Yesterday we wrapped up our Connection Catalyst Leadership Program in Melbourne.
One of the things I enjoy most about these programs is seeing the different insights people take away from the same conversation. What resonates with one person can be quite different for someone else, depending on their experiences and the challenges they're working through.
As part of our wrap-up, I asked everyone a question:
What are you going to be more intentional about as a leader?
The responses were varied, as you would expect, but one stayed with me. A leader said they wanted to stop giving their team the answers and solving their problems for them.
Sounds simple, but there's a lot in it.
In professional services, we're often technical experts first. When someone brings us a problem, we usually know the answer, or at least where to start. We're busy and the work needs to get done, so we give direction or step in and do it ourselves.
It feels helpful and supportive. But what happens when it becomes the default?
Without meaning to, we reinforce the exact behaviour we want our teams to stop. If we always provide the answers, people learn to come to us for them. If we step in whenever something gets difficult, they never get the chance to work through problems and build confidence in their own decisions. Then we get frustrated that no one takes ownership, without recognising that we trained them not to.
This becomes more important as people move up. Technical skills get them promoted, but it doesn’t teach them how to solve problems, make decisions, manage clients or lead people. These skills don't suddenly appear with a promotion. They have to be built along the way.
When people haven't developed them, the pressure shifts upwards. Partners make decisions that should sit with managers. Managers solve problems their teams could handle. And the same people stay stuck in the day-to-day instead of creating opportunities for others to step up.
Sometimes capability or attitude is part of the problem. But it's also worth asking whether we've given people the chance to build those skills.
Being a good leader doesn't mean having an answer for everything. When someone brings us a problem, we can involve them in the thinking rather than do it all for them. Ask what they think, explore the options and help them assess the risks. We can still guide them and share our experience without taking the problem off their hands.
There will be times when we need to be directive. The judgement is knowing when to step in and when to give someone the space to work things out themselves. That means accepting that their approach might be different from ours, and that they may make a few mistakes along the way.
- So how do we know if we're helping people develop or simply fixing today's problem while creating another for tomorrow?
- When someone brings you a problem, do you help them think it through or immediately give them the answer?
- Which decisions are you holding on to that someone else could learn to make?
- Are you creating opportunities for people to build judgement and confidence, or mainly helping them get through the work in front of them?
- What might your team be capable of if you gave them more space to work things out?
Sometimes the most helpful thing we can do as leaders is not provide the answer. At least, not straight away.
Connection Catalyst returns in 2027. Want to hear about the next program? Get in touch.
