Some problems cannot be solved

A fire started on some grasslands near a farm. The county fire department was called to put out the fire. The fire was more than the county fire department could handle. Someone suggested that a nearby volunteer bunch be called. Despite some doubt that the volunteer outfit would be of any assistance, the call was made.

The volunteers arrived in a dilapidated old fire truck. They rumbled straight towards the fire, drove right into the middle of the flames and stopped! The firemen jumped off the truck and frantically started spraying water in all directions. Soon they had snuffed out the center of the fire, breaking the blaze into two easily controlled parts.

Watching all this, the farmer was so impressed with the volunteer fire department’s work and was so grateful that his farm had been spared, that right there on the spot he presented the volunteers with a check for $1,000. A local news reporter asked the volunteer fire captain what the department planned to do with the funds.

“That ought to be obvious,” he responded, wiping ashes off his coat. “The first thing we’re gonna do is get the brakes fixed on our fire truck! We’ve always thought that the brakes would not give us any problems.”

I remember having breakfast in a hotel with a client and from afar I saw this well-known young business icon tycoon entered and was walking towards my direction. We greeted and exchanged pleasantries. I asked, “What’s keeping you busy these days?” He paused for a moment, smiled and replied, “fighting fires all the time.” His remark stuck with me and made me think. Leaders eat problems for breakfast and are fighting fires constantly. This is a fact. The whole world celebrates their accomplishments and admire the growth and success of their businesses; what many do not understand is that there are dynamics involved.

Behind the talk show interviews and TV cameras that take place; these leaders had and still have to solve problems and put out fires. We admire the “results” of their efforts, but I admire the “tenacity and process” of their problem-solving skills that lead to their success. Leaders solve problems, but there are problems that even the most educated, talented, intelligent leaders would not be able to solve. You can ask them, and they will probably agree with my observations. These problems deal with people. And people with the following issues will continuously find themselves in positions of difficulty and challenge. These problems may be in all of us, but life, relationships, career or even business will not progress until we admit that these problems exist and do something about it.

1. THE PROBLEM OF FACING REALITY.

While it may be evident to everyone that a problem exists, the insistence that “there is no problem” is the biggest problem of them all. I remember seeing a poster in a bookstore somewhere that features the following words in big, bold letters: “DO NOT CONFUSE ME WITH THE FACTS; MY MIND IS MADE UP ALREADY.”

This can be disastrous to business and career. An insistence on admitting the presence of a problem will by default lead to a constant delusion or distraction to prove the point. Thinking that the problem will go away by insisting that it does not exist will only exacerbate the situation and when (not if) the problem blows, the damages will be tremendous.

It is not that the problem is hard to see and thus the denial; it is more that the ego of certain people refuse to accept the fact that they have made a mistake or have neglected to correct the situation in the first place that made them solidify their stand on their denial of the condition. When the mind continues to live on denial, then it is a problem that cannot be solved unless the mind accepts reality and builds up the humility to take the responsibility and start repairing the situation.

2. THE PROBLEM OF FIXING THE BLAME.

When a problem arises, the immediate reaction of certain people is to start blaming others for the situation. Rather than fixing the issues right away, they set the blame.

Blame may not necessarily be targetted on inside people or departments. Blame may be set on outside circumstances. (i.e., economy, competition, rigged system, etc.) Blaming others is the easy way out of having to face reality and fixing the problem. It offers a quick escape but it does not address the situation at hand. Blaming becomes more prevalent when the CEO or anybody high up in the food chain demands an explanation as to why the problem exists.

The tendency to blame others may also be a reflection of the person’s insistence that life is unfair and would never be. The author Zig Ziglar termed this as “Stinking Thinking” and a better-known term today is called “Victim’s Mentality.” The blamer may even sincerely believe that nothing is going to happen because life is unfair and he or she is always at the receiving end of life’s unfairness. This is a problem that cannot be solved unless the person starts fixing the blame and start owning the situation and work towards solving the problem. One needs to understand problems are lessons in the offering and while facing issues head-on may not be easy it is what creates strength, wisdom, and toughness that enable the person to level up and be ready for bigger and better opportunities.

These are problems that CEOs and the top honchos would not be able to solve but only you and I could. The problem is not that there are problems. The problem is to deny its existence with the hope that it will go away. No, it would not! The solution is to face the problem, solve it and learn from it. This is the stuff that makes people level up to become good and better leaders ready to explore better opportunities for growth and success.

(Attend two exciting and inspiring days of leadership training with Francis Kong is about to happen. Attend this highly acclaimed Level Up Leadership seminar-workshop on July 17-18 at Seda Hotel BGC. For registration or inquiries contact April at +63928-559-1798 or register online at www.levelupleadership.ph)