Discussion Guides
Communicating Effectively Discussion Guide
As a leader, it’s essential to recognize the importance of effective communication and to set the tone for proper communication …
Resourcefulness isn’t just an essential quality for leaders but a skill that independent contributors should cultivate, too. When team members know how to leverage what’s available, they can address challenges in the moment and keep projects moving forward without ever needing to involve their leader.
As the workplace and job tasks change in response to emerging technologies and industry needs, resourcefulness allows your team to find quick and effective solutions on their own. By cultivating resourcefulness, teams can work independently to make proactive decisions and implement smart solutions to emerging problems, keeping your organization’s momentum strong and steady.
In today’s high-change work environment, efficiency is critical. Developing a team’s resourcefulness is one of the most effective ways organizations can improve their overall efficiency. When leaders inspire resourcefulness in their teams, they empower their employees to solve problems independently, helping them develop the confidence and judgment to move projects forward on their own. When team members are able to make their own decisions instead of waiting for top-down instruction or approval, it unlocks:
Resourcefulness also unlocks independent problem-solving. When team members are empowered to be resourceful, they tend to find solutions to problems themselves. When everyone on the team is an independent problem-solver, multiple problems can be tackled at once, and over time, this momentum and resiliency will be what keeps your organization ahead.
Independent problem-solving doesn’t mean employees must always figure everything out on their own. Some issues are outside the scope of their responsibilities. Leaders need to establish guidelines upfront, so that employees know when and how to find a solution on their own versus when the issue needs to be passed on to leadership.
Remember, high-performing teams are characterized by proactive decision-making, shared ownership and smart problem-solving, not unchecked autonomy. Research from ZipDo’s education report of 2025 found that effective problem-solving drives 78% of workplace innovation and increases project success rates by 20%.
Fostering resourcefulness through deliberate leadership practices can unlock greater efficiency, collaboration, innovation and morale in organizations. To achieve these goals, however, companies must first address the barriers to cultivating resourcefulness.
Barriers can prevent teams from becoming independent problem-solvers, making identifying effective and timely solutions difficult. Understanding these barriers is the first step in cultivating resourcefulness in your organization.
The most common blockers include:
While leaders need to offer information about the problem, too much can be detrimental. If team members rely too heavily on their leader for direction, answers and clarification, they’re less likely to seek out a solution themselves.
The fear of making mistakes can make cultivating resourcefulness among your teams extremely challenging. Employees may be hesitant to explore new ideas or take risks, even if they know doing so would effectively address the problem.
Employees need to understand the challenges the team faces and what is at stake when a problem presents itself. Without a comprehensive idea of what the issue looks like, finding an effective solution becomes difficult, if not impossible. For example, if leaders fail to identify the desired outcome of the problem, employees may waste time and resources developing solutions that align with a completely different outcome.
Some organizational structures have a checks and balances system, requiring multiple rounds of approval from other stakeholders or departments before moving forward. Long and complicated chains of command stifle resourcefulness and halt the progress of problem-solving by keeping decision-making power reserved at the top.
Leaders can unintentionally create dependence and slow momentum for independent decision-making by:
Leaders can avoid these pitfalls and foster independent thinking and resourcefulness in their team by following a few best practices:
Every organization has a process for identifying the cause or causes of a problem and determining the most effective solutions. Leaders should proactively share this process with their team. Sharing the guidelines their organization follows to solve problems ensures employees adhere to best practices when attempting to address an issue on their own. While the exact steps will vary depending on the desired outcomes, many problem-solving frameworks involve:
Employees who have a rigid mindset with problem-solving may not consider alternative viewpoints and overlook creative solutions. Leaders can cultivate independent thinking by encouraging employees to share their various perspectives and ideas. Brainstorming sessions with suggestive prompts give employees an opportunity to practice resourcefulness and innovative thinking. Hearing these diverse ideas can help employees broaden their perspectives and stimulate innovative thinking, which is critical for developing problem-solving skills they can use independently.
Information empowers employees to find the most creative and innovative solutions. When employees have all the relevant information about the problem, they can identify the causes and know where to look to find the most effective solutions. To support this innovation, leaders need to identify communication issues and information silos and break down these barriers. The free flow of information encourages collaboration, knowledge sharing and brainstorming. These outcomes supply team members with the information they need to be resourceful and effectively solve problems.
Finding solutions often means taking risks and experimenting, and that can sometimes lead to missteps and setbacks, which are a natural part of progress. Leaders should create “safe-to-fail” zones where team members can feel empowered to explore and try new things without the fear of judgment or punishment. This allows employees to feel more comfortable and confident searching for creative solutions to problems when they occur.
Leaders can use a reward or praise system to recognize and celebrate when employees demonstrate resourcefulness. Rewards reinforce the idea that employees can and should solve problems on their own.
Employees rise to the level of ownership their leaders entrust them with, so inspiring resourcefulness and ownership should be a top priority in your organization.
Leadership courses from The Center for Leadership Studies (CLS) are a way to cultivate performance ownership and build more proactive and resourceful teams. Our Situational Performance Ownership® course equips leaders to be proactive problem-solvers and encourage these values in their team to foster a culture of accountability, improve communication and ensure alignment with a common goal.
Explore our various courses and learning materials online. Contact CLS to learn more about cultivating resourcefulness in your organization.
