Why Paradigm Shifts are More Important Than Solutions

Core Messaging

Sep 3

In 2019, I attended Seth Godin's "The Freelancer's Workshop."

During one of his presentations, Seth said,

“So many freelancers complain about their clients—that they’re hard to work with, constantly haggle, or can’t afford their fees. But that's stupid. You're self-employed; you get to choose your clients.”

Those words — "You get to choose your clients" — hit me like a lightning bolt. It was an aha moment that completely changed my career by giving me a new way of looking at my work. This wasn’t just advice; it was a fundamental shift in perspective.

It moved me from a mindset of scarcity to one of empowerment. This experience showed me firsthand the power of a paradigm shift—a transformation in thinking that changes everything about how we approach a problem or challenge.

Those of us in thought leadership are often eager to share our solutions.

We spend years honing our methods, creating frameworks, and developing systems that we believe will make a difference.

But here's the real challenge: If your audience doesn't first experience a shift in how they think about the problem, your solution might not hit home. They need to understand why your solution matters to them before they care about how to do it.

Save your solutions (for later)

As thought leaders we're often in a rush to share our solutions, eager to showcase our proprietary frameworks or innovative methods.

However, it's easy to overlook a critical step: reframing the problem in the audience's mind. If the audience is still seeing the problem through their existing beliefs or assumptions, they won't be receptive to the solution you're proposing, no matter how effective it might be.

Consider this example

Imagine you tell me you're tired of sitting in traffic every day on the way to work and I immediately try to sell you on signing up for my new proprietary mindfulness app.

What would you do? Probably ignore me. Why? Because in your mind, the problem is traffic—not your attitude.

It's not until I help you shift your perspective from thinking the problem is purely about time spent in traffic to understanding that it's really about how you manage stress and find peace in unavoidable situations, that my solution starts to make sense.

By guiding you to see the problem differently—that the real issue is stress management, not just traffic—I can open your mind to a new way of thinking. Now, the meditation software isn't just a random product—it's a targeted solution to a newly understood problem.

The value in seeing a problem differently

Starting with the solution can feel prescriptive, like you're trying to sell something the audience isn’t even sure they need. It lacks the emotional and intellectual engagement that a paradigm shift provides. Without addressing and replacing your audience's current beliefs or assumptions first, you haven’t given them a reason to listen, let alone adopt your solution.

This is where many thought leaders falter. They jump straight to tactics—“Here’s what you should do!”—without setting the stage for why the current approach isn’t working.

It’s like prescribing medication before diagnosing the illness (which, incidentally, is why so many people are abandoning the Western medical system in favor of holistic healers, but that's a topic for another time).

Your audience might nod along but they won’t feel compelled to change their behavior or adopt your ideas. At best they'll get a short-term fix that fades.

It's not that "old habits die hard," but that "new habits die easy."

What makes a paradigm shift so powerful?

A paradigm shift is about changing the lens through which people see the world. It’s a moment of realization that prompts your audience to think, “I’ve never thought about it that way before.” It creates a gap between the audience's current understanding and the new perspective you’re offering. This gap is where curiosity lives—and where change begins.

For example, in my work as a human connection speaker, I introduce a paradigm shift that changes the way we think about our daily interactions.

It goes like this:

Most of us are stuck in a cycle of transactions—we treat conversations as a means to an end. But what if we shifted our mindset from transactions to interactions?

Many people believe that the disconnect in modern relationships is due to technology or external circumstances. But the real issue often lies in how we approach these interactions—as transactions rather than opportunities for genuine connection.

This paradigm shift, from transactions to interactions, changes the very foundation of how we communicate, and opens the door to deeper relationships, more effective leadership, and a greater sense of connection.

And that is precisely why my audiences are willing to adopt my actual solution.

In fact, I've been told on dozens of sales calls with prospective speaking engagements that the thing they loved most on my website or marketing materials was the "transactions vs interactions" bit. They're buying my paradigm shift, having no idea what my solution is going to be.

Earning buy-in for your solution

Once you've created this shift in thinking, your audience is primed for the next step—the solution. This is where you provide a concrete method or framework to act within the new paradigm.

In my case as a human connection speaker, the solution is a simple framework I call E.A.R.S.—a four-step process for mastering the art of active listening: Eye Contact, Avoid Distractions, Reflection, Summarize.

By giving my audience a way to solve their problem, now that I've shifted them to understand what the real problem actually is, they can take action and get the results they desire.

Great messaging involves both elements

Combining a paradigm shift with a practical solution is the key to effective messaging.

Without first establishing a paradigm shift, your solution might seem irrelevant or unnecessary. The shift sets up the problem or opportunity in a new light, making your audience eager for a solution that aligns with this fresh perspective.

Remember, the most impactful messages aren’t just about delivering information; they’re about changing how people see the world and act within it. By leading with a paradigm shift, you create a foundation that makes your solution not just understandable, but compelling.

Conclusion

For those of us in the business of ideas, understanding the difference between a paradigm shift and a solution is crucial. Start by shifting your audience’s current beliefs or assumptions. Create that gap in understanding that only your message can fill. Then, and only then, offer your solution as the bridge across that gap.

Remember, the true power of thought leadership lies not just in sharing solutions, but in transforming how people perceive the world and their challenges. Next time you prepare your message, ask yourself—are you ready to change their perspective before you offer your guidance?

Master this, and you'll do more than just deliver a talk; you'll drive real, lasting change.