Leaders Must Be Able to Clearly Explain What They Do

Scott Legg

Mar 12 • General discussion

One of the simplest leadership tests I use is this:

Ask a leader what they actually do.

Not their title.

Not their department.

Not their job description.

What problem do you solve every day?

Most people struggle with this question.

You’ll hear things like:

“I manage the team.”
“I supervise operations.”
“I make sure things run smoothly.”

Those answers sound fine on the surface, but they don’t actually explain anything. Leadership isn’t defined by a title. Leadership is defined by the problems you solve.

If a leader cannot clearly explain what they do, three things usually happen inside the organization:

Expectations become unclear
Accountability disappears
Performance becomes inconsistent

When nobody clearly understands what a leader is responsible for, problems start bouncing around the organization with no real ownership.

That’s when you hear things like:

“That’s not my job.”
“Nobody told me.”
“I thought someone else was handling it.”

A simple framework that helps solve this is a three-part explanation:

The problem you solve
The skill or role you bring
The result people get

For example, a leader in manufacturing might explain their role like this:

“You know how production slows down when teams aren’t aligned or problems aren’t caught early? I lead the line and coordinate the work so the team stays focused, the process runs smoothly, and output stays consistent.”

Notice what that does.

It clearly explains:

The problem — misalignment and missed problems
The role — leading the line and coordinating work
The result — smooth processes and consistent output

Now everyone understands the purpose of the role.

This is not just about communication.

It’s about clarity of leadership responsibility.

Because here’s the truth most organizations ignore:

Leadership problems are rarely just leadership problems. They are operational problems — and operational problems eventually become financial problems.

When leaders clearly understand and communicate what they are responsible for solving, execution improves immediately.

So here’s a challenge for every leader reading this:

In one sentence, explain: