Albert Einstein once said, “We are boxed in by the boundary conditions of our thinking.” I don’t know if this is where the catchphrase of “thinking outside the box” comes from, but it helps to focus a “solutionary” approach to seemingly insurmountable problems, like the multiple societal catastrophes we faced in the past year.
A solutionary is someone who is able to identify inhumane, unfair and unsustainable systems, and in response develop solutions that are healthy and fair for all people and the environment. Solutionaries approach things a little differently than the typical problem solver. Solutionaries are motivated by compassion and justice. They are driven to develop skills in thinking creatively, strategically, critically and system-based in order to address the underlying causes of entrenched and interconnected problems. They build on the construct of root-cause analysis, driven by culture and values.
When we commit to being solution-oriented, we are demonstrating the value we bring to a relationship, a team or an organization. Leveraging our creativity requires us to effectively brainstorm solutions that exceed a short list of average ideas. Instead, we push our thinking beyond self-imposed limits to get to the ideas that are innovative in their design and approach. When we integrate the knowledge, research and experience of one field with another, there emerges a synergistic multiplier effect. It is in that space that our solutions can be game-changing.
Let’s say I’ve convinced you we need these solutionary leaders to devise solutions to the complex challenges we face in 2021. Where, then, do we find them? I contend they are all around us, and academic health centers are full of them.
Of course gender is not the factor that makes someone a great solutionary leader, but much of the time they are women (and in general, the world would be in a better place with more women in leadership roles). It is the traits of the holistic, self-reflective thinker that we truly need. Moreover, these skills can be learned and developed by anyone.
Solutionaries are motivated by challenges; the desire to overcome a challenge fuels them. They bring the “let’s-get-things-accomplished” attitude. They possess the innate ability to dream big, challenge assumptions and translate big ideas into concrete actions and results. They are experts at making the impossible happen and making it seem effortless. And at the same time, they handle crisis situations with compassion and patience.
What solutionaries do differently is they maintain focus on the big picture and the seemingly insurmountable challenge, while listening actively, refraining from reacting right away. Solutionaries are empathetic; they value the relationship with others and the organization, and see the relationship as part of the solution. They consistently demonstrate passion, enthusiasm and have an immense capacity to serve others, but they are not simply servant leaders. Solutionaries embrace and empower others to also serve the team and make contributions, making the environment less authoritarian and more cooperative.
This may sound like a family-like approach — well, that often is a sign of solutionary leadership in action. While solutionaries often do well thinking outside the box, they actually need the box. They understand the constraints of the box — how it was always done, and why it was done that way — and they get the value of that understanding. If you don’t know the rules, you can’t break them — and come up with an effective alternative — with your new way of thinking.
So as we spring forward into a season and a year where solutions are needed more than ever, we need creative, compassionate minds to think outside the box and into new ways of seeing and solving problems.
