Timothy had the heart of a shepherd and was rather shy. Titus, on the other hand, was the man people turned to when a church had a problem. The apostle Paul sent Titus both to Corinth and to Crete to sort out the chaos on the ground and to appoint leaders. Titus later returned to Corinth to organize the collection that Paul was gathering for the church in Jerusalem.
When conflict arose between the church in Corinth and Paul, Titus took the initiative and negotiated with the church until he achieved peace. Paul trusted him more than anyone else. He was able to solve problems and create peace among people.
Solving problems is the fastest way to build influence. When people are left to themselves, things go wrong. When people are left to themselves, they go astray. When people are left to themselves, plans fail. If a leader shows up with solutions in such a situation, she attracts the attention of others. The leader with the plan is the person with the power.
Traits of good problem solvers.
Good problem solvers have the following traits:
- They anticipate problems.
Titus anticipated the problems in Corinth and prevented a possible split in the church.
- They accept the truth.
Titus was always honest with Paul and with the troubled congregations he led. He faced reality.
- They see the big picture.
Titus knew how to deal with the church in Crete because of his broader perspective.
- They tackle one thing at a time.
Titus took the initiative and dealt with one conflict after another.
- They don't give up on a big goal when they're down.
Titus tackled the conflicts in Corinth persistently, until he had resolved them.
Dealing with problems.
How do leaders react when they are confronted with a problem?
- Do they ignore it and hope it goes away?
- Do they feel paralyzed or powerless?
- Do they tend to give up after the first attempt at a solution?
The ability to solve problems comes with experience. If leaders never try, they will not learn from their failures and successes how to master difficulties either.
Improving the ability to solve problems requires practice:
- Leaders look for problems.
They do not avoid problems, but tackle them. They are careful, but in the end they find a way. They learn to solve problems by pursuing them and following them through.
- Leaders develop a method.
They develop a system. They take time to identify the actual problem. They find out what others have done. They let their team explore options. They prioritize the solutions and try them out one after another.
- Leaders surround themselves with problem solvers.
They find others who complement their weaknesses, especially when they themselves are not good problem solvers. Complex thinking enables them to solve a wide variety of problems.
Titus 1:10-15
Against the False Teachers
10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:
11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.
12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.
13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;
14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.
15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.