As I was hiking through the National Park in Belgium last Spring, I stopped to take this picture. Holding my phone ever so carefully, I wanted to capture the frost that remained in the shade, and the coming morning suns warmth. I was still looking through my lens when I took the next step and tripped, rolling down that little path there for the next 30-40 meters.
Problem: I fell …
Why did you fall? I was not looking where I was
Why where you not looking where you were? I was looking at where I wanted to be, not looking down
Why where you not looking down? Because I was irresponsible for a moment
Why where you irresponsible for a moment? Because the grass always seems greener …
And so you have it. The 5-why problem solving technique. If you ask yourself why, over and over again, you will soon find the root cause. This is not the best example, but it gets to the point. Why am I pointing to leadership in the title of this blog?
Leaders need to ask why
Leaders need to ask why things are the way they are until they really find out. We can’t always rely on the standard answer that ‘it has always been done this way’. Find out the reason and see if there is a better or newer way to do this. Did you know that there is still a rubber excise tax on automobile tires? Did you know there is no rubber in those tires? Why is there still at tax?
As leaders, it is your responsibility to ask; why not more? why not faster? why not bigger, better, stronger? Things change that allow us to change things. Challenging the status quo until you find the root cause, then ask is this still the case? If it is not the case, then change it. You can’t get to the warm pastures in the sunlight, until you find out why those steps are in front of you. One misstep, and you tumble! And falling from a position of leadership seems farther.
This is one reason consultants like myself are so valuable. We come into a company and ask why until it makes sense. When it does not make sense, we make suggestions, and make things work. What problems are you stuck with? What seems impossible to manage, change, adapt, or overcome? Sit with a business coach from Pinnacle Sales, and outline your problem. Let’s walk through the five or more why’s until we find the solution.
Contact us now for a free 15 minute consultation … before you start to tumble.
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