The Leadership Skill Nobody’s Talking About: Teaching Your Team How to Think
By James Fleming, Founder & MD, The Power Within Training
I’ve led people for a long time; first as a young manager in the oil and gas world, later running big projects overseas, and now as the co-founder of The Power Within Training. Over the years, I’ve made every leadership mistake going.
One of the biggest was believing that it was my job was to have all the answers.
Back then, when I managed large teams, I’d get frustrated and think, “Why don’t they just get it?” I thought if I could explain something once, people should instantly know what to do. I was wrong. What I didn’t understand yet was mindset; the way people’s belief systems, confidence and resilience shape how they think and act.
Learning about Motivational Intelligence (MQ) changed that for me. It’s the science of how people respond to challenge, change and adversity. Once I started to understand mindset, I stopped expecting people to magically “get it” and started helping them think differently. And that’s what I’ve built into my own business ever since.
When I Realised I Was the Bottleneck
Fast forward a few years: Enas (my wife and business partner) and I started The Power Within Training from our spare room. For a while it was just the two of us, grafting away. But as the business grew, eight, nearly nine years on, we now have a brilliant team, I found myself right back in old habits.
Every decision still seemed to end up with me. Client questions. Delivery decisions. Big opportunities. Little issues. If something felt tricky, it came straight to me.
At first, I told myself, “That’s just what it means to be the MD.” Truth was, I’d become the bottleneck. I was holding the business back because I hadn’t helped people think for themselves in the way we needed.
And if you’re a leader reading this, there’s a good chance you know that feeling too, when everything depends on you, and you’re running from one fire to the next, wishing people would just figure it out.
Why It’s So Easy to Fall Into
If we’re honest, a lot of leaders don’t teach their teams to think because it’s easier not to.
It’s quicker to make the call yourself. It feels safer to stay in control. And sometimes (this stings) it feeds the ego to be the one with all the answers.
But leadership isn’t about staying in control, it’s about building capability. And if you don’t, you’ll be forever trapped working in the business, rather than on it.
How Mindset Changes Everything
This is where Motivational Intelligence has been a game-changer for me. It’s what we build every one of our programmes around.
High-MQ leaders don’t just give instructions; they develop thinkers. They help their teams handle uncertainty, take ownership, and find solutions. They ask better questions. They encourage people to try, fail, learn, and adapt.
When you lead this way, people stop waiting for you to tell them what to do. They start owning the outcome.
Practical Ways to Teach Your Team to Think
Here’s what I wish I’d known sooner, and what we now teach other leaders:
- Stop Solving Everything
When someone brings you a problem, don’t jump straight to the fix. Ask: “What options have you thought of?” or “What would you do if I weren’t here?” It’s awkward at first, but it pushes people to think before they hand everything over. - Share the Why, Not Just the What
People can only make good decisions when they understand the bigger picture. Tell them why something matters and what success looks like. If they know the why, they’re far better at figuring out the how. - Create Safety Around Mistakes
If your team fear failure, they’ll avoid initiative. Make it safe to try, fail and learn, but always ask, “What will you do differently next time?” - Focus on High-Payoff Activities (HPAs)
We teach leaders to separate busy work from the tasks that truly move the needle. When your team know what’s high-impact, they can prioritise and make smarter decisions. - Model Thinking Out Loud
Show how you work things out. Admit when you don’t know something. Walk them through your decision-making. You’re not showing weakness; you’re showing how to think strategically.
The Payoff Is Massive
The moment your team start thinking like owners instead of employees, everything changes.
You stop firefighting every five minutes.
They get more confident and innovative.
Clients notice the difference; they’re not just dealing with “staff,” they’re dealing with people who solve problems.
And your business becomes stronger, more resilient, and less dependent on you holding it all together.
It doesn’t happen overnight, but once you feel the freedom of a team who owns outcomes, you’ll never want to go back.
Why We Teach This at The Power Within Training
When Enas and I built The Power Within, we didn’t want to churn out more of the same-old tick-box training. We wanted to help leaders actually change how they lead. That’s why every one of our leadership and business growth programmes, from Leading with Motivational Intelligence to The Business Growth Academy, is designed to give you the mindset and tools to build capable, proactive teams.
It’s the stuff I wish I’d known when I was that young manager thinking, “Why don’t they just get it?”
Now, I help leaders avoid those same mistakes.
Ready to Build a Team Who Think Like Owners?
If you’re tired of being the bottleneck and want a team who step up, solve problems, and move the business forward, let’s talk.
At The Power Within Training, we help leaders develop the mindset and skillset to build teams that think and own outcomes.
Get in touch here and let’s chat about how we can help.
James Fleming
The Power Within Training
The Motivational Intelligence Company
james@tpwtd.com
