Yesterday a former colleague of mine told me the story of a friend who used to worked in a restaurant. Every time he saw a problem, say a table not being waited, a guest looking for help or food being ready and not served — he made an effort to walk toward the problem.
Walking toward the problem requires courage.
Oftentimes you don’t know exactly what the problem is, what you’ll find when you get there or if you are able to solve it. But by walking toward the problem you set things in motion. You make an effort to make things better. You demonstrate your willingness to do what is right.
Sadly too many people choose to walk the other way.
Next time you find yourself in a situation where you see a problem (and startup life is full of them) — put one foot in front of the other and walk toward the problem.