You patched the issue. Everyone moved on. Then… it came back.
Now, your team is looking to you again.
Sound familiar?
Whether it’s missed deadlines, recurring tension, or underperformance, some problems seem to boomerang no matter how many times you “fix” them. Maybe the issue isn’t the problem itself.
Maybe it’s how we’re diagnosing it.
Symptoms Are Loud—But Often Misleading
A missed deadline? It’s easy to blame time management.
A frustrated team? Must be personality clashes.
A tool that no one uses properly? Let’s just find a better one.
A failed inspection? Must need a checklist.
Effective leaders don’t stop at what’s obvious. They ask:
Why is this really happening?
Because most of the time, the thing you’re seeing is a symptom, not the cause.
Why This Happens
There are a few reasons we default to quick fixes:
- Urgency to act – We feel pressure to “do something” fast.
- Desire to look decisive – Leaders are expected to be problem-solvers.
- Assumptions from the past – “This feels like that one time when…” (but it’s not).
And honestly, fixing the surface issue gives short-term relief.
It feels productive, but if the root remains untouched, the problem will resurface. Again and again.
Framework to Get Past the Surface
Before you jump to fix, pause. Ask these three questions:
1. Clarify the Desired Outcome
What are we actually trying to be true?
If you don’t know what success looks like, you might “fix” your way in the wrong direction.
2. Examine the Evidence
What’s fact, and what’s the story we’re telling ourselves?
Just because someone says, “this tool is terrible,” doesn’t mean the tool is the problem. Maybe expectations were unclear. Maybe no one was trained. Maybe adoption wasn’t modeled.
3. Identify the Pattern
Has this happened before? Is it happening elsewhere, too?
Patterns reveal systems, not just symptoms.
If different teams struggle with the same process, it’s not a one-off—it’s an indicator.
Real-World Example: The Project Tool Blame Game
A manager notices deadlines keep slipping.
People complain about the project management tool—“It’s clunky, it’s outdated.”
So the leader switches platforms.
Two months later? Same problems.
Turns out, no one had clearly defined roles. No onboarding. No accountability rhythm. The problem wasn’t the tool. It was the system behind it. Fixing the software didn’t help, because the real issue wasn’t software.
Reframe Action as Discovery
The most effective leaders don’t rush to fix.
They pause to understand.
They ask questions, look for patterns, and clarify outcomes before choosing a solution. They treat action as a response to insight—not just movement for the sake of progress.
Think of one problem you’ve “fixed” more than once this quarter.
Ask yourself:
Have I solved the cause or just the noise?
Because your credibility as a leader isn’t built by fixing fast.
It’s built by solving the right thing.
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