The problem with solving problems

One of the most difficult, counterintuitive truths about leadership is this: the more effective a leader becomes, the fewer problems they actually solve. In other words, transformative leaders do not see themselves primarily as problem solvers.

That may sound backwards or even irresponsible in a world that equates leadership with decisiveness and answers—especially considering most of us ascended the ranks because of our ability to solve problems quickly, cleanly, impressively. We were the ones who could step in, make sense of the chaos, and fix whatever was broken.

But as supercoach Martin Goldsmith says, “What got you here won’t get you there.” Staying in the problem-solver role and rescuing every situation personally limits our ability to be truly transformative. Leadership isn’t about stockpiling solutions. It’s about multiplying capability.

Leadership isn’t about stockpiling solutions. It’s about multiplying capability.

Solving problems feels good. It’s concrete. It produces a burst of satisfaction. Yet even though it reinforces a leader’s sense of value, every time we jump in to fix something, something subtle and damaging happens: the team hands responsibility upward. Every problem the leader solves steals growth from someone else.

Every problem the leader solves steals growth from someone else.

The unspoken message becomes: “The leader owns the solution, not me.”And little by little, a culture takes shape in which employees wait, escalate, or defer, and the leader becomes a bottleneck instead of a catalyst.

Problem solving is reactive, urgent, and finite. Transformative leadership is generative, long-term, and infinite-minded. Solving today’s problem can feel like progress, but if the system that produced the problem remains, tomorrow will be a repeat of today.

Transformative leaders are more interested in precluding the problem than solving it. When something breaks, they don’t freak out—they zoom out. Rather than asking, “How do I fix this?” they ask, “What is the system that allowed this to occur, and how do we redesign it so it doesn’t?” They understand that recurring problems are symptoms, not issues. Instead of patching the immediate leak, transformative leaders examine the plumbing system. They invest in clarity, culture, structure, design processes, and systems that reduce friction and eliminate ambiguity. And they encourage feedback that surfaces hidden risks early from anyone and everyone. Think of it as shifting from firefighting to fireproofing. This is the heart of transformative leadership.

Think of it as shifting from firefighting to fireproofing.

And the most profound shift isn’t structural. It’s developmental. Transformative leaders recognize that their real job is not to produce solutions, but to produce people who can handle complexity with confidence. They create capacity rather than dependency.

Transformative leaders recognize that their real job is not to produce solutions, but to produce people who can handle complexity with confidence.

They slow down long enough to coach someone through their own thinking. They ask thoughtful questions rather than provide fast answers. They offer frameworks instead of step-by-step instructions. They give authority and decision-making away easily. Bit by bit, their teams grow stronger, more capable, and more trusted while the leader becomes less central. Best of all, the organization becomes more effective.

This is the paradox of transformative leadership: the leader who solves the fewest problems often leads the team that solves the most.

This is the paradox of Transformative leadership: the leader who solves the fewest problems often leads the team that solves the most.

Ultimately, the evolution from problem-solver to capacity-builder is a maturation of identity. It requires stepping away from the hero narrative—“I fix things”—and embracing a quieter, far more impactful one: “I build teams that build things.”

Transformative leaders don’t carve a legacy through the brilliance of their individual solutions. They sculpt it through the strength of their people and systems they leave behind.

They know solving a problem is never enough so they build a culture of problem solvers.

Think of the last problem brought to you. Are you solving problems or precluding them? Are you firefighting or fireproofing? Are you creating capacity or dependency?

In the end, the most enduring leaders leave behind not a trail of solved problems, but a community of people who no longer need them to solve any.