The Problem Is Not the Problem
Why leaders often solve the symptom while the real cause remains untouched
One of the advantages of working across many organizations is that certain patterns begin to repeat themselves. Different industries. Different leadership teams. Different challenges. Yet the same leadership mistakes keep appearing.
These patterns rarely appear dramatic in the moment. Over time they quietly slow decisions, weaken accountability, and reduce performance.
This is edition 2 in an 11 part series that explores some of the most common forms of organizational friction I come across that leaders and boards should recognize. Each issue focuses on one pattern and examines why it appears so frequently and how leaders can address it.
In this edition we explore a common leadership trap. Mistaking symptoms for causes.
The other night my wife and I experienced a version of this at home.
Our daughter suddenly became very upset and began crying in a way that was completely inconsolable. Nothing seemed to work. My wife was trying everything she could think of to calm her down, but the crying continued and the situation began to feel overwhelming.
In moments like that it is easy to become frozen because you do not know what is wrong. The crying becomes the problem and all of your attention goes toward trying to stop it.
I knew we needed to simplify the situation and go back to the basics.
Trying to get her to sleep was clearly not working. She was not alone. She was safe. The environment was calm.
So I made her a bottle.
Within a few minutes she drank it and fell asleep almost immediately.
The crying was never the problem. It was the signal. Hunger was the cause.
This same dynamic appears constantly in organizations.
Many leadership teams spend enormous time reacting to symptoms. A project begins to slip. A team appears disengaged. Customers begin to complain. Productivity drops. Meetings become tense.
The visible issue quickly becomes the focus of attention.
Yet the visible issue is often only the surface expression of a deeper cause.
A slipping project may reflect unclear priorities. Disengagement may reflect a lack of ownership or psychological safety. Customer complaints may reveal a deeper mismatch between what the organization provides and what the customer actually needs.
When leaders respond only to the symptom, they often create activity without solving the problem.
New processes are introduced. Additional reporting is requested. More meetings are scheduled. People are asked to work harder or faster.
The organization becomes busy addressing the visible problem while the underlying cause remains untouched.
Boardrooms frequently sense this dynamic as well. Directors ask management about performance issues and receive detailed explanations about what is being done to address them. Initiatives are launched, metrics are tracked, and progress reports are prepared.
Yet the most important question often remains unanswered.
What is actually causing the problem?
Strong leaders develop a habit that separates them from the crowd. They pause long enough to ask a deeper question before acting.
What is the signal behind the symptom?
Once the cause becomes clear, the solution often becomes much simpler and far more effective.
Many of the most frustrating organizational problems persist not because they are complex, but because leaders are trying to solve the wrong problem.
The discipline of leadership is learning to look beneath the surface before deciding what to do next.
Until next time,
Kursten