Solving Tough Leadership Problems with Dr. Katie Best

How can you become your own coach when facing a tough leadership problem? In this episode, Kevin talks with Dr. Katie Best about how leaders can coach themselves through complex challenges by slowing down and understanding the context. She shares her SOLVE model: State the problem, Open the box, Lay out the solution, Venture forth, and Elevate your learning. They discuss why leaders often rush to action before clearly defining the real problem, how research and observation can reveal patterns, and why being "fairly sure" is often enough to move forward in an uncertain world. Katie also explains how pre-mortems can help leaders anticipate what might go wrong and how organizations can create a common language for better problem-solving, decision-making, and psychological safety.

Book Recommendations The Ten Toughest Leadership Problems by Katie Best  Flexible Leadership by Kevin Eikenberry Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu  Micro-Habits by Jake Humphrey and Damian Hughes Like this? Reframing Problems with Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg The Coaching Effect with Bill Eckstrom Listen For 0:00 Introduction

0:41 How to Join the Live Podcast

1:27 Free Action Guide + Meet Dr. Katie Best

2:20 Why Katie Wrote The Ten Toughest Leadership Problems

4:16 What Makes This Book Different: Context Over One-Size-Fits-All

6:41 Self-Coaching vs. Hiring a Real Coach

8:06 Introducing the SOLVE Model

8:28 S – State the Problem

9:00 O – Open the Box

10:23 L – Lay Out Your Solution

11:55 V – Venture Forth