Leadership and teams · Short · 16 September 2026
The Law of the Borrowed Problem: when helping too much creates dependency
If you solve every problem people bring you, you teach them that bringing it to you works better than learning to solve it. Before helping, ask three questions: what have you tried, what options do you see, and what exactly do you need from me?
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Your actions for this week
- Next time someone brings you a problem, ask what they’ve tried.
- Ask them to bring you at least two options before you decide.
- Note down how many other people’s problems you end up solving this week.
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