3 Ways To Enhance Problem-Solving Skills In Leadership

Every day, you will encounter problems. Some little, some big. All needing an answer. 

So, how do you problem-solve? How do you handle the situations and issues that arise every day?

The greatest mistake we make is teaching our children to memorize things without even understanding,
Instead of teaching them problem solving and critical thinking.”
― Mouloud Benzadi

Some people handle it poorly. They make bad decisions, get angry, frustrated, lash out at others. That’s not how a great leader problem solves. 

They do the following 3 actions to get through the problems of the day.

3 Ways To Enhance Problem-Solving Skills In Leadership

Ask for feedback:

Everyone can improve upon their problem-solving skills. This can be a struggle if you don’t know what you’re looking to improve.

The Power Of Active Listening In Leadership

There’s an age-old saying that people don’t care what you know until they know how much you care. This quote has been attributed to Theodore Roosevelt. Regardless of whether or not Roosevelt actually said this or not, it’s an important aspect of leadership.

Your people want to know you care. One of the ways you can show this is through listening… active listening. 

Carl Rogers and Richard Farson introduced the idea of active listening in 1957. According to Duke University, active listening is listening with the intent to really understand how the person is feeling and be able to put yourself in their shoes to empathize with them

That’s a lot to take in. 

To be a great active listener, you have to:

  • Listen
  • Have intent
  • Be willing to understand the other person
  • Put yourself in their shoes

The Art Of Negotiation: Essential Skills For Leaders

Everyone negotiates

The art of the deal or the art of negotiation, whatever you call it, knowing how to negotiate is a critical skill for a leader. You’re always wheeling and dealing in a good way, trying to make things better for yourself and those you lead.

Don’t fret if you lack the skill of negotiation. Negotiation skills can be learned.

And, great for you, that’s exactly what we’re going to discuss in this article.

Man in a black suit with blue tie sitting at a wooden table. He has a coffee cup in one hand.

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash

The Art Of Negotiation: Essential Skills For Leaders

Why is negotiation necessary? Every leader needs to know how to hold a strategic discussion between parties to resolve issues, whether it’s for a deal or to resolve conflict. Negotiation often ends in both parties finding the resolution acceptable.

Think about it… We all need to know how to negotiate

Some of the areas you may negotiate are:

Celebrating Success And Learning From Failure As A Leader

We experience good times and bad times as a leader. Those good times come from leadership successes and seeing people grow. The bad times? Those are the times we’ve failed to do what we know is right, a project goes south, or we experience an issue with team members.

There’s good news regardless of whether or not you’ve experienced success or failure. You can learn and celebrate both.

Celebrating Success And Learning From Failure As A Leader

We must celebrate success and learn from our failures. It’s how we grow and continue to thrive as leaders. People get excited when they see their good works praised. They grow and thrive when they see how they can learn from their failures.

Think about the times you’ve failed. What happens? You may beat yourself up. You may tell yourself that you never do anything right. 

Quotes And Leadership Lessons From The Polar Express

A Reel Leadership Article

My latest book, Reel Leadership, is now available on Amazon. If you love movies and leadership, you will love this book.

Welcome to the second movie in the Christmas At The Movies series. It’s a fun look at Christmas movies and the leadership lessons they can teach. We’ve partnered with our church, The Gateway Church, to provide supplemental content as they share the faith-based lessons these movies can teach.

Red movie theater curtains

Today, we’re diving into the leadership lessons in The Polar Express. Fun fact for those of you who haven’t been following Reel Leadership and the blog for an extended period of time, I welcomed my friend, James W. Schreier, to share his thoughts on it. He’s a lover of leadership and trains. It was a perfect fit for him. Now, we’re bringing you our take on this family-friendly movie.