Put Your Thumb On It

Have you ever heard someone say this...

"We've got something wrong here, but we just can't put our thumb on what it is."

If you hear this, red flags should immediately pop up. You have a leadership issue.

It is the responsibility of a leader to put his or her thumb on it. Leaders have the ability to name a situation, to identify what's going wrong, to recognize what needs to change in order for the organization to move forward.

If there's a problem and no one can name it - then no one will know how to best deal with it. When you name something, you are better able to offer a prognosis.

For example, take your car to a mechanic and after a brief look over the mechanic says, "I know there's a problem but I just can't put my thumb on it. Let me keep it overnight." At that point, expect to be writing a $1700 check in the next 24 hours.

Visit the doctor and after the check-up the doctor says, "I know you're fighting something here, I just can't put my thumb on it." Now you're worried.

As a student leader, you will encounter a lot of problems and difficulties. You forfeit your leadership opportunity when you try to ignore these problems in hopes that they'll go away. Or if you try and run in the other direction, you'll find that the problems are still there when they turn around.

The student who recognizes and names the problem for what it is (puts his or her thumb on it) is the one who raises their level of influence in the problem-solving process. Your ability to identify the very things that are holding your group or organization back is a leadership trait.

Think about this...

1. Are there problems that your group or organization are facing and no one is sure what to do about them?
Maybe it's time to start putting a name to it and identifying the obstacles so you can better solve them.

2. Who is active in your group that seems to have this ability - someone who seems to have a good handle on things when you ask "What's wrong?"
Spend some time with them asking for their feedback and impressions.

3. When was the last time you looked past the symptoms of a problem and thought long and hard about the core issues?
A leader is a thinker. If you don't spend time reflecting, you won't have the capacity to put your thumb on things.

Comments

[tim]

Ben...thanks for the comment. You're absolutely right and I appreciate the addition. It's extremely difficult when the people know there's a problem and the leader is clueless to it.

I would also add that a good leader can identify a problem and look for solutions. Those solution don't always have to come from the leader. Others may be better equipped to solve it. The leader, like a good quarterback, knows who needs to get the ball in different situations.

[Ben]

Good insight. I'd like to add one other thought. Sometimes, the role of the leader is to recognize there is a problem and look for solutions. I've been in places where they did not even realize there was a problem, and a good leader will recognize it and address it.