Don't solve problems if you want to be a great manager

The article argues that a manager’s instinct to jump in and fix an employee’s problem is counterproductive. Instead of becoming the person with the final answer, a manager should help others work through the issue, build confidence in their judgment, and avoid creating dependency.

It says that solving problems for the team slows people down and turns the manager into a bottleneck. The proposed alternative is to lead through questions, especially in one-on-ones, so employees can identify options, weigh risks, and arrive at their own answers.

Reading notes

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• The manager’s role is to help others solve problems, not to solve them personally.
• Jumping in teaches team members to rely on the manager’s expertise and final word.
• When every hard problem is routed to the manager, the team slows down and dependency grows.
• Good leaders act as an accelerator by helping team members think for themselves.
• Asking questions is presented as a more Socratic way to guide problem-solving.
• Questions can make the problem feel clearer and less daunting.
• The article gives 16 questions to use in one-on-one meetings instead of giving the answer.
• Many employees already have an answer, but may feel unsure about it or fear being wrong.
• The goal of the questions is to help employees realize they know more and can do more than they think.
• Leadership should build the team’s capabilities, not only the leader’s own capabilities.