'Let Me Take Care of That'

A well-known leader shares a powerful way to get good attention

“I've seen people at every level who are very good at describing problems, very sophisticated in explaining why something went wrong or why something can't get fixed,” former President of the United States Barack Obama lamented recently in an interview, “but what I'm always looking for is — no matter how small the problem or how big it is — somebody who says, 'Let me take care of that.'“

It’s valuable to accurately analyze and describe problems, do a post mortem on issues too yet it isn’t usually helpful to communicate only why something can’t be fixed. Not many people want to hear it. In fact, that comes across to many as maddening.

Expressing, “It can’t be done” is just not impressive, which is what Obama is sharing.

What does stand out, he says, what is music to be people’s ears, whether leaders or followers is, “Let me take care of that.” That shows confidence and responsibility.

“And if you project an attitude of whatever it is that's needed, I can handle it and I can do it, whoever's running that organization will notice, I promise,” Obama added. “A lot of times the best way to get attention, whatever is assigned to you: you're just nailing.”

The best way, therefore, to get (positive attention), he says, is jumping on things that need to be done, especially those tasks that most people seek to reject and sidestep.

Obama clearly communicated what people dislike and what stands people stand out.

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