Wicked problems - Leaders Worth Following

December 31, 2024December 31, 2024Leadership

Biggest Mistake Leaders Make When Trying to Solve A Tough Problem

In this video, I share some insights on solving tough problems as a leader. The biggest mistake is the temptation to start working on solving the problem as soon as it is identified. What manifests as a problem is usually a symptom of a problem creeping in elsewhere. So, solving that symptom will only lead you to a different problem cropping up elsewhere. Also, one of the things that our brains are really good at is to find answers to any questions that we post at it. So, it is important for us to take a step back and examine […]

September 17, 2018September 17, 2018Leadership, Strategy

Progress Doesn’t Always Follow a Straight Line

In an interesting blog post for Strategy+Business, Adam Kahane shares his perspective about solving tough problems. Tough problems or wicked problems are difficult to solve precisely because there is no one right answer and there are multiple root causes and motivations at play. It is wicked for the precise reason that there are seemingly contradicting interests at play, which makes it difficult to solve these problems permanently. In the post, Adam talks about the fact that trying to solve a complex or a wicked problem as if it were a simple problem will always lead to making the problem even […]