The Feeling of Being Stuck—and Why It Matters
We’ve all had that moment—you’re spinning your wheels, giving it your all, and nothing moves. It’s like trying to get your car off a patch of ice. Forward? Stuck. Backward? Still stuck. And what sets in is the overwhelming frustration that comes when your efforts don’t lead to progress. As a leader, that feeling is not only personally taxing—it affects everyone around you. Because if you feel stuck, so does your team.
Feeling stuck isn’t just emotional. It’s a signal. A red flag that tells us the way we’ve been doing things no longer works. And in leadership, when you don’t address that stuck point, you risk taking your entire organization in circles.
The Ice Patch Metaphor for Leadership Challenges
Picture this: you’re driving through snow and suddenly hit a patch of ice. Your tires spin. You accelerate—nothing. You reverse—nothing. What’s the instinct? Do more. Try harder. But the truth is, doing more of the same only digs you in deeper.
That metaphor? It’s leadership in a nutshell. Leaders often find themselves facing the same issues repeatedly—morale problems, bottlenecks in decision-making, recurring conflicts on teams. And just like on that patch of ice, we tend to double down on what hasn’t worked instead of stopping, stepping back, and rethinking the path forward.
Why Problem Solving Is Essential for Leaders
Problem solving isn’t a bonus skill for leaders—it’s core. It’s the difference between reactive leadership that spins on ice and proactive leadership that changes course. Leaders with strong problem-solving skills are calm in chaos, curious instead of panicked, and creative instead of rigid.
When leaders focus on solving instead of stressing, they model clarity and courage. And teams follow that energy.
Why We Tend to Be on Autopilot
How Routine Can Lead to Repetition and Stagnation
Here’s the challenge: the human brain loves familiarity. Routine is comforting, which is why so many leaders unknowingly fall into autopilot. We attend the same meetings, give the same feedback, use the same processes—and then wonder why innovation stalls or burnout creeps in.
Data supports this. According to OnePoll research, 81% of people describe themselves as “creatures of habit,” and nearly 20% haven’t changed their routines in over a decade. When leadership runs on autopilot, progress doesn’t stand a chance.
What the Data Says About Habitual Behavior
Neuroscience tells us that the brain builds efficiency through repeated pathways—like default highways in your mind. If those paths don’t serve your goals anymore, they’ll still feel “easy,” but they won’t move you forward.
Breaking out of autopilot requires more than awareness. It demands intentional disruption—and that’s where strategic problem-solving comes in.
Tunnel Vision Syndrome in Problem Solving
What Tunnel Vision Looks Like in Leadership
Tunnel vision is the silent killer of progress. You know you’re stuck in it when you believe there’s only one solution to a problem—and it’s one you hate. So you freeze. Or worse, you panic.
This shows up when leaders face challenges like employee disengagement, poor collaboration, or low productivity and assume the only fix is a total reorg, a new hire, or endless meetings. In reality, there are often five, ten, or more options—you just can’t see them while stuck in tunnel vision.
Getting Out of the “One-Option” Trap
Leaders get out of tunnel vision by hitting pause. By asking better questions. By welcoming diverse viewpoints. By getting out of their heads and into solution mode. Sometimes, the most effective move is to stop trying to “fix” and instead get curious: What haven’t I tried yet? What’s one thing I’ve never considered?
That’s where breakthrough lives.
Why Problem Solving Is a Core Leadership Skill
Proactive vs Reactive Leadership Approaches
Here’s what separates great leaders: they don’t wait for problems to escalate—they anticipate them. Proactive leaders scan the horizon for early warning signs. They involve their teams early and build contingency plans instead of scrambling after the fact.
Reactive leaders, on the other hand, stay in survival mode. And survival mode kills innovation, morale, and momentum.
Why Defining the Problem Is More Important Than Solving It Fast
Albert Einstein once said, “If I had an hour to solve a problem, I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and five minutes thinking about solutions.” That’s because most of the time, we’re solving the wrong problem. Or we’re solving a symptom instead of the root cause.
When you define the real issue with clarity, solutions come faster and work better.
How Problem Solving Promotes Innovation and Buy-In
When leaders invite their teams into problem-solving—when they say, “Here’s the challenge. What do you see that I don’t?”—they’re not just finding better solutions. They’re building ownership. And ownership breeds loyalty.
People support what they help create.
The SOLVE Model: Five Steps for Effective Leadership Problem Solving
This is the framework I teach leaders all over the world. It’s called the SOLVE Model. It’s simple, actionable, and it works.
Step 1 – Save Energy, Spare Drama
Stress hijacks your brain. The more stressed you are, the more reactive you become—and that means worse decisions. When a problem arises, your first job isn’t to fix it. It’s to calm your nervous system. Step away. Take a breath. Reset your brain. That’s how you access your prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain responsible for executive decision-making.
Leaders who stay calm under pressure don’t just look confident—they are making smarter, more rational decisions.
Step 2 – Outline the Problem Clearly
If you can’t write the problem in one sentence, you don’t understand it well enough. Don’t rush past this. Get clarity. Ask: What exactly is going on? What’s the evidence? What’s the impact? What’s not the problem, but might look like it?
Naming the issue with precision gives you the power to solve it with confidence.
Step 3 – Leave What Doesn’t Work Behind
Habits are powerful. That’s why we keep repeating strategies that no longer serve us—because they’re familiar. But familiarity is not effectiveness.
When something isn’t working, name it. Acknowledge it. And commit to releasing it. This is one of the most courageous leadership decisions you can make.
Step 4 – Vow to Stop Doing More of the Same
Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. And yet that’s what we often do when we’re under pressure—we double down on old methods, old assumptions, old systems.
You can interrupt this cycle. Write a sticky note. Start a journal. Talk to a coach. The key is making a visible commitment to change—one that keeps you accountable to yourself and your goals.
Step 5 – Engage in a New and Fresh Approach
This is where momentum happens. When you say, “I’m open to a new idea,” you open the door to creativity. New approaches don’t just solve problems—they energize teams. They create hope. And they lead to results that weren’t possible under the old way of thinking.
Final Thoughts: How Leaders Create Change by Solving Differently
Problem solving in leadership isn’t about being the smartest person in the room. It’s about being the clearest. The calmest. The most curious.
It’s about pausing when you want to panic. Getting clear when things get cloudy. And choosing to try something new when everything in you wants to stick with what’s comfortable.
Real leadership is not about having all the answers. It’s about being willing to ask better questions—and then leading others through the process of finding answers together.
If you feel stuck right now, that’s not a failure. It’s an opportunity. Use the SOLVE Model. Lead yourself through the stuck—and you’ll find the breakthrough.
