I didn’t expect a jigsaw puzzle to teach me anything about leadership.

I sat down thinking it would be a relaxing way to unplug. Instead, I quickly realized I had picked a puzzle that was far more challenging than I anticipated.

Like I usually do, I started with the outside border.

That part felt manageable. Predictable. Familiar.

The edges gave me structure. They gave me confidence. I could see progress almost immediately, even if the full picture was still a mystery.

The middle, though, was a different story.

The colors blended together. There were no obvious patterns. I couldn’t tell where individual pieces belonged, no matter how long I stared at them. Eventually, my progress slowed to a complete stop.

Nothing was moving forward.

When Effort Isn’t the Issue

At that point, I wasn’t lacking effort.
I wasn’t lacking focus.
I wasn’t even lacking time.

What I was lacking was perspective.

So I did something simple. I rotated the puzzle ninety degrees.

Nothing about the puzzle itself changed. The pieces were the same. The challenge was the same.

But suddenly, I could see differently.

Colors separated in new ways. Shapes stood out that hadn’t before. Pieces I had overlooked now had somewhere to go. Progress resumed, not because I worked harder, but because I saw differently.

Sometimes progress doesn’t come from pushing forward.
It comes from shifting how we look at what’s in front of us.

Changing the View Again

Eventually, I hit another wall.

This time, I made a different choice. I removed all of the loose, unconnected pieces from the table. I didn’t get rid of them, I just cleared them out of sight.

The change was immediate.

With fewer options competing for my attention, it was easier to see what actually belonged together. The noise was gone. The work felt lighter. Momentum returned.

Again, nothing about the puzzle itself had changed.

Only my perspective.

The Leadership Parallel We Often Miss

Leadership works the same way.

We often start with the “edges” first. Structures. Agendas. Strategic plans. Policies. These give us a sense of order and direction, and they matter. They help us begin.

But there comes a point where structure alone isn’t enough.

We can follow the plan perfectly and still feel stuck. We can be doing all the “right” things and wonder why progress has stalled.

When that happens, it’s easy to assume we need:

• A new plan
• A faster pace
• More effort
• Another solution

Sometimes, what we actually need is a different angle.

Leadership Isn’t a Straight Line

There is no rule in leadership that says you must always move forward in a straight line.

Pausing is not failing.
Reframing is not retreating.
Simplifying is not giving up.

Turning the puzzle doesn’t mean abandoning the goal. Clearing the table doesn’t mean losing options. Both are ways of creating the conditions for progress to resume.

Strong leadership isn’t just about momentum.
It’s about awareness.

A Moment to Reflect

If you’re feeling stuck right now, consider this:

• What might happen if you looked at the situation from a different angle?
• Is there another perspective you haven’t tried yet?
• What could you temporarily take off the table to reduce noise and regain clarity?

Leadership lessons aren’t confined to board rooms, retreats, or training sessions.

They’re everywhere, quietly waiting in everyday moments, if we’re willing to notice them.

Sometimes, the most effective next step isn’t forward at all.

It’s simply turning the puzzle.