Stop Solving Your Team's Problems, with Elizabeth Lotardo - Coaching for Leaders Recap
Podcast: Coaching for Leaders
Published: 2026-01-05
Duration: 31 min
Guests: Elizabeth Lotardo
Summary
Leaders often fall into the trap of solving their team's problems, but this episode explores how empowering team members to tackle their own challenges fosters growth and prevents burnout.
What Happened
Elizabeth Lotardo discusses the common tendency among leaders to overly solve their team's problems, which can lead to a lack of empowerment for employees and burnout for leaders. She emphasizes that while it feels good initially, this approach is unsustainable in the long term. Leaders should instead focus on enabling their team to solve problems independently, which encourages growth and skill development. Elizabeth introduces a series of five strategic questions that leaders can use to shift from problem-solving to problem-enabling. One key question is 'What have you tried?' which assumes and reinforces the employee's capability to act. Another question, 'What or who is getting in the way?' helps identify recurring obstacles that leaders can address at a systemic level. Elizabeth also suggests dropping 'from me' when asking 'What support do you need?' to encourage broader thinking about available resources. The question 'What would you do if you were in my seat?' promotes strategic thinking and prepares team members for future leadership roles. Lastly, 'Is there anything else I should know?' keeps communication open and decouples awareness from ownership of the problem. Elizabeth stresses that these approaches not only support team development but also help manage leaders' time more effectively, allowing them to maintain a strategic focus.
Key Insights
- Leaders can empower their teams by asking 'What have you tried?' which reinforces the employee's capability to act and encourages independent problem-solving.
- Identifying systemic obstacles can be facilitated by asking team members 'What or who is getting in the way?', allowing leaders to address recurring issues effectively.
- Dropping 'from me' in the question 'What support do you need?' encourages employees to consider a wider range of available resources beyond their leader.
- The question 'What would you do if you were in my seat?' promotes strategic thinking among team members and prepares them for future leadership roles.