What size is your problem?

I ask my 8-year-old daughter this question all the time. She tends to flip out, in equal measure, whether someone has wrecked her new Lego creation or I’ve told her that her pet hamster has died.

In teaching her how to manage her emotions (and conserve her energy for the big stuff), I ask her how big her problem really is and to give it a number, on a scale of 1-10. That way, we know what we’re dealing with and we can apply the right amount of rigor to solving it. Contrary to her initial reactions, they aren’t all 10s.

As leaders, we often struggle with the same thing as we react to problems before first assessing how big they are. Being able to read situations accurately and control our emotions are critical factors in our ability to influence others and exude leadership presence. So, when what looks like a crisis arises, take a deep breath and ask yourself three questions:

·     On a scale of 1-10, how big is this problem, really?

·     How likely is it that there is a solution for it (spoiler alert, the answer is 100%)?

·     What is one action that I can take, right now, to begin to solve it?

Once you can slow down your reactions and assess the situation for what it is, you will be much more effective at bringing solutions to the table.