When leadership problems feel complex, our instinct is to move fast.
But the leaders who make real progress usually do the opposite.

This is a pattern I see on repeat with my clients—across industries, roles, and levels of seniority. Different titles. Different pressures. Different contexts. And yet, the same internal experience shows up almost every time. When problems feel complex, leaders feel pressure to move. To act. To do something—anything—so the tension lets up.

The trouble is that complicated solutions tend to spike a stress response. When pressure rises, our nervous system narrows our ability to think clearly and logically. We default to urgency over intention. Move now feels safer than slow down and think—even when slowing down is exactly what the situation requires.

But the good news is this: complex problems usually require a simple starting point.

Most of the problems leaders bring to me are genuinely complex. People, emotions, systems, history—it’s a lot. But complexity doesn’t automatically mean the solution has to be complicated. What it does mean is that leaders need a way to begin without being hijacked by urgency or overwhelm.

The most effective progress usually starts with something simple—not always easy, not always quick (though sometimes it is), and not one-and-done—but simple. A clear starting point. One grounded move. One intentional shift in how you show up, what you ask, or what you prioritize. Simple doesn’t remove the work; it gives the work somewhere solid to begin.

Here’s what that actually looks like in practice.

Instead of reacting immediately to tension on a team, a leader slows down long enough to notice what’s happening internally. Are they frustrated? Anxious? Trying to regain control? That pause—tuning in before responding—often changes the entire trajectory of the conversation. The issue may still be complex, but the leader isn’t making it harder by reacting from stress.

Or consider a leader stuck in recurring performance or change resistance issues. The complicated response is adding more process, more pressure, or more oversight. The simple starting point is an intentional conversation designed to uncover the root cause: What’s unclear? What feels misaligned? What’s making this hard right now? That single conversation often surfaces information that no system or spreadsheet could reveal.

Simple solutions usually sit on the other side of a lot of thinking, practice, and intention. They don’t avoid the hard parts; they organize them. They give leaders a way to act without being paralyzed by the many considerations.

That’s where real momentum comes from—not from moving faster, but from choosing the right starting point and moving forward with intention.

A Simple Way to Apply This

Before your next challenging moment, try this:

1. Pause for 10 seconds and notice what you’re feeling.
2. Ask yourself: What’s making this feel urgent right now?
3. Choose one intention for how you want to show up.

This won’t solve everything—but it creates clarity where overwhelm used to live.

Frequently Asked Questions

Isn’t this just saying “slow down”?
Not exactly. Slowing down is the entry point, not the solution. The real work is what slowing down makes possible—clear thinking, emotional regulation, and intentional action.

Does simple mean easy or passive?
No. Simple often requires discipline, practice, and restraint. It doesn’t avoid hard conversations or decisions—it creates the conditions to handle them well.

What if the situation really is urgent?
Sometimes speed is required. But urgency without clarity often creates rework later. Even a brief pause can significantly improve the quality of fast decisions.

What’s one simple place to start this week?
Before your next high-stakes conversation or decision, ask:
What do I want this moment to create—and how do I need to show up to support that?

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HMH partners with organizations, K-12 systems, and higher education institutions to build change-ready leaders at scale.