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Solutions not Problems

I never had a manager that said don't bring me problems, bring me solutions that was any good at their job. The author cites and anecdote that tells a lot about the nature of real leadership:

When I worked at Microsoft, our reviews with Bill Gates often included detailed discussions about problems. Gates says in his book Business at the Speed of Thought that one of his most important jobs as CEO was to listen for bad news so that he could act on it. Discussing potential issues with him and others in the company also helped us to see problems in a new light.

Listening to bad news to act on it takes courage and vision. If the person is in a leadership role they don't deserve they will likely have neither. So it would be very tempting to seek solutions not problems. From my experience, such people are surrounded by a cadre of yes-people who present really bad solutions that make the problems infinitely worse. 

The boss rubber-stamps those dubious solutions and it is not long before the best performers in the team leave and only yes-people remain. Sometimes, the powers that be wise up to what is going on and put the solution seeking boss out of their misery and their job. Have seen that happen too. 

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