Reflecting on Adaptive Leadership

Adaptive leadership means being flexible, responsive and effective in complex and changing environments. Like all leaders, those practicing adaptive leadership focus on making major decisions. However, what sets them apart is their openness to feedback, readiness for inevitable change, skill in handling adaptive challenges and ability to change direction as needed. This leadership style helps individuals and organisations not just adapt but thrive when facing challenges, preparing them for ongoing change.

Despite 74% of leaders claiming they involve employees in creating a change strategy, only 42% of employees feel included. Mistrust in the organisation is the top reason employees resist change (41%), followed by lack of awareness about the change (39%), fear of the unknown (38%), changes in job roles (27%) and exclusion from change-related decisions (23%). Additionally, 51% of managers and employees say their leaders don't outline clear success metrics for change.

In a world of constant change and uncertainty, how can you lead with resilience and adaptability to inspire those around you?

Key Characteristics

1. Emotional Intelligence

Understanding and managing your own emotions, as well as recognising and influencing the emotions of others, can enhance your ability to manage interpersonal relationships. This is crucial for building positive team dynamics, empathy and effective collaboration. Emotional intelligence competencies were found to contribute to 67% of the factors that lead to people’s success.

• How effectively do I recognise and regulate my own emotions in challenging situations?

• In what ways can I better understand and respond to the emotions of others to strengthen collaboration and team relationships?

2. Resilience

Remaining composed under pressure and recovering from setbacks are vital skills for you. Although 97% of executives value resilience, fewer than half see their organisations as resilient. Developing resilience improves your flexibility, creativity and focus, helping you and your team manage stress effectively. It also allows you to utilise your strengths more fully, benefiting your organisation, colleagues and personal well-being.

• Which personal habits help me stay resilient under stress, and where could I improve?

• How can I contribute to building a more resilient environment within my team or organisation?

3. Empathy

You can strengthen relationships and support your team by understanding and sharing their feelings. Adaptive leaders lead with empathy, seeing situations through others’ eyes. Empathy builds trust. Listening to employees and valuing their thoughts and feelings even without immediate agreement encourages trust and collaboration. Adaptive leaders empathise with challenges and emotions.

• How might recognising your own biases improve your ability to empathise?

• What small daily actions could make your team feel truly heard and valued?

4. Flexibility

Being open to change and adjusting your strategies as situations shift is essential. Rather than rigidly following a set plan, remain flexible and pivot based on new information. Flexible leaders are those who can adjust their leadership style or approach in response to uncertain or unpredictable circumstances.

• How can you identify when it’s time to pivot your approach?

• What steps can you take to become more comfortable with uncertainty in your leadership?

“It is not the strongest nor the most intelligent of species that survives, but the one that is most adaptable to change.” – Charles Darwin

5. Strategic Thinking

You can strengthen your ability to see the big picture and understand long-term impacts while staying adaptable short term. Big-picture thinking boosts productivity, decision-making and performance. Embracing strategic thinking helps leaders and organisations sharpen their acumen, navigate business complexities, drive innovation and achieve lasting success.

• How can you balance immediate needs with long-term goals in your decisions?

• What practices could help you consistently think more strategically in your role?

6. Communication Skills

Communicate ideas, expectations, and feedback clearly while actively listening. As businesses move towards matrix structures, strong communication and influencing skills are vital. Leadership is not just authority; it’s inspiring and motivating others. Effective communication helps build relationships, increase motivation and achieve outstanding results.

• How can you ensure your communication resonates with different team members?

• What methods could you use to inspire and motivate your team more effectively?

7. Collaboration

To work effectively with others, value diverse perspectives and build trust within your team. This encourages open communication and idea-sharing without fear. As a leader, promote openness and provide growth opportunities. Recognise achievements and cultivate a positive, inclusive culture that encourages collaboration, engagement and mutual respect among all team members.

• How do you currently encourage collaboration within your team?

• What actions can you take to drive more open and honest communication?

8. Decisiveness

Make timely, well-considered decisions, even amid uncertainty. Decisiveness means acting clearly and promptly using available information. In the workplace, it drives plan execution and goal achievement. Decisive managers accept imperfection, adjust when needed and understand that action, even with incomplete information, is better than inaction.

• How do you determine when to act despite uncertainty?

• What strategies can help you balance decisiveness with careful consideration?

“To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.” – Tony Robbins

9. Curiosity

If you have a strong desire to learn and understand new things, you promote continuous improvement and innovation. As an adaptive leader, you know curiosity drives innovation and that mistakes are learning opportunities. Being curious helps you explore, experiment, learn from failures and guide your team to success.

• How can you cultivate curiosity within your team?

• What lessons from past mistakes could inform your future decisions?

10. Accountability

You take responsibility for your actions and decisions and you hold others accountable in a fair and constructive manner. Accountability is essential in effective leadership, involving transparency in decision-making and a readiness to accept and act on critical feedback. As a leader, you understand that transparency is crucial for building trust and credibility among your teams and stakeholders.

• How do you hold yourself and your team accountable for actions and decisions?

• What changes can you implement to promote a culture of accountability?

11. Cultural Competence

You need to understand and value cultural differences to lead diverse teams effectively. Cultural competence is key for global leadership, involving respect, understanding, and effective interaction with people from varied backgrounds. Today, navigating cultural diversity requires strong cultural intelligence to succeed as a leader.

In what ways can you enhance your understanding of cultural differences to lead a more diverse team effectively?

12. Visionary Thinking

Inspire others by providing clear direction toward a shared goal. Visionary leadership relies on a compelling vision and understanding your organisation’s values, mission, and long-term goals. It drives success, growth and positive impact. Strategic and adaptive leaders balance future planning with current challenges to foster innovation and sustained success.

• How can you ensure your vision resonates with your team daily?

• What steps can you take to balance long-term goals with immediate organisational needs?

Adaptive Leadership - Leading Change (Marty Linsky, Harvard Professor)

Adaptive leadership requires flexibility, responsiveness and effectiveness in complex environments. While many leaders claim to involve employees in creating change strategies, a significant gap exists between leaders' perceptions and employees' experiences, leading to mistrust and resistance.

As you consider your own leadership journey, what steps will you take to cultivate the qualities of adaptive leadership and empower your team to thrive in the face of change?

Focus on genuine inclusion and transparent communication. Involving employees in decision-making processes and clearly outlining success metrics helps you build trust and reduce resistance. Emphasising the key elements above will help you and your organisation thrive in the midst of change. Adopting these characteristics will create an environment where both leaders and teams can adapt and succeed together.