Some leaders opt for swift solutions, but certain challenges can't be remedied; instead, they must be navigated. Learn to differentiate these situations to avoid squandering resources and trust.
In a large organization, Maria, a department head, was grappling with issues related to collaboration and decision-making. The problems she faced were not technical in nature, but cultural, making them adaptive challenges that required a different approach.
Adaptive challenges, unlike technical ones, demand new learning, shifts in attitudes, changes in values, and behavioral transformation. They are complex and often ambiguous, requiring collaboration and experimentation rather than quick fixes. Examples of adaptive challenges include rebuilding trust, culture shifts, and redefining success.
Maria's team members did not feel safe telling the truth due to past conflicts and unspoken judgments. This disempowerment caused people to stop engaging creatively and wait for direction, leading to disempowerment and rework when the root causes of the problem were not addressed.
It is crucial to distinguish between technical and adaptive challenges because treating adaptive challenges as technical problems can lead to ineffective leadership responses. Adaptive challenges require leaders to engage others, foster shared ownership, facilitate learning, and create an environment where experimentation and change are possible.
The work to solve Maria's problems began with building a culture where truth could be shared. A practical step in adaptive leadership is to clarify the nature of the problem and bring the team into the conversation to create shared awareness.
Most problems are a mix of technical and adaptive challenges. For instance, if a problem requires both technical expertise and changes in behavior, mindset, or identity, it's a mix of both. If it requires a specific skill or authority to be applied, it's technical. If it requires someone to change behavior, mindset, or identity, it's adaptive.
Distinguishing these challenges prevents ineffective leadership responses and promotes long-term organizational adaptability and success. Greek philosopher Epictetus, humanist psychologist Carl Rogers, and leadership guru Stephen Covey all emphasized the importance of understanding before acting, a principle that is at the heart of adaptive leadership.
Adaptive leadership is less black and white and often necessary for goal achievement. It involves shared ownership and enlisting co-learners, not just assigning blame. By understanding the nature of the challenges they face and adopting the appropriate leadership styles, tools, and interventions, leaders can preserve trust and talent while enabling sustainable change.
[1] Heifetz, R. A., Grashow, A., & Linsky, M. (2009). The practice of adaptive leadership. Harvard Business Review Press. [2] Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2017). The leadership challenge (5th ed.). John Wiley & Sons. [3] Senge, P. M. (2006). The fifth discipline: The art & practice of the learning organization. Currency. [4] Covey, S. R., Merrill, A. G., & Merrill, R. R. (2016). The speed of trust: The one thing that changes everything. Free Press.
- Addressing Maria's issues of collaboration and decision-making in her department involves not just technical solutions, but also adaptive leadership, as these challenges require new learning, shifts in attitudes, and behavioral transformation.
- Adaptive leadership, as emphasized by thinkers such as Heifetz, Kouzes, Senge, and Covey, is crucial for fostering shared ownership, facilitating learning, and creating an environment where experimentation and change are possible.
- The key to success in Maria's business lies in understanding the nature of the challenges her team faces, whether technical or adaptive, and adopting the appropriate leadership styles, tools, and interventions, to preserve trust and talent while enabling sustainable change.
