For Mike San Diego, Certified Financial Consultant and CFO of EON Group, effective leadership isn’t about giving orders—it’s about asking the right questions. And in his case, those questions often come in sets of five.
“They are already preparing to answer 5 WHYs,” San Diego shared with Financial Adviser PH, laughing. “I didn’t even realize I was doing it consistently until someone on my team pointed it out.”
The “5 Whys” is a classic problem-solving technique that involves asking “why” five times (or as many times as needed) to get to the root cause of an issue. While it’s widely used in lean manufacturing and engineering, San Diego has made it part of his day-to-day leadership style—without even labeling it at first.
This habit of asking “why” goes beyond troubleshooting—it’s about building accountability and clarity. “Whenever someone comes to me with a proposal or a problem, I want to understand the reasoning behind it,” he says. “What’s the purpose? What are we solving? Why this approach?”
San Diego believes that when people are prepared to answer those whys, they come in with a stronger sense of ownership. It trains teams to think critically, anticipate concerns, and connect decisions to outcomes—rather than acting on assumptions or surface-level thinking.
This method also aligns with his results-oriented management style. “It’s not about micromanaging,” he explains. “It’s about making sure the right objectives are being worked on. When you get to the root of a problem—or the real reason behind a decision—you’re more likely to choose the right action.”
Over time, his team has embraced the approach. “They know that when they come to me, they have to go deep. It’s no longer just about what we’re doing, but why we’re doing it,” San Diego adds.
The result? A culture of transparency, precision, and proactive thinking—key ingredients for any high-performing finance or leadership team.
