Have you ever noticed someone struggling with a problem because he didn’t know the “trick” to solving it? Have you ever wrestled with a problem, only to discover that it actually wasn’t a problem; you were simply approaching it improperly? In these cases, the way forward is usually apparent after stepping back and looking at the situation from a different perspective, or learning the trick.

Sometimes, folks trying to solve a problem become so ensconced in their pursuit that they don’t step back to find the easy solution. Ingrained in their current way of thinking, the problem becomes viewed as being unsolvable, one that will always create undesirable consequences that can at best be mitigated. It becomes a Gordian Knot.

What’s a Gordian Knot?

According to legend, Alexander the Great was confronted with a challenge that had thwarted all who encountered it. The story says that an ox cart was tied to a post with an elaborate, intricate knot. Nobody could untie the knot to liberate the cart. Alexander, however, walked right up to it and solved the problem.

 …