to building their capability to do it themselves.

Solving it for someone feels like leadership. Building their capacity to solve it themselves actually is.

The hard part is that enabling someone takes longer in the moment than just fixing it yourself. But every time you hand the thinking back, you're building someone who needs you a little less next time, which is the entire point.

A few questions worth trying next time someone brings you a problem:

"What do you think the first step could be?" Puts the thinking back where it belongs before you've had a chance to take it over.

"What's already worked for you in a similar situation?" Reminds them they usually already have more of the answer than they think.

"What would you try if you knew I'd back whatever you decided?" Removes the fear of getting it wrong, which is often the real thing stopping them from trying.

Where this week could you ask instead of answer?

Have a great week
Mary-Anne 😊