Adaptive Leadership

[Amelia]

Developed by Ron Heifetz and Marty Linsky who attended the Harvard Kennedy School in the 1990s was a framework and concept called Adaptive Leadership. This kind of leadership is great for addressing adaptive and complex challenges when it comes to leadership. 

When we talk about adaptive challenges we mean challenges that do not have clear solutions or are unable to be solved by using the normal problem-solving methods. These kinds of challenges require a more innovative or flexible approach when it comes to solving them. 

Below we give you concepts and key principles that are associated with adaptive leadership.

Managing the Heat:

When it comes to addressing challenges that are adaptive challenges, approaching them in the same way you would ordinary challenges is not something that will work as well.

Addressing adaptive challenges will often involve you confronting difficult and emotionally charged issues. When you are an adaptive leader, you will have to be skilled at managing the heat when it comes to these kinds of challenges as these kinds of challenges can include discomfort, conflict and resistance. 

When dealing with these kinds of challenges you would need to create an environment where those involved feel safe and able to confront the challenges that they face.

Being able to distribute leadership:

When it comes to adaptive leadership it is not a leadership that is limited to those who are in formal positions of authority. Adaptive leadership encourages leadership to be distributed throughout a group or an organization. If you have the ability to step up and address adaptive challenges in an effective way then you can step up as a leader in the face of more difficult challenges. 

Building Resilience:

Adaptive leadership is also a way to build resilience in organizations and individuals. This is done by developing the adaptive capacity group. Leaders can then enable them to better deal with future challenges. 

Being able to distinguish between adaptive and technical challenges:

Adaptive leadership highlights the importance of distinguishing between technical problems that may arise. These technical problems will have known solutions that can be addressed with adaptive challenges and existing expertise. This will require changes in behaviour, new learning and experimentation.

One thing you must always remember is that adaptive leadership is not something that is a one-size-fits-all. Adaptive leadership requires you as the leader to adapt to a style and to approach challenges that you are facing in a way to fit the specific context. 

View full article