My Superpower: Making Problems Disappear Before Anyone Notices

There’s a funny thing about working close to leaders: if you’re doing your job really well, a lot of people will assume you don’t really do anything at all.

Because the best work I do never turns into a crisis, a meeting, or an email thread with twelve people on it.
It just…doesn’t become a problem.

Over the years, I’ve come to realize that’s my real superpower- seeing the mess forming and handling it before it grows teeth.

And honestly, it’s more satisfying than any dramatic “firefighting” moment.

I spot patterns before they become problems

Problems rarely show up fully formed. They leak in through:

• vague requests
• unclear ownership
• schedules packed wall-to-wall
• “this will only take five minutes”
• travel plans made with optimism 🫠

…A poorly timed meeting, a missing document, a conversation that should happen before something goes public.

So I adjust things early.

Half the work is simply not letting small frictions compound into big ones.

I build buffers that nobody sees, but everybody benefits from

My secret weapon isn’t luck.

It’s buffers.

Time buffers. Communication buffers. Decision buffers.
Tiny pockets of breathing room where everything can land without shattering.

People often assume things “just worked out.”
They don’t always realize how many variables were aligned so there wasn’t a scramble at the last minute.

And honestly? I like it that way.

I choose what deserves attention (and what doesn’t)

Not every problem is worth escalating.

Part of my job is protecting leaders from noise, while making sure they see what actually matters.

That means asking myself:

• Is this urgent?
• Does this need their input, or can I solve it?
• What’s the simplest path forward?

A lot of “potential emergencies” dissolve right there.

I make room for people to stay human

The part I love most is this: When problems disappear, people get to be calmer, clearer, and more present.

Leaders have space to think instead of react.
Teams stop feeling like everything is on fire.
Days feel a little more breathable.

It’s invisible work. But it has real impact.

And yes, sometimes I do laugh to myself

Every once in a while, I catch myself thinking: “If only everyone knew what almost happened today.”

But they won’t, because it didn’t.

And that’s the point.

The reward for me isn’t credit, or applause, or dramatic hero moments.
It’s knowing that the systems are working, the day moved smoothly, and everyone gets to go home without experiencing chaos.

I’ll always choose that.

Because making problems disappear isn’t about control.
It’s about creating environments where people can actually do their best work without constantly bracing for impact.

And if that’s my superpower, I’m happy to keep it in the background, doing nothing :)