"Never bring the problem solving stage into the decision making stage. Otherwise, you surrender yourself to the problem rather than the solution"
About this Quote
Schuller’s line is a pastor’s version of executive coaching: a brisk warning against letting anxiety masquerade as prudence. The phrasing “Never bring” has the cadence of sermon counsel, but the target is recognizably modern - the meeting, the boardroom, the family argument where the room gets stuck in “what if” spirals. By separating “problem solving” from “decision making,” he isn’t denying the value of analysis; he’s diagnosing a psychological trap. If you try to decide while you’re still improvising fixes, the problem sets the agenda. You become reactive, negotiating with worst-case scenarios, mistaking exhaustive troubleshooting for wisdom.
The subtext is theological as much as managerial. Schuller’s broader message (the upbeat, possibility-oriented strain of American Protestantism he popularized) treats despair as a kind of spiritual misalignment. “Surrender yourself” borrows the language of devotion and flips it: you can surrender to fear just as easily as you can surrender to faith. In that framing, the “problem” isn’t only an obstacle; it’s a temptress, demanding your attention, shrinking your imagination to the size of the threat.
The quote works because it gives people permission to choose direction before certainty. It advocates a posture: decide on the solution you’re moving toward, then solve problems in service of that commitment. In an era addicted to “due diligence,” it’s a reminder that decision-making is often identity-making. The real risk isn’t a wrong answer; it’s letting the question own you.
The subtext is theological as much as managerial. Schuller’s broader message (the upbeat, possibility-oriented strain of American Protestantism he popularized) treats despair as a kind of spiritual misalignment. “Surrender yourself” borrows the language of devotion and flips it: you can surrender to fear just as easily as you can surrender to faith. In that framing, the “problem” isn’t only an obstacle; it’s a temptress, demanding your attention, shrinking your imagination to the size of the threat.
The quote works because it gives people permission to choose direction before certainty. It advocates a posture: decide on the solution you’re moving toward, then solve problems in service of that commitment. In an era addicted to “due diligence,” it’s a reminder that decision-making is often identity-making. The real risk isn’t a wrong answer; it’s letting the question own you.
Quote Details
| Topic | Decision-Making |
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