It can be tough at times to meet all the challenges and still feel enthusiasm. It’s not surprising that amid the sheer volume of activity, a leader’s zest can be affected and their energy levels drop. Adaptive leadership can help.
How do leaders rekindle their earlier energy?
Adapting is fundamental to being the right person in the right place at the right time. It is incredibly easy to drift in an organisation.
Yes, we may feel established as leaders, but we also may not notice the more subtle changes in the culture around us. Leadership is arguably less about control than checking the organisational temperature and our ability to regulate it.
Part of that is checking in with ourselves and our own appetite for being open to emergent ideas and ways of working. Leaders know that influence can be more effective than authority.
When adaptive leadership works…
Dr Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linsky introduced the adaptive leadership model at Harvard University in 2009. They noted that top-down leadership was out of date and that a single leader could rarely if ever, solve all of a company’s problems. So, in 2009, they developed a model to develop innovative thinking, using challenge and an inclusive and outward looking focus. It is arguably one of the earliest models of a form of disruptive leadership and very relevant today whilst we tackle issues for example, of inclusivity and sustainability.
Be sensitive to the changing culture.
Cultures and subcultures exist in any organisation and are not static. Knowing what drives these parallel cultures, means we have intelligence that helps us adapt. Adaptive communication means recognising alternative viewpoints and even working with them.
Leaders may struggle further if they try to silence divergent thinking. A leader may believe that giving voice to alternative views is a source of weakness and that it dilutes the key message. This is a lost opportunity to engage and diversify the dialogue.
Don’t leaders need to be consistent?
Consistency can be around purpose rather than message. Sticking to the same old corporate message regardless of what might be happening around us is futile. Holding our sense of purpose and adapting the message shows we have our ear to the ground and a wider sense of vision.
And, if we are as leaders, to take people with us, we need to include them meaningfully in the process. Succession planning often engages further leaders in the organisation.
Adaptive leadership involves:
Adaptable businesses know that a team that shares goals and drives change will release potential, through new ways of thinking and delivering shared values. Groups and organisations change. Leaders join or leave; senior teams evolve and an adaptive organisation learns from the whole team.
Adaptive leaders accept everyone’s unique perspective on how to address new challenges and overcome barriers. In developing teams and individuals, perhaps consider more widely the companies being contracted and bring in a wider group of people from outside the business.
Succession planning
Succession plans say as much about us as leaders, as achieving our goals. It means working beyond self-interest. This excellent article by McKinsey on succession planning for CEOs talks about using a fair, objective and transparent succession plan.
However, beware of the impact of talent management on the wider team. Are the principles understood? Is there a framework for applying this that is transparent and therefore fair? However, we can’t only rely on the stars of the show.
Skills development
In a fast-changing environment existing and new leaders are developing skills for the challenges of diversity, climate change, political uncertainty, and digitalisation.
The DDI 2021 Global Leadership survey of over 15,000 leaders, indicated that only 23% of leaders rated their leadership development as high quality, a significant drop from previous forecasts. 1 in 4 leaders indicated that, their leadership development in their organisation as either non–existent or low quality.
So, there is work to be done and leaders can influence this by looking beyond existing models of L&D and existing suppliers to embrace that change.
Adapting as a leader and still feeling in control
Work with your strengths, bring on keen talented individuals but be ambitious for your whole team, and listen deeply. A diverse team will add value to a team at senior level as well as across the company.
And celebrate the small wins. It’s not always about the bonus, but the time off when parents need it, the ‘thank-you’ note, easing off when someone is low, the public recognition of a helpful attitude, and just noticing what we do well together. People will thank you for it and recognise your compassionate leadership.
Take time to think about your leadership style, you may well already know just how you want to add value and rekindle your enthusiasm.
Or you may wish to explore this in more depth through Executive Coaching.
