We live in a society that is both fast paced and convenient. From 24 hour drive-thrus, to cell phone sized
internet, to super grocery stores, to drive-thru pharmacies and dry cleaners,
our world is definitely changing. Depending
on whom you ask when, this may be good but it also may be very bad. However, no matter how you view these modern
changes, one thing is certain “as the pace of change in society continues to
accelerate, all organizations are facing the pressure to determine how they
must adjust, renew, and alter themselves, sometimes in radical ways, in order
to remain viable.”[1]
As a former business owner, I could not agree more. Even the church faces this current dilemma. The church is forced to contend with the
issue of relevancy amidst these changing and chaotic times. So where does this leave us as leaders?
It should not
surprise us that as organizations are forced to continually change,
re-evaluate, shift, and continually scan the horizon for what lies ahead, we as
leaders must do the very same thing. We
must be open to change, continually re-evaluating ourselves and our leadership
for what lies ahead. Today one may need to be the authoritarian leader who
alone has to make the difficult decisions and tomorrow this same leader may
need to be the charismatic leader whose “inspiration and creativity are
provided....in an independent style.”[2]
Above all though “leaders cannot remain static in organizations that are
adapting and growing,”[3]
rather they must become as adaptable as the organizations they seek to lead. Michaelson states, “because of the pace of
change today, it may well be the case that we don’t need different types of
leaders as much as we need people who can lead in different types of ways.”[4]
This practice is
referred to as the practice of adaptive leadership. As we begin to examine this practice, I stand
atop a rabbit hole and peer deep within recalling my first RCA Classis
examination. Allow me to side track ever
so slightly to bring this story into focus.
It was during a rather intense examination process that the art of
leadership centered around me specifically.
Prior to this exact point, I indeed had always considered myself a
leader. After all, I had successfully
run a small business for a number of years before establishing and running a
501c3 not for profit organization. Yet
never had I stopped to consider exactly what type of leader I really was. However, on this particular day, during the
examination, the proctor asked specifically “Derek, what type of leader are
you?” Answering as best I could, totally
unprepared for the coming moments, I replied “It totally depends on the
situation and what is called for in the particular situation.” To wit the proctor responded, “No, you
certainly will lead with one particular style- what is your style?” Again, I replied as before, “It completely
and totally depends on the situation. I
do not have just one style!” Thus, the
battle began, a battle that wound up reaching a stalemate thirty awkward
minutes later. I share this simply to
say had I had words to describe myself as an adaptive leader, or if I simply
knew what this meant, I could have avoided this awkward moment in the exam room. I also share this to say that there seems to
be a changing of the guard as it were. Previously
leaders could pick a style of leadership that best fit their personality and
lead in that particular manner. However,
to be a great leader in today’s ever-changing culture much more is required. Although “leadership is...essential for a
group to...accomplish its mission, leaders are most effective when they have
the wisdom and security to adapt their style of leadership to the dynamics of
their organization and the requirements of their mission over time.”[5] Thus, adaptive leadership becomes a primary
style of leadership among today’s great leaders.
But, just what exactly is adaptive leadership? In their book: The Practice of Adaptive Leadership,
Heifetz, Grashow, and Linsky define adaptive leadership as the “practice of
mobilizing people to tackle tough challenges and thrive.”[6]
Adding further they define the term thriving as having three primary
characteristics: “(1) it preserves the DNA essential for...continued survival; (2)
it discards (re-regulates or rearranges) the DNA that no longer serves the (organization’s/
organism’s) current needs; (3) it creates DNA arrangements that give the (organization’s/
organism’s) the ability to flourish in new ways and in more challenging
environments.”[7]
Thus, at its base, an adaptable leader knows how “to take the best (practices
and methodology) from (their organization’s) history (and move forward) into
the future”[8]
in new and exciting ways without losing sight of the mission or the values that
guide the mission. Adding onto this, the adaptive leader not only does the
above mentioned well they also empower others to journey with them, making
important decisions along the way, thereby cultivating “a shared sense of
allegiance and trust...among...all.”[9] It
may be of further help to identify the best adaptive leader of all, our Lord
and Savior, Jesus Christ. Is this not exactly what Jesus did during his earthly
ministry here on earth? In regards to the three above mentioned areas: (1) he
upheld the Torah as being of significant worth, stating “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have
come not to abolish but to fulfill.” (Matthew
5:17 NRSV); (2) he did away with the legalism of the Pharisees who were content
to chain the teaching of the Torah by unrealistic expectation; (3) and each
time Jesus stripped something away from the Pharisees teachings, he gave it back
to the people in a healthy new way. Additionally,
Jesus did all of this while inviting people to journey with him. He
specifically chose the twelve disciples, pouring himself into them, but he also
allowed the crowds to join in the journey he was on. Jesus is the best example of an adaptive
leader.
Now, although
no doubt, this is but a brief overview of the practice of adaptive leadership
and many more words could be written in this regard, I have sought merely to
begin the conversation of what adaptive leadership is and what it looks like. I invite, and in fact, challenge you to dig
deeper into this all-important topic of leadership on your own. And, in Jesus’ own words, “Follow me...” as
you begin to consider what adaptive leadership can bring to your own
organization and life.
For today, this is my view from The Road Less
Traveled.
[1] Granberg-Michaelson, Wesley. Leadership
From Inside Out. New York, NY:
Crossroad Publishing Company, 2004. Page
127
[2] Ibid,
Page 129
[3]
Ibid, Page 130
[4] Ibid,
Page 131
[5]
Ibid, Page 135
[6] Heifetz, Ronald, Alexander Grashow, and
Marty Linsky.
The Practice of Adaptive Leadership. Boston,
Massachusetts: Harvard Business Press, 2009.
Page 14
[7]
Ibid, Page 14
[8]
Ibid, Page 14
[9] Granberg-Michaelson, Wesley. Leadership
From Inside Out. New York, NY:
Crossroad Publishing Company, 2004. Page
134
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