Stop solving every problem (do this instead)

Hey there,

If you’re drowning in decisions and your team can’t move without you, you’re doing leadership wrong.

For years I thought it was my responsibility to solve every problem. My team became dependent. I became exhausted. And worst of all, I built a culture of complainers who waited for me to fix everything instead of thinking for themselves.

Here’s what we’re going to cover today:

• Why solving every problem is killing your leadership potential

• The 1-3-1 framework that turns complainers into problem solvers

• A copy & paste AI prompt that makes problem-solving dead simple

Let’s go.

3 Steps To Build A Team That Operates Without You (Even When You’re On Vacation)

In order to stop being the bottleneck, you need to fundamentally shift how problems get addressed.

Here’s exactly how to do it.

Step 1: Require Problem Framing (The First “1”)

Stop accepting complaints that start with “We have a problem” and end with silence.

From now on, every problem brought to you must be clearly defined.

• What’s broken?

• Who does it impact?

• What’s the cost of not fixing it?

This forces your team to think critically about whether something is actually a problem worth solving or just noise.

When people have to articulate the problem clearly, half the time they realize it’s not as urgent as they thought, or they start seeing the solution themselves.

Step 2: Demand Three Solutions (The “3”)

Once the problem is framed, your team must come up with three potential ways to solve it.

By requiring multiple options, you’re building their problem-solving muscles. They start seeing challenges from different angles. They consider trade-offs. They become strategic thinkers instead of tactical executors waiting for orders.

Step 3: Ask For One Recommendation (The Final “1”)

After presenting three solutions, they must tell you which one they’d choose and why.

They have to take a stand, defend their reasoning, and own the decision-making process.

Even if you ultimately choose a different path, they’ve learned how to evaluate options and make recommendations. That’s what separates order-takers from leaders.

Over time, you’ll find yourself simply approving their recommendations instead of making the decisions yourself. Your team becomes self-sufficient, and you get your time back.

That’s it.

Here’s what you learned today:

• Solving every problem for your team creates dependency and burns you out

• The 1-3-1 Framework trains your team to think like problem solvers, not complainers

• Teaching your team to solve their own problems is your job as a leader

Want to start using this right now? I’ve created an AI prompt that walks you through the 1-3-1 framework for any problem you’re facing. Use it yourself, share it with your team, or use it to coach others through problem-solving.

1-3-1 Framework Problem-Solving Prompt

Copy this prompt and paste it into ChatGPT or Claude, then insert your specific problem:

You are a strategic problem-solving coach using the 1-3-1 Framework. Help me work through a business problem using this framework:

**The Problem I'm Facing:**
[Insert your problem here - be as specific as possible about what's broken, who it impacts, and why it matters]

Please help me:

1. **Refine the Problem Statement** - Help me frame this problem more clearly. What's the core issue? What are the real impacts? What happens if this doesn't get solved?

2. **Generate 3 Potential Solutions** - Brainstorm three different approaches to solving this problem. Make them diverse - one practical/quick win, one strategic/long-term, and one creative/unconventional.

3. **Develop 1 Recommendation** - Based on the three solutions, which one would you recommend and why? Consider feasibility, impact, resources required, and timeline.

For the recommendation, please include:
- Why this solution is best given the context
- Key steps to implement it
- Potential obstacles and how to address them
- Success metrics to track

Format your response clearly with headers for each section.

Pro tip: Use this prompt yourself first before expecting your team to use it. Experience what it feels like to think through problems this way, and you’ll be better equipped to coach others through the process.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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