Part II: The Hidden Cost of Treating Symptoms Instead of Root Causes

Introduction:

How do you dig deeper with your team to create real engagement? In part two, Shannon Nutter shares advanced strategies for innovation, avoiding the whack-a-mole trap of constant firefighting, and the critical skill of asking better questions as a leader-facilitator.

Summary:

This episode dives into the practical side of leadership development. Shannon explains why leaders should function as facilitators rather than directors, how to balance innovation with results, and the importance of slowing down to truly know your people. She shares personal stories about recognizing when team members need human connection over business conversations.

Highlights:

• Why successful innovation requires a 70% failure rate (like baseball batting averages)
• The whack-a-mole syndrome that keeps teams busy but not productive
• How great leaders facilitate rather than dictate solutions
• The power of asking "What are we missing here?" and "How could that work?"
• When to pause business conversations for human moments

Key Takeaways:

• Innovation means creating customer value in new ways, not just building new features
• Experimentation should include budget for learning, not just success metrics
• Leaders are facilitators who pull knowledge from the room rather than pushing their own
• Knowing your people deeply means understanding their motivations, frustrations, and insecurities
• Sometimes the most important conversation isn't about work at all

Next Steps:

• Start one project as an experiment with defined learning goals, not just success metrics
• Practice facilitating meetings by asking questions instead of giving answers
• Create space in your schedule for unplanned human moments with team members

Connect with Shannon on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-nutter/