THE EFFECTIVE PROBLEMSOLVER #093
This week's tip: Focus on what's in your control.
This newsletter isn’t about right answers.
It’s not about the best policies or what your politics should be.
In fact, it’s about the opposite.
It’s about resisting the comforts of utopian thought and mindless partisan ideologies. About saying “no” to the certainty of how things should be done and embracing the messy, complicated truth that there are many—so many—ways that positive change can happen.
It’s a form of resistance, but not the kind that dominates our cultural imagination: no street protests, no chants, no trolling on social media.
This is resistance to intellectual laziness.
Resistance to the arrogance of “we’ve figured it out, and if you don’t agree, you’re the problem.”
Instead, it’s a call to openness.
To rigorous critical thinking. To appreciating second-order effects and making peace with trade-offs.
This might sound like boring, technical work or like something most social sector leaders already do, but let me tell you—it’s not.
The truth is, this approach is rare.
Yes, there are leaders quietly practicing it, managing complex systems with skill and preventing problems from spiraling into national crises.
But they rarely get celebrated.
Why?
Because their success doesn’t look dramatic. It doesn’t make headlines.
Meanwhile, the dominant approach in government, philanthropy, and nonprofits is easy to spot.
You know it when you see it.
Initiatives driven by ideology instead of evidence. Big promises not backed by results. Feel-good “solutions” that rest on the belief that anyone who disagrees is an enemy.
This newsletter usually focuses on tools and mindsets for solving problems effectively in any environment.
But today, I’m making an exception because I think some of you might be feeling the same way I do.
Tired—not of the problems we’re trying to solve—but of the uphill battle against our own sector.
Against colleagues and leaders who talk a good game but refuse to engage rigorously.
Against a culture that rewards feel-good narratives over accountability for real outcomes.
We can’t let discussions about federal politics and uncertainty consume our meetings and brainspace to the point that we ignore what’s actually within our power to change.
Yes, it’s important to track major shifts, especially when they directly impact our work—but we can’t afford to give away our agency.
Subsidiarity
That’s where the principle of subsidiarity comes in.
It’s the idea that decisions should be made at the most local level capable of addressing them effectively.
Living this out means focusing:
- First, on yourself and your actions.
- Second, on your organization and what it can do.
- Third, on your sector and how it can be more effective.
This isn’t about tuning out politics or ignoring the news.
It’s about not letting them distract us from the work that’s within our control—the work that is possible and impactful, no matter how chaotic the larger world may seem.
So here’s my ask
Let’s stay in it together.
Let’s keep working for incremental progress, resisting the pull of certainties and easy answers.
Let’s commit to deeply studying how problems work—their causes, contexts, feedback loops, and levers for change.
Let’s bring this mindset into every space we’re in: one-on-one conversations, big meetings, and even email threads.
Because the time for this approach has come.
And while it won’t make us famous, it will make a difference.
Let’s keep going.
See you in two weeks.
