Chain of Learning: 71 | Own the Thinking Process, Not the Thinking: How Leaders Build Problem-Solving Capability

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Caring becomes carrying.

It happens so naturally we rarely notice it. Someone brings us a problem. We care. We want to help. And somewhere in that desire to help, without meaning to, we take on the weight of solving it ourselves.

That shift is subtle. And costly.

Because the moment you take ownership of the thinking, you take away the very capability you’re trying to build.

In this episode, I explore a critical shift in change leadership: how to hold the thinking process so others can solve their own problems — without taking on their work as your own.

Your value as a leader isn’t in having the answer. It’s in creating the conditions where others can think, test, and learn. When you want to create empowered problem-solving in your organization, stepping back is stepping up.

You’ll Learn:

  • How to notice when you’ve shifted from supporting someone’s thinking to carrying their problem
  • Why redirecting your focus from the problem to the person working through it changes everything about how you coach
  • How to use a simple problem solving structure (Target, Actual, Gap) to anchor your questions and keep ownership where it belongs
  • How to stay present to how someone is thinking instead of jumping ahead to solutions
  • How to choose intentionally when to step in with direction — and when to step back to build capability

IMPORTANT LINKS:

TIMESTAMPS FOR THIS EPISODE:

00:40 The subtle shift from caring to carrying problem solving
03:35 Realization of owning the process of solving the problem
04:39 What gets in the way of intentions to be helpful

05:27 Why problem solving and problem solving coaching are two different skills
05:50 How to stay focused on the thinking process and keep from sliding back into the problem itself
06:42 How to anchor questions around a structured problem solving flow
08:11 The mantra, “Target, Actual gap, Please explain,” to identify the real problem before jumping to solutions
09:13 Benefit of assigning a problem for a team member to solve

10:56 The identity shift from having all the answers to holding the process
12:28 One way to notice if you have a telling habit
14:41 Why you should avoid defaulting to giving the answer and ask questions to understand the problem first
16:59 The meaning of intention = heart + direction to coach with the right motives
17:21 Three steps to coach with intention:
17:25 [ONE] Take an intention pause
17:45 [TWO] Choose the behaviors that align with that impact
18:08 [THREE] Reflect and learn your way forward

19:15 Positive result from leading by asking questions that helped team gain confidence
21:41 Three reflection questions before you go into your next coaching conversation