A CEO admits he jumps straight to solving problems instead of listening first. A board member told him that great leaders reserve their problem-solving for issues only they can handle. Knowing which problems to skip is what separates ordinary CEOs from extraordinary ones.
Here's a mistake I make all the time. So somebody presents a problem, a challenge, something going on in their business, and immediately I jump into problem-solving mode very quickly, at least. And a board member a couple of years ago told me, she said, you know what? Sometimes as CEOs and as board members, we're not the problem solvers. Actually, most of the times we're not the problem solvers. So a good board member, she told me, is one that listens and reflects rather than coming up with solutions. And the same thing goes for a founder and the CEO. Actually, you're not supposed to solve all the problems. You're supposed to solve the ones that no one else can solve. And figuring out the difference between the two will lead you to have an extraordinary career as a CEO.
