Leading Without Fixing

How often do you find yourself feeling impatient with the conversation- instead ready to find a solution?

“Soon you start seeing the world not as it is, but as a lineup of problems waiting for you to fix them. Before long, everything looks broken simply because you’re addicted to fixing it.”— Ozan Varol

We’ve all been there — seeing the world through the superhero lens, swooping in to right the wrongs. But the constant drive to fix can quietly lead us to exhaustion — mentally, emotionally, even spiritually.

A client recently offered a brilliant metaphor: "Be the air traffic controller, not the baggage handler." You don’t have to carry every suitcase to get the plane off the ground. Your time is more wisely spent conducting.

Just because you can fix the problem doesn’t mean you should. Sometimes your greatest act of leadership is restraint — creating space for others to wrestle with uncertainty, make choices, and learn through their own process. Ask the pivotal question that sets the gears in motion, then step back. Brainstorm ideas, yes — but let the action belong to them.

Because growth is born in the struggle.

Think of the butterfly. If you open the cocoon too soon, the caterpillar dies. The struggle is the transformation. The same is true in leadership — in ourselves and in others.

But, there’s another layer: Don’t look for problems that aren’t there. The urge for control or efficiency can easily become micromanagement in someone else’s eyes.

Allow space. Resist the rush. Let things unfold in their own rhythm.

Leadership isn’t about fixing everything, it is about developing problem solvers, and building capacity, not dependency.