“What’s this really about”: the problem behind the problem
People very rarely come to us with the actual problem.
They come because they're overwhelmed. They're drowning in admin. They need to be more productive. They need more confidence. They need to get out of the weeds.
But when we start digging, there's nearly always something else going on underneath.
In this episode of the WildEdge Podcast, Ant and I talk about the problem behind the problem, and why sometimes the most valuable thing we can do for a client is not give them what they're asking for.
We share the story of a tech co-founder who came to me with crippling imposter syndrome after returning to work and stepping into the MD role of a highly technical business. She didn't believe she had the credibility to lead the people around her.
We ended up working together for more than five years. She went from MD to CEO, grew the business from 16 people to more than 60, and eventually exited for a life-changing sum of money.
And every single time she reached for a new level, the imposter syndrome popped up again.
New level, new devil.
We also talk about the founder who thought he had a productivity problem when actually he needed to get out of delivery and start directing the business, and the CEO in the middle of a merger who thought they needed help getting through the admin, when really they were absolutely bricking themselves about whether they could lead the much bigger business that was emerging.
Different presenting problems. Same thing underneath.
There was a gap between the leader the business needed them to be and how they currently saw themselves.
Who This Is For
Founders, CEOs and business leaders who keep trying to solve the same problem and wondering why it keeps coming back.
Especially if your business has grown and you're struggling to let go of the stuff that used to make you feel valuable.
Because there comes a point where your value to the business isn't in doing the do anymore.
It's in stepping away, thinking strategically and steering the ship.
And that can be both incredibly empowering and absolutely terrifying.
What We Cover
💎 Why the problem you think you've got often isn't the real problem
💎 The identity shift that happens as you move from founder to CEO
💎 Why so many founders cling onto delivery for far longer than they should
💎 What imposter syndrome looks like when your business reaches a new level
💎 Why being more productive isn't always the answer to overwhelm
💎 The difference between giving clients the value they ask for and the value they actually need
💎 Why sometimes half an hour thinking strategically can be more valuable than a whole week of delivery
💎 Why we believe our best work happens when we're able to go deeper
🏔️ Peak of the Week: Meugher
This week Ant is taking us away from the busy Yorkshire Dales honeypots to Meugher, a very unassuming little bump on the horizon in one of the most remote parts of England.
You start from How Stean Gorge and head out towards the watershed between Nidderdale and Wharfedale. It's properly remote, absolutely beautiful and there are, of course, a few waterfalls and dipping spots along the way.
🧭 Claire's Coaching Corner
A slight last-minute change this week because the woods decided to provide us with trains, alarms, dog walkers and pretty much every other distraction possible while we were recording.
So I take you through a short centering exercise to block out some of the noise and come back to what you know to be true.
What do you really want to do today?
What have you said yes to that really you don't want to?
What do you need to give yourself permission to do?
What do you need to give yourself permission to stop?
What are you really proud of?
Because all you have as a leader, founder or CEO is a choice about where to spend your energy.
And sometimes you don't need another quick fix.
You need somebody to help you see what's actually going on underneath.