As we mark the midway point of 2020, it is abundantly clear that the only constant is change. It’s not a noun – a thing outside of us. It’s a verb – a state that requires our active participation. The sooner we accept this, and recognize that change’s cousin, uncertainty, is also here to stay, the better we’ll be able to design our lives and work to meet this moment and ultimately to thrive.

ADAPTIVE LEADERSHIP

I’m a new-ish student of Adaptive Leadership, and one of the things I love about this discipline is the way leadership itself is defined as a practice, not a position. In this model, leadership starts with noticing what is. We then are asked to accept reality. Which doesn’t mean we like it! It’s the act of acknowledging what is. From there, leaders (not an organizational chart designation – a posture, a way of thinking and of acting) make sense of reality and chart a course to a future based on vision. From this perspective, recognizing that change is not leaving any time soon, we can develop a set of plans and processes that serve the purpose of our company/organization/team.

Our current state of unending flux requires us to be incredibly nimble, adjust time-frames for planning, and be acutely attuned to what is working. And what is not. These qualities of attention, agility, and acceptance go a long way to building resilient teams and increase the likelihood of success.

So – what does this look like in our personal and professional spheres?

INDIVIDUAL LEVEL

At the individual level, it includes being flexible in the face of shifting safety mandates, finding reliable sources of information, and being in communication with those around us about collective levels of comfort. It means putting off long-term plans for vacations, study, and other exciting activities and adopting practices that support our physical, mental, and intellectual health. Now. If the future is cloudy, there’s no time like the present to be fully present. And, when we need an escape, there are innumerable sources of inspiration (art, reading, dance, music, film, photography) that are literally at our finger-tips. Let the interior landscape be richly tilled. Oh, and did I mention how far a sense of humor will get us?

COLLECTIVE LEVEL

Collectively, and at work, flexibility is also key. Like the teams of local media executives across the country with which I work, embrace a “Design/Do” attitude. Try stuff. Invite new voices to the table and listen to them. Be incredibly curious and honest about what is working and what isn’t. Ask your peers what they are learning, striking a collaborative pose. May the best iterator win!

The world is asking a lot of us – to heal, to help, to see what our actions and inactions have wrought. We need to change. So that we can grow. So that we can do better. So that we can learn the lessons we need to learn. So, with newly developed muscles and the grace of being nimble, we can co-create a future that is inclusive, responsive, and sustainable.