The majority of managers are promoted because they excelled in a previous role.
But the bump in responsibility always comes with more problems. Traditional thinking says being a high performer as an individual contributor requires advanced problem-solving skills. Here’s the issue: most managers haven’t been taught how to solve problems like a leader.
In a recent episode of the John Eades Podcast, Adam Weber put it well:
“Managers carry this weight that doesn’t serve them and creates distance with their team. They try to solve everything on their own instead of empowering their team.”
Weber is right. If a manager solves every problem themselves, it’s the opposite of effective leadership. Said differently, the best leaders don’t outsource all the critical thinking and problem-solving to themselves.
The best leaders don’t outsource all of the critical thinking and problem solving to themselves.
Easy to understand. Difficult to practice.
Significant Mistakes Managers Make with Problems
In coaching and teaching leaders, I’ve noticed three common reactions that lead even the most well-intentioned managers astray:
Reaction #1: Negative Body Language
Body language speaks louder than words. Most managers aren’t aware that their facial expression is already revealing what they feel—or worse, what they think.
David Marquet captured it perfectly:
When a leader responds negatively to problems brought to them, the team will get better at hiding the problems.
Think about it. If you knew your manager always reacted negatively, would you keep bringing up issues? Of course not. You’re not a glutton for punishment.
Reaction #2: Jumping Straight to a Solution
Many managers are wired to take initiative. So when a problem appears, they rush to fix it. That instinct might’ve served them well as individual contributors, but it backfires in leadership.
Adam Weber shared, “Great leadership is asking your team to come up with the ideas. They are the ones closest to the problem.”
Who better to generate solutions than the people closest to the issue?
That doesn’t mean you can’t jump in when necessary. But if solving problems is your default move, don’t be surprised when your team keeps bringing you theirs. You’ve trained them to.
Leadership is about making other people stronger because of your presence. Solving every problem for them makes them weaker.
Reaction #3: Emotional or Personal Outbursts
Most problems aren’t good news. It’s human to feel emotion. But strong emotional reactions or worse, attacking the messenger, don’t help. They erode trust.
Once that trust is gone, your team won’t see you the same way.
At the start of every executive team session, we agree on this principle: Attack the problem, not the person. Just because you feel something doesn’t mean you have to act on it.
The best leaders have developed emotional intelligence. And emotional intelligence is proven when you act with control, especially when it’s hard.
What Great Leaders Do Instead
1. Take a short, deep breath
That breath gives you space to regulate your emotions and reset your body language. Start from strength and follow it with another strength.
2. Ask a coaching question
Before jumping into solution mode, slow down. Help your team member grow. Ask something like:
“Thanks for bringing this to me. What have you tried so far to solve it?”
3. Schedule a post-mortem
If the issue is urgent, step in. But don’t let the day end without reflecting. Debrief. Ask what they learned and how they’d handle it next time.
Your job is to create more leaders, not more followers. That means you can’t be the only problem solver.
Culture Kit Guidebook: Want to improve the culture of your organization or team? Download the Culture Kit Guide for Free
Take the Free Leadership Style Quiz Join over 70k leaders and discover your current leadership style for free.
Optimistic Outlook: Need a daily dose of positivity dropped in your inbox each morning? Subscribe to the Optimistic Outlook for Free
Accelerate Leadership: Want a proven system to turn your managers into high-performing leaders? Check out the done-for-you yet customized Accelerate Leadership Program.
The Leadership Lens: Get complex leadership skills broken down into simple principles. Join 15,000 other leaders by subscribing to my free newsletter here.
About the Author: John Eades is the CEO of LearnLoft and The Sales Infrastructure. He was named one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices. John is also the author of Building the Best: 8 Proven Leadership Principles to Elevate Others to Success. You can follow him on Instagram @johngeades.