Ep26: Stop Firefighting: How Leaders Build Teams That Solve Problems with Dr. Marcia Reynolds

Do you feel like you're constantly firefighting at work?

Your team is capable, yet the problems keep landing back on your desk. In this episode, Dr Marcia Reynolds explains why leaders often become the bottleneck for problem-solving — and how a few simple questions can build teams that think for themselves.

In Episode 25, we explored emotional presence. In this follow-up conversation, we focus on practical leadership application.

Ruth Saw welcomes back Dr Marcia Reynolds. She is a Master Certified Coach, former President of the International Coaching Federation, and bestselling author of Coach the Person, Not the Problem.

Together they explore why capable teams sometimes become dependent on leaders, and how simple shifts in conversations can unlock initiative, ownership, and independent thinking.

Because leadership isn’t about solving every problem.

It’s about building teams who can solve problems without you.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn

• Why capable teams still wait to be told what to do
 • How leaders unintentionally create dependency by giving answers too quickly
 • A powerful question that unlocks independent thinking
 • What to do when your team says “I don’t know”
 • How to balance coaching conversations with clear expectations
 • Why clarifying the problem sparks creative thinking

If you’re a leader who feels stretched from solving problems for everyone else, this episode offers simple shifts you can apply immediately.

Featured Book

Coach the Person, Not the Problem (Second Edition)

Dr Marcia Reynolds’ bestselling book has been translated into multiple languages and is widely used by leaders and coaches worldwide. The new edition offers practical tools for creating breakthrough conversations and developing stronger teams.

🔗 Get the Book on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Coach-Person-Not-Problem-Second/dp/B0FBVFQ6ZP/

✨ Bonus for Readers
After you purchase the book, you can access a companion bonus (toolkit) designed to help you apply these principles in real leadership conversations.

Access your bonus here: https://covisioning.com/your-book-bonus/

Connect with Dr. Marcia Reynolds

Website https://covisioning.com
Book Page: https://covisioning.com/coach-the-person-not-the-problem-2nd-edition/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marciareynolds/
YouTube: https://youtube.com/user/MarciaReynolds
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr_marcia_reynolds/

A Reflection for You

Where might you be doing too much of the thinking for your team?

And what might change if you paused long enough to ask a better question?

About Ruth
Ruth Saw is a leadership and communication coach, Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, Accredited Soundwave Practitioner, and author of five bestselling books on clarity, purpose, and faith.

Connect with Ruth Saw
Linkedin: Ruth Saw
Check out the International Bestselling Book: Clarity is Power

And don’t forget to rate, follow, and share this episode if it inspired you!

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

I often ask, well, have you ever seen somebody solving this problem or doing this? And what did you like that they did or didn't? Like when a new leader comes to me and they say, I don't know how to be a leader. Well, have you ever worked for a leader? Yes. What did you like that they did? And what what would you never want to do that they didn't? And and we and it leads into sure they know what makes a good leader because of their own experiences, you know, or you know, how have other people approached this problem? What did they do that you saw worked, or what do you what did they do that you think, oh, that was crazy, why'd they do that? You know, simple things, just to really get into the thinking. The I don't know is often more about I'm not confident about what I know than that I actually don't know.

SPEAKER_01 0:50

Welcome to Clarity is Power, where we have real conversations on leadership, purpose, and confidence. I'm your host, Russo. In our last episode, we talk about emotional presence, how leaders show up in high-stakes conversation. If you haven't listened to that, I really encourage you to go back and start there. Today we are getting practical. Many leaders want their team to take initiative, think independently, and own their results. But instead, they still end up solving the problems, repeating themselves, and carrying the thinking load. So, how do we shift that? I'm delighted to welcome back Dr. Marsha Reynolds, Master Certified Coach, former president of International Coach Federation, and best-selling author of Coach the Person, not the problem, translated in multiple languages around the world. Marsha, it's so good to have you back. Oh, thank you, it's good to be here. So, Marsha, from your experience, why does this happen? Even with capable teams, why do smart people still wait to be told what to do? Oh.

SPEAKER_00 1:55

Well, you know, it I think it it's it's such habitual behavior, you know, that we always had hierarchy and we had to do what we were told and and all of that, and not recognizing that we're actually limiting people's productivity instead of increasing it. And and if if the leader's always telling them what to do, people think, well, why bother thinking for myself? He's just gonna, you know, he or she's just gonna tell me what to do anyway. And if I do something that they didn't want, then I'm in trouble. You know, and so it created fear-based environments and and and people who can't think for themselves. You know, and and it's really just been in the last couple of decades where we started to realize that that's not going to sustain success, especially in this changing environment where people have to think on their feet. They have to be agile thinkers, they have to see new possibilities quickly, you know, and so if they're just waiting to be told what to do, things don't get done, you know, and you're courting failure when you do that.

SPEAKER_01 3:01

Yeah, and with AI happening, things are moving so fast, leaders don't have all the answers as well. And we talk about in our last episode, we talk about emotional presence, is really creating a space for collaborative thinking. But however, some leaders may think, ah, I don't have time for a long developmental conversation, I just need results. So, what do you say to leaders who feel like you know, coaching or asking questions may slow things down?

SPEAKER_00 3:30

You know, um I just want to share a little story. I used to teach with a gentleman who who used to be a stage manager or managing sets on movies, and um one day he said, you know, everything was going wrong, the food wasn't there, the script revisions weren't done, the the lead actor hadn't even showed up. And so I ran into the the you know the place where the director was, and and I told him all these things, and the director said, Wow, I can't wait to see how you handle this. And what did he do? He went out and handled it, he had no choice. Of course he knew how, but he was so wrapped up in his anxiety, he went to the leader. But the leader knew that he could handle it. You know, and so when we trust people can do more than and solve problems, it's amazing uh what shows up, you know, and so even that, just for a moment, gee, what have you been thinking about doing? You know, you could ask that question. You know, you must have had some thoughts in your mind, you've been doing this for a very long time. What are the things that you've you've thought that you might do to solve this problem? How long does that take to ask that question? You know, and and to know then the question I often ask, so how much time do you have for everybody having to come into your office and ask you questions all the time because they can't think for themselves, you know? Or if maybe you took a few minutes to ask them, what have you been thinking of? Well, you know, how how what would be the impact of that? And the next time they think for themselves, then you have so much more time to do your higher level jobs than to be putting out those fires. So could you take just a couple minutes now so you have more minutes in the future? And that's what you have to remember as a leader. What are you creating in your environment? That you have to always fix it and you don't have time? Or that they can fix something so you have time to do more strategizing, to think of the bigger picture and how I'm gonna move this company forward.

SPEAKER_01 5:31

Love it. Love it. I I love that it comes with a first mindset. Actually, people are smart enough to have the solutions, they know what to do, and it's really giving them that space, using forms of uh coaching questions to allow them to think critically. Uh so you know, a lot of leaders are new to this, they are often comfortable with giving answers. What are some shifts you would advise them to take make immediately in you know everyday conversations with people?

SPEAKER_00 6:03

Well, you know, that's interesting when you say new leaders, because even more so, new leaders are stuck in. I I have to show that I have expertise, I have to demonstrate to everyone how much I know, right? And I remember having a new leader in one of my you know leadership classes, and we were teaching some coaching skills. And he said, Well, I I can't let anyone, you know, most of the people that I'm leading are even older than me. So how I can't let them think that I don't know the answer. I said, Okay, so you have people that are older than you, and and have they been with the company a long time? Yeah. I said, Oh, okay, so do you think you they want you to be telling them what to do? Or for you to ask, wow, you've been here a long time. I'd love to hear what you think about it. You know, and and isn't that important that you create that connection with the people who now see you as their leader instead of right, um, telling them what to do, and they think, well, what do you know? You're not even you haven't even been here that long. So again, it comes back to that. What is your main role as a leader? Is it to always tell people what to do? Or to gauge them in problem solving so you have the best answers together.

SPEAKER_01 7:23

Yeah, let's get real practical here. Like, what else can they say? I love what you share. Instead of giving the answer, what could they ask?

SPEAKER_00 7:31

Right. Well, you know, first off, you know, just to you oftentimes when I I know you teach um leaders to coach, use coaching skills. Oftentimes I'll just start with, okay, five minutes you have to talk to someone and you can't give them an answer. Just be curious how they see the situation. So first let me understand how you're seeing this problem, because I, as the leader, don't see it the same way you do. So let's just agree that we see the problem in the same way. So at least if I give you an answer, I'm giving you an answer to the question, to the problem you see. So just be curious for five minutes. Ask questions. What do you mean by that? How often has that occurred? What have you been considering doing? So make sure that you have a clear agreement. Summarize back what you hear so they feel heard. So you can summarize and you can ask questions. And that's all you can do for five minutes. And they always come back, they're like, oh, that's going to be difficult. But they come back after the five minutes and they say, Yes, it was hard. I wanted to give a solution, but it was amazing what we came up with. And when I was just curious about how they saw the problem, and I helped them see the problem more clearly, and they come up with a solution right away. You know, so just five minutes of really, you know, just start by being curious. So you're telling me this is how you see the problem. What do you think is causing the problem? Be curious how they see the problem, and then to, you know, so what have you been thinking about doing about this problem? Just start there. You know, and and just then see how it le what it leads to. You will be amazed at how different, you know, the conversation and what what what what solutions, what creative ideas come forward than if you just tell them what to do and then they go, you know, or they walk away saying, Well, you don't even know what I'm talking about.

SPEAKER_01 9:32

I love that because uh when when we actually I love how you approach this in a sense, instead of making it formula based, you you share about the mindset, just be curious, and the questions will follow to clarify the situation. And the the worst thing that can happen is that at least you know the team knows that you heard them.

SPEAKER_00 9:55

Yeah, I'm important enough that you listen to me. Right, and you don't think I'm an idiot.

SPEAKER_01 10:03

And and you know, I do I do communication as well, and we we have this arc of arc of connection, and I often uh pose it to the team. You know, what what about arc of connection first is rapport recognize and what in this arc of connection are you hoping for from your leader? And quite surprisingly, quite a few, quite a lot actually highlighted being recognized and having a rapport. You know, no matter how long we've worked together, we still need that connection of being understood, of being heard, and then we can solve the problems together.

SPEAKER_00 10:40

All of us humans want to be heard, understood, and valued. You know, it's like our soul yearns for that. Um and and that I'm important enough for you to listen to me and that you hear what I'm saying. It's it's it's basic foundation, you know, of of not just connection, but you know, creating the bonds that we need in order to work together.

SPEAKER_01 11:05

Yeah. There are some uh struggles leaders may have. Uh for example, maybe more in Asia, they ask a question and there's silence or this three magic words, I don't know. What do leaders do in that moment? You know, instead of rescuing the conversation and give the answer.

SPEAKER_00 11:25

I often ask, well, have you ever seen somebody um solving this problem or doing this? And did what did you like that they did or didn't? Like when a new leader comes to me and they say, I don't know how to be a leader. Well, have you ever worked for a leader? Yes. What did you like that they did and what what would you never want to do that they didn't? And and we and it leads into sure they know what what makes a good leader because of their own experiences of of being led, you know, or you know, how have other people approached this problem? What did they do that you saw worked, or what do you what did they do that you think, oh that was crazy, why'd they do that? You know, simple things just to really get into the thinking. The I don't know is often more about I'm not confident about what I know than that I actually don't know. Yeah, and actually it ties back to our previous episode.

SPEAKER_01 12:19

And sometimes it's about the presence we bring. Are we creating fear of flight where they don't really dare to say anything? Or they genuinely don't know and it, you know, is a safe environment. So I think what you shared in the previous episode about carrying that presence that this person is valued, cared for, you know, is important, and that sets the stage for uh a meaningful conversation as well.

SPEAKER_00 12:47

Even if you're telling them what to do, to be saying, okay, I know that this is important for you. To, you know, you here's your goal. You want to be seen by your peers as you know, as competent, you want to be a leader. I'm here to help you with your goal, you know, and so some things you're doing is taking away from your goal. So here's some ideas of how you can achieve your goal. So it's still, I'm here for you, I care about you. So you e so even if you're telling what to do, the presence, you know, is is critical in uh getting good res results.

SPEAKER_01 13:18

Some leaders worry that if they stop giving answers, they will lose credibility and authority. Uh, and also leaders want to maintain clarity and standards while having their team members share, but they also want to have clarity and standards while allowing independent thinking. So, what's the balance and how do they manage this?

SPEAKER_00 13:41

Well, those are kind of two different things. The um I need to show I know, you know, comes back to that it's a belief and actually a myth that I have to know everything. You know, I mean, how many years have we known that leaders that show vulnerability that say, you know, I'm not quite sure either, why don't we think about it together? That people like that because it shows, oh, you think I'm smart too. You know, you know, showing that I don't know everything. But the clarity and standards, that's clear expectations. That's a different thing. That we leaders always need to uh show uh clear expectations. I remember years ago, Gallup did a uh survey, I mean, this has to be um you know more than 20 years ago, where they asked all these employees, what is it you really want from your leader? And and back then it was um number one, I I need to know clear expectations. If there's something that they want me to to, you know, the result to look like, tell me that so I don't go about doing something and then I disappoint you. You know, now um re more recently uh Google had done a study asking the same question. Clear expectation is number two. Number one is I want to be coached by my leader. Yeah, right. So it's kind of shifted. So the coaching, but they go hand in hand. But again, if there are expectations and standards, they must be given. You know, and that's not giving them a solution. They're just saying, here's here's the you know, what the end result has to demonstrate, this, and here's some rules that we have to follow in the process. Give people that so they don't feel then they were set up to fail, you know, but then let them figure out how to apply these to get the result.

SPEAKER_01 15:32

Yeah, I love that. And it's really having meaningful conversation. It's more like uh it's not a one-time thing, it's for them to apply and then you know revert back to you for you to understand the context and to support them and lead them with the the next few steps. It's really co-creating solutions together with with the team members.

SPEAKER_00 15:52

Right. And with the changes we're facing uh these days, you you can't know the answers because what you thought uh was the right answer doesn't apply anymore. Yeah. Yeah. So we have to come up with new things together.

SPEAKER_01 16:07

Yeah. So uh if someone wants to, you know, uh you mentioned coaching is the number one skill people are looking for. So this is an essential skill every leader needs to know. So, what do you recommend for some leader who's new to this? Uh, how do they start including coaching questions in their work?

SPEAKER_00 16:24

Well, um, I mean, there there's a number of uh, you know, good books out there on coaching, not just mine. Of course, I'm gonna recommend they read Coach the Person, not the problem, but I mean I think it was Michael Bungay Stanier that um the coaching habit, you know, has is is a primer for leaders to start coaching, you know. So um there's some significant work out there, you know, that that will help with that. But again, coming in with um if you're trying to remember questions, then it breaks presence. So, you know, I think coming in with being curious, you know, how does the person see the situation? Get clear on how they see the problem. Yeah, and what do you mean by that? You know, how how many times is that occurring? What is the impact? Get clear on that first. And those are just simple questions of clarity. Again, you don't have to remember those. It's just I need to see what they see, and that we come to agreement we see the same thing. Start there, you know, and and for us coaches, that's the coaching agreement. How do you see it, and then what is it that we want to solve? And that. And then the this the second layer is so what's really making this a challenge that you've been having difficulty solving it yourself? What needs to be addressed or resolved so you can solve this problem? So, how do you see it? What needs to be addressed or resolved? Then we can get to what are your next steps.

SPEAKER_01 17:57

I love it, I love it. And you mentioned something that was so critical. If we just focus on the questions, we break the presence. And it's really about understanding the mindset behind and coming in as a counterpart to co-create together by finding clarity first to make sure we're on the same page, to fully understand the challenge before you know jumping in for the solution. And sometimes just taking a step back allows us to apply the right solutions rather than you know just plasters to mask the wound without really addressing, do a root cause analysis.

SPEAKER_00 18:36

Absolutely, absolutely. And and and again, you will be amazed, right? I know you know this, but for leaders, if you just do that and you're helping them think, I mean, they've been anxious, so they haven't been thinking clearly. Sometimes when we just get clear on how they what what is the problem, why is this a challenge, they come up with solutions on their own, you know? Right. So just try that and see what happens.

SPEAKER_01 19:02

Yeah, it happened to me a few times that we share with someone a problem and then like, oh, I got the answer.

SPEAKER_00 19:07

Right. Isn't that amazing? It comes through because you're activating the creative brain, not just you know, the memory brain, the short-term memory, you know, which just you know takes together what we already know and just applies it in a different way. But the creative brain, when we spark them to start thinking differently, then creative um insights emerge. You know, so just even doing that, I know when I coach, the whole conversation might be so how you know, what is it you really want? What's really the problem here? And it's amazing how we uh the insights just evolve to where, okay, now I know what it is I need to do.

SPEAKER_01 19:46

So you're saying that just by clarifying the problem and asking the challenge sparks the creative brain. Sparks the creative brain. It gets them thinking.

SPEAKER_00 19:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:57

Ah, so it works for anything. It works for anything like innovation. So that's why in design thinking we always focus on the problem statement. When we clarify the problem statement, then creativity comes and ideas come. Okay. So it's really to sit with that for a while rather than jumping into solution, then you get more solutions coming your way. That's fascinating. Okay, so for a manager who wants to learn coaching, and you know, uh, you just release your revised edition, coach the person, not the problem, which has already been translated in many languages. In the first edition, it was the launch of that last week. For someone as a leader who wants to coach, uh, what part of the book would you advise them to focus in?

SPEAKER_00 20:46

Well, honestly, I uh in in this day of of chaos and fear due to uncertainty, it's still presence. You know, because if you just jump into the skills, you're gonna try them and and they may not work because people may wonder, what are you doing? and I still don't trust you. So really going through the beginning of the book, it's all about the mental habits and and um you know being able to open our own minds to learning from the person. And that's okay, that doesn't make you weak, that makes you strong, and opening our nervous system to really receive what they're saying. So the curious questions come out of the conversation, not our memory. So read it in the order that it is, um, get the presence down, and it's gonna give you questions all along the way, you know, and then you can it gets into the essential skills. Fantastic.

SPEAKER_01 21:45

Yeah, the presence sets the platform, whether a person is in a flight or fight mode or in a creative position to be able to collaborate. So, for listeners out there, if you haven't listened to the previous episode, I really strongly encourage. You to listen to that. So um Marcia, if people would like to get in touch with you, they can go to your website, outsmartyourbrain.com. What will they find there?

SPEAKER_00 22:11

There's uh you know information about the books, about leadership, uh, there's articles, there's blog posts, there's lots of resources that are available. And of course, I'm on um social media. LinkedIn is you know my major source. So, you know, if they can go there, um you can connect with me there.

SPEAKER_01 22:31

I I'll put all of them in the show notes. But now, Marsha, I'm gonna move into our clarity quick fire round where I will ask you some short questions and for you to respond with one word or a sentence, just for us to get to know you better. So, Marcia, what's your secret to clarity?

SPEAKER_00 22:49

Oh, the presence. My own presence. Yeah, not just what I give for them. That I have to be there with you. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:59

I love it. Yeah. So being centered, being present gives us the clarity we need to be there for someone else. What gives you confidence?

SPEAKER_00 23:10

There's no substitution for for repetition, for practice. That you can't just go out and try something once and think you're gonna be great at it, to know that I'm gonna stumble along the way. But at the end of the day, to acknowledge what did I do well today? Let my brain know I can do this, I can do this. It's just gonna take time. You know? So when I keep telling my brain, look what else I've done, I'm getting better. Not, oh, I messed up. I'm getting better, I'm getting better. That over time it just becomes a part of your being, that you're confident in what you do because you trusted. I love it.

SPEAKER_01 23:46

Repetition to train ourselves, but also to train our brain what we have done well. I love this quote: keep showing up, and confidence will turn up. So, what recharges you?

SPEAKER_00 23:56

Oh, I go hiking and I'm pointing because I can see the mountain right outside my window. You know, so so especially in a busy day, I put on my hiking boots. I'm just uh two minutes from a trailhead, and I go out into the desert. I live in Arizona. And you know, you have to be present in the desert because there's a lot of things like rattlesnakes and things that can show up. So it gets me grounded in in this beautiful uh environment that I get to live in. This, you know, the desert can be beautiful, and and and that I have to be present. I can just go out five, ten minutes and I come back and I'm here. So find something, and and oftentimes it is to be outside with nature that brings you back to this moment to ground you on this earth.

SPEAKER_01 24:44

Yeah, it's amazing what nature does. Sometimes we're trapped in our own problem, then when you look at how big the world is and you know all the creation, it's just soul grounding. Thank you. So if there's any advice you would give to your younger self, what would that be?

SPEAKER_00 25:02

You don't have to know all the answers. You don't even have to know what your career is gonna do because it's gonna surprise you anyway. You know. And remember your purpose. Remember your purpose and go with the flow. Very good.

SPEAKER_01 25:18

Go with the flow, just stay present and go with the flow, see where it takes you. Beautiful, Marsha. This conversation has been so incredibly relevant, practical, especially for leaders who are capable but really exhausted from caring too much. You've reminded us that leadership isn't doing more about thinking, more thinking than anyone else. It's really creating the environment to co-create that we can think together. So we just have the new release of the addition of Coach the Person and Not the Problem. Uh, it does fill is filled with insights, with practical insights to help you take charge of your conversations and develop stronger and more capable teams. And in the show notes, we have the purchase link for the book, but on top of that, Marcia has a special gift for you, not even available on the book. Once you've purchased the book, you can go on to this special link to download a special gift. Marsha, do you want to share a little bit more about that?

SPEAKER_00 26:21

Yeah, absolutely. Um, it's a toolbox that and it takes the highlights from each chapter and and has tips of how you can apply this. So it works, you can use it as you're reading through the book as a workbook, but also when you're done to remember the the highlights of of each each each chapter, and even there's a lot of case studies of leaders and how they use these skills in the book, and so it'll also highlight some of the main things from the case studies as well.

SPEAKER_01 26:54

Fantastic, fantastic. And uh, for listeners out there, do remember start from the top. Presence is very important. We want to lay that foundation so that we can have effective coaching conversations. Yeah, so thank you so much, Masha, for your time today. I've really learned a lot and really enjoyed our conversation. And for the listeners out there, if you find this episode helpful, please follow and subscribe on whichever platform you're listening on and share it with a leader who might benefit from it. Remember, clarity is power, and that power is you. See you soon.