Learning From the Future As It Learning From the Future As It Emerges: Being an Adaptive LeaderEmerges: Being an Adaptive Leader

11

Craig McDowell craig@aspire2lead.co.nz

Asenz. Wellington. September 20121. Heifetz, Grashow & Linsky (2009)

Challenging people’s reality – taking people outside their comfort zones yet

at same time addressing and assessing the toughest challenges.

Meanwhile, you still have to lead!

Hunker downHunker down

• Default to what you know how Default to what you know how to do, weathering the stormto do, weathering the storm

• Protect yourself from external Protect yourself from external threatsthreats

Press resetPress reset

• Use turbulence to build on and bring closure to Use turbulence to build on and bring closure to the past, changing rules of the game, reshaping the past, changing rules of the game, reshaping the organisation, redefine the work people dothe organisation, redefine the work people do

• Process of conservation as well as reinventionProcess of conservation as well as reinvention• Targeting specific strands of organisational DNATargeting specific strands of organisational DNA

Senge, Scharmer, Jaworski, Flowers (2004)

When have you had a choice of hunkering down When have you had a choice of hunkering down or pressing reset?or pressing reset?

What were the circumstances to your decision?What were the circumstances to your decision?

What was the outcome of your decision?What was the outcome of your decision?

Foster AdaptationLeadership: An improvisational and

experimental art

Foster AdaptationFoster Adaptation

• Developing next practicesDeveloping next practices

• Run numerous experimentsRun numerous experiments

• Distinguish the essential from the Distinguish the essential from the expendableexpendable

Foster AdaptationFoster Adaptation

Why is it so difficult for people to Why is it so difficult for people to leave something behind that had leave something behind that had

been valued?been valued?

Embrace disequilibriumEmbrace disequilibrium

Embrace disequilibriumEmbrace disequilibrium

• Without urgency, difficult change becomes far Without urgency, difficult change becomes far less likelyless likely

• Leadership today involves orchestrating the Leadership today involves orchestrating the inevitable conflict, chaos, and confusion of inevitable conflict, chaos, and confusion of change so that the disturbance is productive change so that the disturbance is productive rather than destructiverather than destructive

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Embrace disequilibrium

First-order ChangeWhen change is viewed as:An extension of the past

Within existing paradigms

Consistent with prevailing values & norms

Implemented with existing knowledge & skills

Embrace disequilibrium

First-order ChangeWhen change is viewed as:

Second-order Change:When change is viewed as:

An extension of the past A break with the past

Within existing paradigms Outside of existing paradigms

Consistent with prevailing values & norms

Conflicting with prevailing values & norms

Implemented with existing knowledge & skills

Requiring new knowledge & skills

Embrace disequilibriumEmbrace disequilibrium

• Keep your eyes on the thermostatKeep your eyes on the thermostat

• Depersonalise conflictDepersonalise conflict

• Have courageous conversationsHave courageous conversations

Embrace disequilibriumEmbrace disequilibrium

How does your ability and willingness How does your ability and willingness to have courageous conversations, to have courageous conversations, demonstrate authenticity and build demonstrate authenticity and build

credibility and trust?credibility and trust?

“Stability is a liability, not an asset in today’s world. Each view of the horizon is a glance

through a different turn of the kaleidoscope” (Egon Zehnder, 2000)

Generate leadershipGenerate leadership

• Acknowledge interdependence of peopleAcknowledge interdependence of people

• Use leadership to generate more Use leadership to generate more leadership deep in organisationleadership deep in organisation

• Share leadership responsibilityShare leadership responsibility

Adaptive Leadership

Blurred boundaries

Overlapping categories & membership

Flexible, dynamic, responsive

Uncertain, vulnerable, contested

Generate leadershipGenerate leadership

• Mobilise everyone to generate Mobilise everyone to generate solutionssolutions

• Give up some authority and Give up some authority and ownershipownership

Generate leadershipGenerate leadership

When have you had to give up When have you had to give up some authority and ownership to some authority and ownership to

others in order to generate others in order to generate leadership, and how did this leadership, and how did this

feel?feel?

Taking care of yourselfTaking care of yourself

• Balance with your own thinking and Balance with your own thinking and emotionsemotions

• Be both optimistic Be both optimistic and realisticand realistic

• Find a sanctuaryFind a sanctuary

Taking care of yourselfTaking care of yourself

• Reach out to confidantsReach out to confidants

• Bring more of your Bring more of your emotional self to the tableemotional self to the table

• Don’t lose yourself in your Don’t lose yourself in your rolerole

Ready to Adapt?

Hunker Down or Press Reset

Foster AdaptationEmbrace DisequlibriumGenerate LeadershipTake Care of Yourself

Learning From the Future As It Learning From the Future As It Emerges: Being an Adaptive LeaderEmerges: Being an Adaptive Leader Learning from

as it emerges - adaptive leadership

Adaptive Adaptive OrganisationOrganisation

Adaptive Adaptive OrganisationOrganisation

•Elephants in the roomElephants in the room•Shared responsibilityShared responsibility• Independent judgementIndependent judgement•Develop leadership capacityDevelop leadership capacity• Institutionised reflection and Institutionised reflection and

continuous learningcontinuous learning

Craig McDowellcraig@aspire2lead.co.nz

Asenz. Wellington. 2012

One thing you would like to

explore further.

What is going around in your

head?

What are three ideas that you took from the sessions?

What do you agree with – what

“squared off” your thinking /

philosophy?