The Washing Machine

Some leadership lessons come from boardrooms.

Some come from books.

Mine came from a washing machine.

My older brother Simon is an electrical engineer.

Not just any engineer.

He's one of those people who sees the world differently.

He's the kind of person who looks at a machine and instinctively wants to understand how it works, why it works and whether there's a better way to build it.

To say he's intelligent would be an understatement.

He's Mensa-level brilliant.

Growing up, watching him think was almost an experience in itself.

He could stare at something for ages, completely absorbed, seeing things the rest of us never noticed.

One afternoon, when I was about fourteen, I wandered past the laundry and noticed Simon standing in front of our old washing machine.

It wasn't unusual.

He seemed deep in thought.

I didn't think much of it and wandered off in search of something far more important.

Food.

About fifteen minutes later, after a successful visit to the fridge, I walked back past the laundry.

Simon was still there.

Still staring.

Curiosity finally got the better of me.

"Hey Simon... what are you doing?"

I'll never forget his reply.

"Don't tell Mum..."

"I can't work out how to turn the washing machine on."

Surely Not...

Now, every younger sibling dreams of having a moment like this.

Your brilliant older brother...

Stumped.

By a washing machine.

Trying not to enjoy the moment too much, I casually pointed to the control panel.

"You just turn the dial..."

"...and pull the knob."

He looked at me.

Almost offended.

"Is that it?"

"Is it really that simple?"

It was.

Looking for Complexity

I've thought about that moment many times over the years.

Not because of the washing machine.

Because of what it revealed.

Simon wasn't struggling because he lacked intelligence.

Quite the opposite.

He was looking for a sophisticated solution to a problem that only required a simple one.

Sometimes our greatest strengths quietly become our blind spots.

The more experience we gain...

The more qualifications we collect...

The more responsibility we carry...

The easier it becomes to assume that every problem must have a complex answer.

Coaching Taught Me the Same Lesson

I've seen the same thing happen in leadership.

A team is underperforming.

We redesign the organisational structure.

We introduce another process.

We create another dashboard.

We commission another strategy.

Sometimes those things are necessary.

But often...

The real issue is something much simpler.

A conversation that hasn't happened.

A team member who doesn't feel heard.

A lack of clarity.

An expectation nobody ever explained.

As coaches, we can fall into the same trap.

We search for the perfect framework.

The latest model.

The most insightful question.

Meanwhile, the person sitting opposite us simply needs someone to listen.

Complexity Can Be Comfortable

I've come to believe that complicated answers often make us feel clever.

Simple answers make us feel exposed.

Because if the answer is simple...

We have to ask ourselves why we didn't see it sooner.

Leadership isn't about making simple things sound complicated.

It's about making complicated things understandable.

The best leaders I've worked with have an extraordinary ability to cut through the noise.

Not because they know more than everyone else.

Because they know what matters most.

The Washing Machine Principle

Whenever I find myself overthinking a problem, I smile and think back to that afternoon in the laundry.

Then I ask myself a simple question.

"Am I looking for an engineering solution... to a washing machine problem?"

More often than I'd like to admit, the answer is yes.

Sometimes the solution isn't another meeting.

Or another spreadsheet.

Or another leadership model.

Sometimes it's simply turning the knob...

...and pulling to start.

Reflection

Before tackling your next challenge, ask yourself:

• Am I making this more complicated than it needs to be?

• What assumptions am I bringing into this problem?

• If I had to explain the solution to a 14-year-old, what would I say?

• What simple conversation have I been avoiding?

• Is the answer already in front of me, and I'm just looking past it?