Interesting Problems to Solve
Today’s Read Time: 2.83 minutes
Money. Fame. Power.
These are the markers of success we are taught to chase. They are not meaningless. They can open doors, create influence, and even provide a sense of security. But if that is all you measure, you might be left feeling empty.
Dr. Jordan Peterson, Canadian psychologist and public intellectual, recently reframed success in a way that caught my attention. He said; “Having interesting problems to solve is not a bad pathway to success.” He explained that real success is not about avoiding difficult problems or stacking up shiny titles. It is about choosing problems worth solving and staying with them long enough to be shaped by the process.
That struck me because it is exactly what leadership requires.
What We Usually Get Wrong
When we picture success, we often picture the finished product. The promotion. The recognition. The polished leader who seems to have mastered every detail. That image makes it easy to believe success is about results alone, and that once you reach a certain level, the struggle disappears.
But the leaders who only measure themselves by those external markers eventually run out of depth. Their achievements may look impressive, but they are not rooted in persistence or growth. They are rooted in appearance. And appearance does not hold up when the real challenges come.
The truth is, the finish line is never as satisfying as the process that got you there. Without the persistence of working through the messy parts, success becomes a fragile performance rather than a lived reality.
Where Success Actually Lives
Real success is found in the problems that demand more of you than you think you have to give. The kind of problems that cannot be fixed in a day or solved with a quick patch. These are the challenges that force you to slow down, think harder, and sometimes fail before you can move forward.
That is where strength is built. Not in comfort. Not in the easy wins. But in the repeated act of showing up and doing the work again, even when it is frustrating, uncomfortable, or unclear. The process itself becomes the teacher, shaping your perspective, expanding your capacity, and deepening your resilience.
This is why success is not about collecting accomplishments but about the kind of person you become along the way. When you commit to the difficult problems, you build credibility. You develop wisdom. You gain the kind of authority that people can trust, because it was earned in the fire of persistence rather than handed out as a reward for efficiency.
Accessible at Every Level
What makes this so powerful is that it is not limited to people at the top. Success, in this deeper sense, is available at every level. You do not need a title or a corner office to practice it. You only need to take ownership of the challenges that matter and keep at them when others walk away.
The people around you notice when you are willing to stay with a problem until it is solved. They notice when you keep asking questions after others have settled for easy answers. They notice when you lean into the discomfort of a challenge instead of protecting yourself from it. Over time, that persistence builds a reputation stronger than any title or accolade could provide.
This is what Peterson meant when he said that interesting problems are a pathway to success. It is not about chasing what looks shiny on the outside. It is about becoming someone who has the courage and patience to work through what matters on the inside.
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If you are ready to step beyond the surface and lean into the problems that build real strength, we would love to help.
Through coaching and consulting work at Monyok Leadership, we guide leaders through challenges that go deeper than appearances. These are the kinds of problems that build character, expand influence, and create success that lasts.