The Problem With How We Solve Problems

We all have challenges and problems. Naturally, we want to solve them as quickly as possible. But there are two ways to look at solving problems and creating change. You can either make changes to what's already happening by making some tweaks and alterations, refinement you could say, or you can entirely change the system. Now, for most of us, this system is our mindset, our world view, and this is harder to change because we're attached to it.

I've noticed something intriguing in my work with founders. When facing challenges in their business, they typically respond in one of two ways. Some immediately jump into action mode, applying more resources, tweaking processes, or doubling down on strategies that worked before. Others step back, question their fundamental assumptions, and consider whether the entire approach needs reimagining. This distinction isn't just about different personalities. It represents two fundamentally different types of change – and understanding the difference might be the most important insight for any founder approaching midlife transformation.

The Two Types of Change

First order change is doing more or less of something you're already doing. It operates within your existing framework and assumptions. It's reversible, incremental, and feels comfortable because it doesn't challenge your worldview. When you hire more salespeople, optimize your funnel, get some more skills, or refine your messaging – that's first order change. It's necessary and valuable for solving technical problems with clear parameters. Change at this level is mostly behaviour. But there's another type.

Second order change involves doing something fundamentally different from what you've done before. It requires questioning your assumptions, shifting your perspective, and often transforming how you think about the problem itself. This is the change that happens when you realize your entire business model needs reinvention. Or when you recognize your leadership approach, which got you to £1 million, won't get you to £10 million. The distinction matters because most founders apply first order solutions to second order problems – and then wonder why the same issues keep resurfacing in different forms. Change at this level is transformational, it's a shift in being.

When First Order Change Falls Short

First order change works beautifully for technical problems. If your website is slow, optimize it. If your team is understaffed, hire more people. If your marketing isn't converting, test new approaches. But what about the challenges that persist despite multiple attempts at solution?

I worked with a founder who kept hiring and firing team members. Each time, he believed he'd found the right person who would finally be the perfect fit. But after the continous staffing issues over two years, he realized something deeper was happening. The real issue wasn't finding the right person. It was that he hadn't clearly defined what his leadership style was. Without clarity in himself, no team member would have it either. This wasn't a recruitement problem. It was an identity problem disguised as a recruitment problem. First order change (hiring better people) couldn't solve it. Only second order change (questioning his fundamental assumptions about his business's purpose and his leadership style) could break the cycle.

Why Midlife is the Perfect Moment for Second Order Change

There's a reason I focus my work on founders around age 40. We seek deeper fulfillment and what served us until now (our worldview), often becomes at odds with the life we want. Research indicates that at midlife, particularly around age 40, we are psychologically ready for transformation as the brain matures, making this period perfect for second order change. The midlife brain develops increased capacity for systems thinking, contextual understanding, and nuanced decision-making. You're biologically primed for transformation. But there's something else happening too. Midlife often brings a natural shift in how we define success and purpose. What drove you in your 30s may feel hollow now. The metrics that once seemed important might feel insufficient.

Entrepreneurs at midlife face two profound identity shifts: transitioning from an external, acquisition-based identity to an internal, expression-based identity; and shifting focus from individual achievement to collective impact. This is why the business challenges that emerge around 40 often aren't really about the business at all. They're about you – how you think, what you value, and how you want to show up in the world.

The Systemic View: Seeing Patterns, Not Just Problems

When I work with founders, I'm not primarily interested in the specific business challenge they're facing. I'm interested in the patterns of thinking which created it. This systemic view is what separates sustainable transformation from temporary fixes.

Consider these questions:

What if your team communication issues aren't about communication tools or processes, but about the psychological safety you've created (or not) as a leader?

What if your difficulty delegating isn't about finding the right people, but about your relationship with control and identity?

What if your business plateau isn't about market conditions, but about your unconscious ceiling on what you believe you deserve?

Second order change requires seeing these deeper patterns. It means recognizing that most external business challenges have internal roots in how we think, what we believe, and who we understand ourselves to be.

How to Know When You Need Second Order Change

Here are the signals I look for when working with founders:

Recurring problems. If you've "solved" the same problem multiple times but it keeps returning in different forms, you're likely applying first order solutions to a second order problem.

Diminishing returns. When working harder on your current approach yields smaller and smaller gains, it may be time to question the approach itself.

Persistent friction. If certain aspects of your business consistently drain your energy or create resistance, there's often a misalignment between your systems and your deeper values or thinking.

Identity tension. When your business success feels empty or your role no longer fits who you're becoming, it signals the need for second order change.

Intuitive knowing. Sometimes you simply know that tinkering with your current approach won't get you where you need to go, even if you can't articulate why.

The Courage to Transform

Second order change isn't easy. It requires courage to question assumptions that have served you well until now. It means stepping into uncertainty without the comfort of familiar frameworks. But this is precisely where the most meaningful growth happens – both personally and in your business. I believe in what I call the "exponential influence effect." When you transform how you think and who you are as a founder, that transformation ripples outward, affecting everyone your business touches. This is why I focus on the human first, not just the business metrics. When you reconnect with yourself at a deeper level, everything else can start to shift.

The most powerful question I ask founders isn't "What problem are you trying to solve?" but rather "Who are you becoming, and what kind of business would serve that becoming?"

From Solving to Evolving

First order change solves problems within your current paradigm. Second order change evolves the paradigm itself. Both are necessary. The wisdom lies in knowing which type of change your current challenge requires. As you navigate the second half of your career and life, this distinction becomes increasingly important. The solutions that got you here won't get you there. The thinking that built your current success won't create your future impact.

The good news is that you already have everything you need. My role isn't to give you answers but to help you notice the wisdom that's already within you – and to create the space where second order change becomes not just possible, but inevitable.

Because when you transform how you think, everything else transforms with it.