Leaders who teach others how to fish

There was a leader he remembered so well. The one that thought him to be a strategic thinker.

He was so junior when he joined the team and knew not very much. But his leader was always warm and engaging. Every time he came across a problem he knew he could also sought answers from her.

One day he went looking for her. This is one she said to him,

”I want to help you grow to be a strategic thinker, a critical skill for your future aspiration. So when you next encounter a problem, I want you to think about what is the cause of the problem and what is the magnitude of the problem. Then I want you to think about possible solutions and weigh up it's pros and cons. Finally I want you to recommend one solution and why you landed on that conclusion.”

She then said, ”You may worry about making mistakes but I see it as learning opportunities. There is no wrong answer, just a journey to the right answer.”

In helping others come up with solutions, 1) tell them Why it's important to learn that skill 2) give them a safe space to learn 3) have patience for them to learn for long term growth.