A weekly thought for leaders with the courage to introspect.
Problems are stubborn. Issues are sneaky.
Ingmar has a problem. His company is growing too fast. Sounds like a luxury problem. But it isn't.
Rapid growth without cash flow is deadly.
No cash flow = no room to maneuver.
No room to play = no choices.
No choices = end of story.
Ingmar is on the verge of going bankrupt with a full order portfolio.
That's the insidious thing about growth.
A company can shine on the outside while being eaten away on the inside.
And he fails to tackle the problem.
Not because he is stupid.
Not because he is not a good entrepreneur.
On the contrary.
He's smart. Good at his job. Ambitious. And yet he can't figure it out. Why?
Because problems can rarely be solved with the same mindset that created them.
Einstein already said that.
We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.
But I believe it is even more acute.
My experience:
You can't solve problems just by thinking differently.
You solve them from a different level.
A higher level of abstraction.
With other people.
With a different view.
That's why Ingmar is with me.
Because if you are in the problem and you are part of it, then you usually cannot solve it.
This does not only apply in business.
That applies everywhere.
โ Are you having an argument with your child?
Then you are part of the problem.
โ Do you have a conflict in your team?
Then you are part of the problem.
โ Is your business struggling with cash flow?
Then you are part of the problem.
That is not a reproach.
That's how it works.
The solution almost always comes from outside.
From someone who was not part of the creation.
From someone who is outside it.
From someone watching from a distance.
And so one can act without emotion, without history, without judgement.
That's the power of coaching.
Or mentoring.
Or an advisor.
Or just a smart outsider.
We don't solve problems by working harder.
We solve problems by looking at things differently.
From a higher level.
With more distance.
With more clarity.
And yes, sometimes with other people.
That's where it all starts.
That's where it all ends.
The space between the words is where insight arises.
Until next week when our thoughts touch again.
Hans Ruinemans
The Boardroom Monk โฏ๏ธ