Your Biggest Problems Might Be Opportunities in Disguise

Good leaders have the attitude, “I will never dodge or avoid a problem.”


They embrace the idea that a big part of leadership is anticipating, confronting and proactively solving problems with their people. In fact, if your team ever stops bringing difficult problems to you, it’s a good sign they have either lost confidence that you can help, or concluded you no longer care.

Here’s a familiar reminder that is worth repeating: In the Chinese language the symbol for “crisis” and “opportunity” is exactly the same. How can a single symbol stand for two totally opposite concepts?

The answer, of course, is that it’s all a matter of perception. Does your team look for the crisis in every opportunity; or, have you instead coached them to look for the opportunity in every crisis?

The bottom line: Your biggest problems might be opportunities in disguise.


Many companies owe their unique position in the marketplace to their ability to welcome and leverage difficult problems that their competitors avoid like the plague.