"Houston, we have a problem." Apollo 13 astronaut Jack Swigert wanted Mission Control to know they had huge obstacles to overcome as a result of the explosion and resulting loss of heat and water in the spacecraft. In life and death situations, problems are surfaced and dealt with real time. Contrast that with people at the water cooler who have been overheard saying, "They don't want to hear or even know about it." But "it" is precisely what leaders must hear and must know.

An absolutely essential leadership skill I've never heard advocated by any management guru is simply for a leader to smile and say "thank you" when someone delivers bad news. And yet, this is exactly  the opposite of what many leaders project on their organizations. The results can be disastrous when bad news gets swept under the table. For example, on June 14, 2006 Airbus planned a press conference in a airplane hangar to showcase the world's largest new airliner, the A380. Yet CEO Gustav Humbert had no clue that the jumbo jet was not ready to display up until the day of the event. Instead of introducing the latest marvel in airline technology, Humbert had to enumerate to reporters and customers the reasons for the delayed launch. This damaged the organization's credibility and many customers cancelled their orders. Humbert was forced to resign three weeks later due to his failure to understand what was really happening within his organization.

There are valid reasons why bad news is not always welcome. An organization has to accomplish many objectives simultaneously, and often leaders lay out aggressive plans to make improvements. A tremendous amount of energy is required to get everyone on board and aligned to hit those plans. People who constantly complain or look for what's wrong in a plan can drag down others with them. That explains why those who bring up issues can be ostracized for not being a team player rather than lauded for working to surface and resolve problems.

To be clear, we are not suggesting that you ask people to take pot shots at why things won't work. We are not inviting and encouraging negativity. We need can-do people who can overcome obstacles and address challenges. What we are suggesting is that we surface and deal with them as soon as they arise.

Leaders who smile and say "thank you" when someone delivers bad news not only create conditions for surfacing concerns they foster a culture of safe, open dialogue and providing candid, respectful feedback.

Often times it's not what is said that is most damaging, it's what is not said. Issues not raised usually come back to bite organizations in the end, and often the bite has grown worse. Problems are not the problem. Problems are opportunities - moments to turn obstacles into opportunities. Leaders set the tone to surface and capitalize on these opportunities.