“Don’t bring me problems. Bring me solutions.” I think this is terrible leadership advice. It sounds empowering. Think critically. Take ownership. Don’t just complain. But consider what your team may actually hear: Don’t bring me a problem until you’ve figured it out. And that’s a very different message. Because sometimes the most valuable thing an employee can do is bring you a problem early — before they understand it, before they know how big it is, and definitely before they have a beautifully packaged solution. I don’t want my team deciding whether a problem is “ready enough” for me to know about. I want them thinking: Susan needs to know this. There’s a bigger leadership question hiding underneath this: How easy have you made it for people to bring you bad news? Because your answer tells me far more about your leadership than whether you’ve taught people to arrive with solutions. 👇 Leaders — agree or disagree? Is “bring me solutions, not problems” good leadership advice? Let me know your thoughts.

You don’t get ready for the game when you arrive. You show up ready to play. Leadership works the same way. The meeting isn’t where you suddenly become prepared. The difficult conversation isn’t where you decide what you stand for. The moment of pressure isn’t where you start building confidence. What shows up in those moments was being built long before them. Your habits. Your preparation. Your self-awareness. Your willingness to have the conversations you’ve been avoiding. Your discipline when nobody is watching. We often focus on how someone performs in the moment. But leadership is usually revealed in the work that happened before the moment ever arrived. So here’s the reflection: What are you doing before the game that determines how you’ll lead when it’s time to play?