What is the biggest problem you’re facing right now?
Is it limited resources? A competitive threat? Internal inefficiency? If your first instinct is to dive in and fix it, you’re not alone.
Leaders are often measured by their ability to solve problems quickly. But here’s the thing: not all problems are worth solving. Many challenges are rooted in outdated assumptions and processes that no longer serve your future goals, taking up time and resources better spent elsewhere.
In leadership, the reflex to solve every problem can feel like the right move. But ask yourself this: Does solving what you currently see as your “biggest problem” guarantee long-term success, or is it merely keeping you afloat?
What I want you to do is to take your biggest problem and skip it. I know this seems counterintuitive, but once you skip what you think the problem is, only then will the real problem reveal itself.
I call this the Skip It Principle—a concept that questions whether every problem is worth your time. In this article, I’ll explore the methodology behind this approach and how forward-thinking leaders can use it to determine which challenges to bypass, allowing them to allocate resources more effectively toward high-value opportunities.
Often the issues we face aren’t the ones that will define our future—they’re distractions from the opportunities that truly matter. By learning to identify which problems to leave behind and where to direct your focus instead, while combining it with strategic foresight and innovative thinking, you can transform how you approach disruption. You can turn roadblocks into opportunities for innovation and growth.
Why Skip Problems Instead of Solving Them?
Traditional leadership emphasizes problem-solving as a critical skill. However, in many cases, solving a problem doesn’t actually address its root cause. It merely treats the surface-level symptoms of a greater issue. These symptoms often stem from outdated systems, processes, or assumptions that no longer align with current realities.
Instead of treating symptoms, innovative leaders learn to identify and skip the unnecessary problems entirely, redirecting their focus to transformative opportunities.
Examples of Problem-Skipping in Action
- Canva: Skipping Complex Design Software
Graphic design software like Adobe’s products required professional training, leaving a gap for everyday users. Canva skipped the complexity by offering an intuitive, drag-and-drop design platform, empowering millions of non-designers to create professional-looking content with confidence. - United Airlines: Leveraging Ethical Hackers to Strengthen Security
United Airlines bypassed the costly problem of cyberattacks by launching a Bug Bounty Program, rewarding ethical hackers with miles instead of cash for identifying security vulnerabilities. This innovative approach helped fortify their systems while conserving financial resources. - Shopify: Skipping Big-Box Retail
Instead of competing directly with retail giants, Shopify enabled entrepreneurs to create their own online stores. By providing tools for small businesses to bypass traditional brick-and-mortar setups, Shopify tapped into the growing e-commerce wave.
These companies didn’t merely solve problems—they skipped them entirely by innovating creative solutions around what is considered the status quo.
The Role of Strategic Foresight in Leader Innovation
To skip problems effectively, innovation leaders must develop strategic foresight—the ability to anticipate future disruptions and opportunities. Strategic foresight is about looking beyond immediate concerns and understanding the broader forces shaping our world. By recognizing key trends and their implications, innovative leaders can make informed decisions, avoid unnecessary distraction, and focus their resources on transformative opportunities.
This mindset shifts leadership from reactive problem-solving to proactive innovation. With the Hard Trend Methodology, organizations can not only survive in a world plagued by constant disruption but thrive in it.
Hard Trends vs. Soft Trends
- Hard Trends are certainties based on undeniable future facts. They include demographic shifts, technological advancements, and government regulations.
- Soft Trends are possibilities that can be influenced, such as consumer preferences or market dynamics.
By identifying Hard Trends, leaders can confidently focus on opportunities with high certainty and low risk. Soft Trends, on the other hand, offer room for innovation by allowing organizations to take calculated risks, shaping their own outcomes that align with organizational goals.
The most innovative companies leverage both—using Hard Trends to anchor their strategies in certainty while simultaneously influencing Soft Trends to create competitive advantages, drive market shifts, and pioneer transformative solutions.
Steps to Leverage the Skip It Principle for Innovative Leaders
1. Identify Problems to Skip
Begin by assessing whether the problem at hand is a distraction or an essential challenge. Ask yourself:
- Does this problem align with impending trends?
- Will solving it create long-term value?
- Can this problem be bypassed by adopting a new process or technology?
Example: Instead of competing solely on individual products or services, Amazon expanded Prime into a comprehensive ecosystem offering benefits like free shipping, streaming services (Prime Video and Prime Music), exclusive deals, and more. This strategy enhances customer loyalty and differentiates Amazon from competitors by providing a seamless, all-encompassing shopping and entertainment experience.
2. Focus on Opportunities Created by Hard Trends
Hard Trends offer clear opportunities for innovation. By aligning your innovation strategy with certainty, you can confidently build solutions that anticipate customer needs.
- Example 1: Aging Baby Boomers represent a Hard Trend. Companies like Peloton have capitalized on this by offering wellness products that cater to older adults in the comfort of their home.
- Example 2: The widespread adoption of AI in business is a Hard Trend. Forward-thinking leaders use AI to automate repetitive tasks, freeing up resources for innovative ideas.
3. Influence Soft Trends to Your Advantage
While Hard Trends are inevitable, Soft Trends can be influenced. Leaders who influence these trends can drive change by pre-solving disruption rather than merely reacting to it, constantly putting out fires.
- Example: Tesla shaped the Soft Trend of consumer skepticism around electric vehicles by emphasizing luxury, performance, and sustainability. They turned potential resistance into brand loyalty.
4. Pre-Solve Predictable Problems
By applying strategic foresight, companies can identify and address problems before they arise, allowing them to develop proactive solutions.
- Example: Supply chain managers using AI-driven predictive analytics can foresee potential bottlenecks, such as delays in raw material shipments, and adjust logistics strategies in advance. By addressing these issues early, businesses ensure uninterrupted operations, reduce costs, and maintain customer satisfaction—turning predictable problems into non-issues.
Characteristics of an Innovative Leadership Style
Those who embody innovative leadership have specific traits that allow them to thrive in an era of constant disruption. These characteristics align seamlessly with the Skip It Principle and inspire strategic foresight, enabling them to focus on high-impact opportunities and avoid unnecessary distractions.
Proactivity
Innovative leaders don’t wait for trends to overwhelm them—they anticipate changes before they occur. By staying ahead of market shifts and technological advancements, they gain a significant competitive edge, positioning their companies as market leaders rather than followers.
Resilience
Disruption is no longer an occasional event; it’s a constant. Great leaders embrace this change, viewing it as an opportunity for growth rather than a threat. Their ability to adapt quickly and use disruption as a springboard for innovation keeps them and their businesses agile.
Empowerment
Innovation leaders foster a culture that encourages experimentation, risk-taking, collaboration, and bold thinking. By empowering employees to challenge traditional approaches and explore novel ideas, they create an environment where innovation thrives.
Visionary Thinking
The ability to see beyond immediate challenges and focus on long-term opportunities is a hallmark of innovation leadership. These leaders focus on the bigger picture, charting a clear path toward transformative goals, even when others remain fixated on the present.
Data-Driven Decision-Making
Good innovation leaders rely on analytics and predictive insights to make informed choices. By integrating data into their decision-making processes, they reduce risks and unlock meaningful opportunities.
Collaborative Leadership
Building and nurturing diverse teams is essential for solving complex problems creatively. Innovation leaders promote open communication, value diverse perspectives, and bring employees from different departments together to achieve a common objective.
Practical Applications for Innovation Leaders
To effectively apply the Skip It Principle with strategic foresight, leaders must take intentional steps.
Innovation does not just fall out of the sky; it requires deliberate planning, a clear understanding of emerging trends, and a commitment to fostering a culture that supports experimentation and anticipation. Innovation leaders need to actively identify which problems to bypass, which opportunities to prioritize, and how to align their company’s resources into their innovation strategies.
Here are practical approaches that empower leaders to shape the future and encourage an innovation-driven culture:
1. Scenario Planning
Scenario planning involves exploring potential futures based on Hard Trends and Soft Trends, enabling innovation leaders to anticipate disruption and opportunities. Incorporating these exercises into the innovation process and leadership training helps teams visualize how emerging trends could impact their industries and prepare proactive strategies.
A perfect example is a healthcare organization using scenario planning to predict how advancements in telemedicine and wearable technology will redefine patient care in the next decade.
2. Upskilling Teams
As emerging technologies like AI, IoT, and blockchain continue to reshape industries, it’s essential to ensure employees have the skills to leverage these tools effectively. Upskilling initiatives should focus on building technical expertise while fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
For instance, companies can implement workshops or certifications that teach employees how to integrate AI-powered solutions into their daily workflows.
3. Knowledge Sharing Networks
Institutional knowledge is one of a business’s most valuable assets, yet it is often lost when experienced employees retire or move on. Establishing knowledge-sharing networks ensures this expertise is retained and accessible to current and prospective teams. Digital platforms, such as internal wikis or collaborative databases, can serve as repositories for insights, best practices, and case studies.
Additionally, pairing retiring employees with younger team members through mentorship programs can transfer invaluable knowledge while fostering intergenerational collaboration.
4. Emphasize Continuous Learning
The pace of change in today’s world makes continuous learning essential for leaders and employees alike. Staying informed about industry trends, technological advancements, and market shifts allows leaders to make well-informed decisions and seize emerging opportunities. Businesses can create learning opportunities by providing access to resources such as webinars, online courses, and industry conferences.
For instance, a retail company might encourage its leadership team to attend events on AI in e-commerce to stay ahead of digital transformation trends.
By implementing these practices, leaders not only build a proactive organization but also create an environment where innovation thrives. When you bring foresight into decision-making processes and equip your employees with the tools and skills to navigate change, innovation leaders can transform disruption into a competitive advantage that drives meaningful, long-term growth.
How Innovative Companies Can Harness Strength
For companies to successfully navigate disruption and drive transformative growth, they must harness their innovation strength by cultivating key skills within their employees—both within their C-suite executives and ground floor workers as well. This involves recognizing opportunities before they arise, influencing outcomes, and fostering a culture where both ideas and creativity thrive.
Here’s how leaders can align their organizations with predictable trends and unlock their full potential for innovation.
Key Innovation Leadership Skills:
- Hard Trend Identification: Recognize certainties in technology, demographics, and regulation to pre-solve disruption before it happens.
- Soft Trend Influence: Shape possibilities to align with your vision and business goals.
- Innovation Culture Building: Inspire teams to question assumptions and experiment boldly.
Actionable Steps to Foster Innovation:
- Establish cross-functional innovation teams to explore new ideas.
- Conduct foresight workshops to identify emerging trends.
- Use feedback loops to adapt strategies based on market responses.
Skip Problems to Embrace Opportunities
The future is not about reacting to change—it’s about anticipating and shaping it. Let me put it another way: Innovation isn’t about solving every problem—it’s about focusing on the right opportunities.
The Skip It Principle teaches us that not every problem deserves attention, and strategic foresight allows us to see the opportunities worth pursuing. Together, they provide a powerful framework for leading innovation with confidence and certainty. The key is to ask the right questions: What can we skip? Where should we focus? How can we lead the future rather than react to it?
The leaders of tomorrow are the ones who act on the future today!
Stay Ahead of the Curve!
The future belongs to those who anticipate it. Don’t wait until disruption forces you to react—take control now by identifying the Top Tech Trends for 2025. Download Daniel Burrus’ exclusive report and start shaping your strategy today. www.burrus.com/seethefuture
