“I’m sorry I’m such a problem child,” my direct report says to me. In reply, I say, “It’s okay. I have many problem children.”

What exactly is a “problem child?” In actual parenting, it would be the kid that gives his or her parents more than their fair share of trouble. In business, it’s an employee that brings up a lot of problematic issues to his or her boss. The idea is that an ideal employee would have no problems whatsoever. That’s when we should ask ourselves as leaders, is that really ideal?

Problems

My direct reports are leaders themselves. I encourage them to bring problems to me for a variety of reasons. They may want to make me aware, so I don’t get surprised. They may want my coaching to help them solve the issue. They may just want a safe place to process their thoughts and feelings out loud.

In all of this, we make progress as a team. We grow together. Yet, at the end of the interaction, they feel as if they’ve unduly burdened me as my “problem child.” It’s not only okay. It’s altogether good.

No problems

Let’s consider the inverse. What if I had leaders that reported to me that hid problems? What if they felt that sharing problems with me was a weakness, and therefore they tried to figure everything out on their own? What if they felt like they couldn’t be open with me because I wasn’t safe to talk to?

All of that sounds absolutely terrible and downright dysfunctional. Yet that’s how many teams operate.

So, for the record, I love my problem children, even though they all bring me many problems. Together, we avoid surprises, we use our collective wisdom to find solutions, and we are just all-around more open. Isn’t that the way it should be? I think so.

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