It’s Never About the Pants: What My 3-Year-Old Taught Me About Solving the Right Problem

Father kneeling to calmly talk with his upset young daughter who is holding her school pants near the front door, with morning sunlight coming through a window.

My daughter Kate is three, almost four, and she has taught me more about leadership than any business book. When she refuses to put on her school pants, it’s never really about the pants. And when your team says a project can’t be done, it’s rarely about the project. This post is about learning to ask the right questions and find the real problem beneath the surface.