problem or tension?

I have been reading a fun book on leadership by nancy ortberg called “unleashing the power of rubber bands.” i really like books on this. it has thoughts on leadership, questions for leaders to ask, but not necessarily all of the answers.

today I read something that really sent me spinning: “as leaders, we constantly need to determine whether something is a problem to be solved, or a tension that needs to be managed…much of the frustration that leaders face comes from trying to solve what needs to be managed, and trying to manage what needs to be solved. being able to distinguish which areas need clarity and which areas will be ongoing tensions is a necessary skill.”

again, this sent my head spinning. I started thinking about my personal journey as a leader, and the situations that I have faced. when have I treated a problem like a tension and tried to manage it, when I should have been fixing it? when have I treated an ongoing tension like a problem and just fixed it? what problems need to be fixed right now? am I sure that they are problems? or are they really tensions that I need to manage?

and I’ve been thinking about the leadership that has been modeled to me by the leaders that I have had. when did they treat an ongoing tension like a problem? when have they treated a problem like an ongoing (and ongoing, and ongoing) tension?

its easier to find fault in others and clearly see what they don’t sometimes. its much harder to examine yourself and the difficulties you face from an objective point of view. that’s the value of getting another’s perspective. again, I don’t have all of the right answers, but when you have good questions, you are on the right track.

“is the a problem to be solved or a tension to be managed?”

I think that line is going to be stuck to something on my desk so that I will be able to remember that problems aren’t always problems- sometimes they are tensions, and that’s ok. its also good to remember that what looks like a tension might really be a problem-

and there are ways to fix those.

God is love.

rev-rob