**1. Tell someone who doesn’t work with you about a work issue.**
When you explain an issue to someone who lacks the institutional knowledge, jargon, or context of your workplace, you’re forced to strip the problem down to its essentials. That process alone reveals assumptions, missing information, and emotional weight you may not have noticed.
Plus, people outside your bubble can ask questions no one inside the bubble would ever think to ask. Those ‘naive questions’ often reveal blind spots or challenge internal norms you haven’t questioned in years. The goal isn’t for them to solve the problem- it’s to help you see it with fresh eyes.
**2. Bring someone who you don’t normally work with to a meeting, to watch you.**
Inviting an outside observer into a meeting- even for a single hour- can lead to some powerful feedback that you can’t get from colleagues who are accustomed to your style. A fresh observer will pick up on dynamics you’re too close to notice:
Do you dominate, disappear, or unintentionally signal something?\
Does the team react to you in a particular way?\
Does your communication style match your intent?\
Are you supporting others, or stifling collaboration?
This is especially valuable before presenting something high-stakes. Think of it like having someone watch a dress rehearsal. They’ll notice the rough edges you’ve become blind to, and their distance from the topic lets them focus on you as a leader rather than the content of the meeting.
**3. Get people to solve your problem ‘for fun’.**
Sometimes, the best insights come from people who aren't emotionally invested in the outcome. Recently, on a volunteer day with other leaders, we were given a real organisational challenge from a charity. No pressure, no politics, no career implications- just a group of smart people creatively hacking away at a problem for the joy of it.
There’s something incredibly freeing about problem-solving when the stakes aren’t personal. People take bolder swings. They ask more interesting questions. They propose solutions that those closer to the issue might dismiss as unrealistic- and when they do, they suddenly don’t seem so far-fetched.
This approach reminds you that creativity thrives in low-stakes environments, and you can harness that energy for your own leadership challenges.
**4. Interview yourself with ChatGPT.**
AI won’t replace your judgment, but it will reflect your thinking back to you with surprising precision. Treat it like a coach or advisor who asks structured, probing questions that help you clarify your own reasoning.
Start with a simple prompt: “P*lease act like a trusted advisor and professional coach. Interview me about a problem facing me and my business and help me understand how I can get to a conclusion.*”
The magic isn’t in AI giving you the answer- it’s in the act of articulating your assumptions, priorities, and constraints. AI becomes a thinking partner that pushes you to confront what you may be avoiding, name what’s not yet concrete, and explore paths you might not have considered.
**5. Rubber duck it.**
I'm told that smart software developers keep a small rubber duck on the top of their screen to explain their problems to. I think the important part is that the duck doesn't answer back. Someone's advice doesn't have to be useful, sometimes you just need a rubber duck.