A US Army colonel explains how jumping in to solve your team’s problems kills motivation — and what you should do the next time a crisis hits

• Leaders often jump to put their responsibilities aside to solve a problem, but that causes issues.
• Your team may feel like leadership doesn't value their input and their motivation will plummet.
• Instead, managers need to trust in their teams and avoid confirmation bias. 

What do you do when a high-priority project doesn't go as planned?

Whether your team fails to deliver on its sales targets, your latest high-visibility product launch is riddled with glitches, or your marquee product faces a recall, you as a leader have a responsibility to respond to problems as they arise.

One common instinct is to put your regular responsibilities on the back burner, roll up your sleeves, and immerse yourself in operational details. You may begin to question your team members and double-check their work as if it were your own.