Problem vs Symptom: How to Diagnose the Real Problem | The 5 Whys Explained

Most people don’t fail at problem-solving.

They fail at problem-identifying.

We rush to fix what we can see, the symptom, without addressing what’s driving it underneath.

In this episode, I’ll teach you how to tell the difference between a real problem and a visible symptom using one of the most powerful frameworks in modern problem-solving — The 5 Whys, made famous by Toyota.

You’ll learn:

• The true difference between symptoms and root problems
• How misdiagnosis costs individuals, companies, and even nations billions How to apply
• The 5 Whys in your daily decisions, business challenges, or personal life
• Real stories — from corporate failures to everyday crises — that show why solving the wrong problem is the most expensive habit in the world.

#TheUltimateProblemSolver #SustainableGovernance #ProblemSolving #BusinessStrategy #TUPSFormula #LeadershipPodcast #PersonalDevelopment

Part 2: Consulting, Knowledge & Compounding Resilience

(Indra Nooyi Chapter 4)

In this second episode of TUPS Vault, we dive deep into Chapter 4 of Indra Nooyi’s My Life in Full — and it’s a masterclass in problem-solving under pressure. From factory floors to boardrooms, personal tragedy to professional triumph, Sharon unpacks the systems, people, and eight types of knowledge that shaped Indra’s early consulting years at BCG.

You’ll learn how to:

• Apply the TUPS framework during seasons of chaos and growth
• Use 8 types of knowledge (from mentorship to self-learning) to solve complex problems
• Build systems that support both career ambition and family responsibility
• Audit your inner circle for challenge, not comfort
• Balance grind, grief, and greatness with grace

This episode is for every leader, builder, and career professional who’s navigating the overlap of life and legacy — and wants to solve problems like the best do.

Listen now and leave with the tools to think faster, lead stronger, and build smarter.

##TUPSVault #IndraNooyi #ProblemSolving #Consulting #CareerGrowth #Governance #TUPSFormula #Leadership #WomenInLeadership

Ever found yourself overthinking a decision, missing an opportunity, or second-guessing every move? You’re not indecisive — you’re just unstructured.

In this episode, we’ll talk about how to think faster, decide smarter, and save time using the TUPS Formula and principles from Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman.

I’ll teach you how to:

• Make clear, confident decisions even under pressure
• Use the TUPS Decision Grid to decide when to act fast vs. when to slow down
• Beat decision fatigue and analysis paralysis
• Build a personal governance system for faster, smarter problem-solving

Because clarity isn’t magic — it’s management.

In a world obsessed with New Year’s resolutions, I want to teach you something better — systems.

This is your Winter Arc: the quiet season where real problem solvers prepare for the next chapter.

In this episode, I’ll show you how to use the TUPS Formula — (Systems + People + Knowledge) ÷ (Time × Consistency) × Hard Work — to reset your year strategically.

You’ll learn how to:

• Build a winter audit system that keeps you accountable and calm
• Reconnect with the right people to sharpen your circle
• Refresh your knowledge base with powerful insights from Atomic Habits, Essentialism, The Art of War, and The Almanack of Naval Ravikant
• Manage your energy, focus, and time like a leader in governance — not a victim of the calendar

Because great years aren’t built in January. They’re architected in December.

📖 TUPS Vault Episode 1:

How Indra Nooyi’s Childhood Affected the Future of PepsiCo

In this episode of The Ultimate Problem Solver (TUPS) Vault, we explore how Indra Nooyi’s childhood in Chennai, India, shaped the woman who would one day become the CEO of PepsiCo and one of the most powerful business leaders in the world.

From late-night study sessions to her mother’s dinner-table “Prime Minister debates,” Indra’s early environment built the systems, people skills, and knowledge that later defined her leadership. This episode unpacks how upbringing, culture, and early discipline influence executive decision-making, sustainable leadership, and corporate transformation at the highest levels.

We connect Indra’s story to the TUPS Formula —

👉 Systems + People + Knowledge ÷ (Time × Consistency) × Hard Work to show how personal foundations compound into professional excellence.

If you’re a founder, corporate leader, or ambitious professional looking to understand how your own background can become your biggest advantage, this is your masterclass in problem-solving, leadership, and legacy.

🎧 Listen now to learn:

How Indra’s family systems shaped her executive thinking

Why early exposure to debate, discipline, and global awareness matters

The link between childhood values and corporate governance success

How PepsiCo’s transformation was rooted in personal philosophy

#IndraNooyi #PepsiCo #LeadershipLessons #WomenInLeadership #TheUltimateProblemSolver #TUPSVault #SustainableGovernance #ProblemSolving #BusinessStrategy #FemaleCEOs #Governance #TUPSFormula #LeadershipPodcast #PersonalDevelopment

In this episode of The Ultimate Problem Solver, Sharon Oranekwu explores two of the most underestimated forces behind effective problem solving: people and knowledge.

Everyone talks about finding the right team. But few understand what kind of people actually solve problems, and which ones just perform proximity politics.

We also break down the concept of knowledge. Not just what you know, but how you know, and why some knowledge is useless without context, experience, or timing.

By the end of this episode, you’ll be asking different questions about your network, your learning habits, and your decision-making style.

Expect insights like:

• Why high-functioning teams still fail to solve
• The overlooked currency of decision-making
• How elite problem solvers curate people and knowledge with precision

If you want to solve bigger problems, you need better inputs. This episode is where we start refining both.

🔔 Subscribe , lets go on this journey together.

#Leadership #ProblemSolving #TUPS

In this episode of The Ultimate Problem Solver, Sharon Oranekwu dives deep into the first and often most misunderstood pillar of the TUPS Formula:

Systems.

Most people think systems are software, org charts, or fancy dashboards.

But systems are far more fundamental. They are the architecture of how your life, business, or country runs whether intentionally or by default.

Through the lens of real-world examples like the Toyota Production System, Singapore’s urban transformation, and broken morning routines, Sharon shows that good systems don’t just support problem solving they are problem solving.

We break down:

• Why reacting without systems is just chaos management
• How systems predict problems before they become crises
• What great systems have in common (and how to build one)
• Why many “failures” are actually system failures in disguise

From corporate boardrooms to personal habits, Episode 2 reveals the mindset shift required to stop patching problems and start engineering solutions.

🔔 Subscribe , lets go on this journey together.

#Leadership #ProblemSolving #TUPS

In a world full of noise, one skill stands above the rest: problem solving.

In this first episode of The Ultimate Problem Solver, I break down why problem solving is the most underrated, yet most powerful skill in business, governance, and life. Forget sales, visibility, or even growth. Without the ability to solve problems, everything else crumbles.

📊 What you’ll learn in this episode:

Why bad problem solving costs the world over $3 trillion every year

How problem solving beats sales, visibility, and growth when it comes to long-term success

Famous examples of problems solved (and unsolved) — from Blockbuster vs. Netflix, to Churchill in WWII, to modern global crises

Why boards, governments, and even families succeed or fail based on their problem-solving systems

What to expect from this channel as we dive into the art and science of solving

✨ Whether you’re a leader, entrepreneur, or simply someone navigating daily life, this channel will equip you with the mindset and tools to become a strategic, calculated, elegant problem solver.

🔔 Subscribe , lets go on this journey together.

#ProblemSolving #Leadership #TUPS #TheUltimateProblemSolver