The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization and the World
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-11-01 09:54:14
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Ronald A. Heifetz
- ISBN：1422105768
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Summary
A hands-on， practical guide， "Practice of Adaptive Leadership" contains stories， tools， diagrams， cases， and worksheets to help managers develop their skills as leaders who are able to take people outside their comfort zones and address the toughest challenges。
Reviews
Silvie
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Very useful book for managers dealing with transformations - full of good tools！
Eli Shi
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Not sure where the 'hands on' part was。。。 Maybe i missed it， but i didn't find anything valuable in the first 50 pages。 Not sure where the 'hands on' part was。。。 Maybe i missed it， but i didn't find anything valuable in the first 50 pages。 。。。more
Paul Laughlin
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How to learn the real practice of Adaptive LeadershipPlenty of new terms for leadership have become fashionable while considering leading through recent crises， one with the most academic grounding is Adaptive Leadership。Inside & outside the data leader community， I began hearing more leaders & experts reference this term。 It was even raised during a coaching supervision session， so I decided to learn what it really means & its relevance to data leaders。Its origins are as a practical leadership How to learn the real practice of Adaptive LeadershipPlenty of new terms for leadership have become fashionable while considering leading through recent crises， one with the most academic grounding is Adaptive Leadership。Inside & outside the data leader community， I began hearing more leaders & experts reference this term。 It was even raised during a coaching supervision session， so I decided to learn what it really means & its relevance to data leaders。Its origins are as a practical leadership model developed at Harvard University by Professors Ronald Heifetz & Martin Linsky。 As well as their academic work they have authored a number of books to help leaders master this approach， the latest of which is “The Practice of Adaptive Leadership“。 It is designed as a field guide focussed on practical application rather than theory & is so relevant for all types of leaders today。In this post， I will outline what you’ll find in this book & heartily recommend it for the leadership development of all types of leaders today。 That certainly includes data， analytics & insight leaders who can too easily mistake adaptive challenges for technical ones & so take an approach that fails。Defining Adaptive LeadershipBefore going any further， it would help for me to define this buzzword。 Part One of this book provides a grounding in the theory of Adaptive Leadership & includes this handy definition:“Adaptive leadership is the practice of mobilising people to tackle tough challenges and thrive。”The Practice of Adaptive Leadership， Heifetz， Grashow & Linksky （2009）The authors go on to suggest identify 6 aspects of this （using nature biological analogies）:Adaptive leadership is specifically about change that enables the capacity to thrive。Successful adaptive changes build on the past rather than jettison it。Organisational adaptation occurs through experimentation。Adaptation relies on diversity。New adaptations significantly displace， deregulate & rearrange some old DNA （culture）。Adaptation takes time。I’m sure you can see the relevance to our current times。 Both in the themes highlighted above & the range of threats facing today’s businesses （from global to local， societal to technological）。 In these first few chapters， the authors also help us distinguish the more familiar technical challenges from adaptive ones。Kind of challengetProblem definitiontSolutiontLocus of workTechnicaltCleartCleartAuthorityTechnical & AdaptivetCleartRequires learningtAuthority & StakeholdersAdaptivetRequires learningtRequires learningtStakeholdersThe Practice of Adaptive Leadership， Heifetz， Grashow & Linksky （2009）The rest of this great book goes on to help leaders recognise the skills they need to develop to successfully learn in such circumstances & navigate the politics of those needed stakeholders。 We have all heard about the need for organisations to change， even to transform if they are to survive （let alone thrive） in the future of commerce， work & society。 Too often the focus has been on the need for technical changes （data， digital， AI – choose your prefix to the word transformation）。 However， those actually leading such projects always attest to the greatest challenges being the people side of change。 Cultural/People change requires a wider set of skills than is normally acknowledged。 This book brings to life both the mindset & skills needed within a framework model。The four phases that structure this book1） Diagnose the SystemPart two of this book is a plea to pause and take time to diagnose。 Rather than rushing into action， like a good medical doctor， the diagnosis should come before treatment。 All too often leaders， perhaps especially experienced data or analytics leaders， can be quick to assume they understand the problem & rush into working on a solution。 This section of the book reminds us how nuanced reality can be & what we need to learn to notice。Highlights include help with escaping the allure of status quo thinking & spotting cultural norms in things like folklore， rituals， group norms & meeting protocols。 Then the authors help you distinguish between technical & adaptive challenges in practice。 The includes the helpful description of 4 adaptive challenge archetypes:Gap between espoused values & behaviourCompeting communicationsSpeaking the unspeakableWork avoidanceChapter 6 helps readers diagnose the political landscape in their organisation。 This is so helpful & well worth reading for all those with responsibility for stakeholder management。 Throughout this book， the wisdom with which it engages with navigating the messy reality of office politics is one of its greatest benefits。 A useful analogy of a vegetable stew （complete with diagram） is used to help you think about each stakeholders factions， constituencies & loyalties。 To diagnose the politics at work， adaptive leaders need to:Uncover the values driving stakeholder behaviourAcknowledge stakeholders multiple loyaltiesName the losses at risk for each personRealise hidden alliances to improve your influence2） Mobilise the SystemIn part three， we move to action。 Making interpretations based on your above diagnosis & designing effective interventions to achieve adaptive change。 A seven-step process will really help leaders think through how to approach this stage。 But， once again， the greatest strength of this part of the book is its thinking on the messy human reality of needing to act politically， orchestrate conflict & build an adaptive culture。Advice on acting politically mobilises the understanding of different/overlapping constituencies and loyalties identified during your diagnosis。 Planning for this approach includes advice on strengthening your relationships， scoring some early wins， addressing some interests that are unconnected with the adaptive challenge & selling small pieces of your idea。 A helpful worksheet is provided to help leaders identify & plan their tactics for 5 groups of stakeholders （allies， opponents， senior authorities， casualties & dissenters）。The charter on orchestrating conflict will be challenging for some leaders。 Few of us enjoy conflict， but the writers explain why a willingness to create it & raise the heat up to a productive level is vital。 Coaches will be familiar with the language of ‘holding the disequilibrium‘ rather than being tempted to calm others or offer solutions yourself。 Practical advice is offered for using off-site events & other communication tools。 They identify 7 steps to help you orchestrate productive conflict:PrepareEstablish ground rulesGet each view on the table （your list of allies， opponents et al， as listed above）Orchestrate conflict （starkly， but evenhandedly， articulate competing claims）Encouraging accepting & managing lossesGenerate and commit to experimentsInstitute peer leadership coaching3） See yourself as a SystemPart four requires more introspection and reflection by leaders。 It is a time， as advocated by a Psychosynthesis approach， to recognise your own multiple subpersonalities and how these can help you。 To help you engage with the political landscape， the authors help you identify your multiple loyalties （including ancestors， aspects of identity & your communities beyond work）。 Then be able to intentionally choose how you show up & prioritise your loyalties & losses you can bear。A further chapter helps you consider your ‘tuning‘。 Not just whether you are highly strung， but being aware of your own triggers， hungers & through greater awareness reducing your reactivity。 There is also a helpful chapter on broadening your ‘bandwidth‘ （not just avoiding overwork but understanding your own tolerance for change & conflict）。 Following chapters guide leaders on how to understand their multiple roles & articulate their motivating purpose （from many potential purposes）。4） Deploy yourselfThe final part of this book focuses on taking personal action to achieve change。 In many ways， this is a mirror of the ‘Mobilising the System’ section above。 Just as that responded appropriately to a careful diagnosis， this final section responds to everything that has been learnt above （especially greater self-knowledge）。 It helps leaders recognise that they are not impartial observers but rather key agents of change through the way that they lead & interact with others。 Leadership advice in this section includes how to:Stay connected to your purposesEngage courageously （including focussing on what is being conserved， not just what is new）Inspire people （including listening from the heart & use of silence）Run experiments （data & analytics leaders will love this section， though it has wider application）As a mentor to a number of successful data leaders， I was pleased to read their final chapter entitled “Thrive”。 It rightly identifies the need for support & self-care for leaders， if they are to achieve thriving adaptation in the organisation。 The authors highlight a number of elements that will sustain leaders & help them to both personally thrive & role model for others what is healthy:Grow your personal support networkFind ConfidantsSatisfy your hungers outside of workAnchor yourself in multiple communitiesCreate a personal holding environment （a sanctuary）Renew yourself （a balanced portfolio， find daily satisfaction）Be coolly realistic & unwaveringly optimistic （both at the same time）All this is good leadership advice that I have seen help my mentoring clients。How it helps you practice adaptive leadershipThis book is co-authored by Alexander Grashow （who shares an academic background in leadership with Heifetz & Linsky but also has experience of training & consulting globally）。 It is the hands-on experience with helping all types of organisations （from all 3 authors） that shines through & makes this book so helpful。In each chapter the authors share plenty of examples both from their personal lives & their consulting experience。 There are anecdotes from public bodies， private businesses of all sizes & not for profit organisations around the world。 The layout of each chapter also helps （you can tell these authors are experienced educators）。 As well as the helpful 5 part structure that I have laid out above， each part has a short overview introduction。 Then within each part the structure of chapters & sections is explained with overviews & frameworks。 So， the reader always understands where there are in the structure of their argument。 Other useful elements of each chapter are:Regular examples from their hands-on experience in a wide range of organisations。“On the balcony” exercises – to prompt leaders to step back & see the bigger picture。。“On the practice field” exercises – to try using with your team。Case studies in grey boxes （short stories that bring principles or issues to life）。How well are you addressing adaptive challenges？I hope that book review was helpful and has inspired you to learn about Adaptive Leadership & strengthen your adaptation skills。 What sounded most relevant to your day-to-day or strategic challenges？What else helps you address what are adaptive rather than technical challenges？ What helps you lead change that requires more than data science or analytics？ What challenges do you face that require cultural & people change in your organisation？ I encourage you to think about this as no data transformations will be achieved as purely technical exercises。 。。。more
Michelle
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This book combines thoughtful reflections， exercises and questions to help leaders grow in leading systemic change in their organizations
Mai
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I just read the whole book in one sitting。 So reliable and so supportive in time of pandemic。 This book is what I am thristing for during Covid-19 period which needed to implement adaptive leadership in all setting。
Max Tachis
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This was semi-required reading for my team in the workplace。 The Silicon Valley work environment is changing plenty fast as it is， but with COVID-19 and stronger discussions around race， safety， and equity there's simply no time to NOT facilitate an adaptive workplace。 This book provides a lot of actionable solutions to issues facing modern employment and collaborative team-building。 It benefits from a straight read-through， but will probably continue to serve my team and I better in the future This was semi-required reading for my team in the workplace。 The Silicon Valley work environment is changing plenty fast as it is， but with COVID-19 and stronger discussions around race， safety， and equity there's simply no time to NOT facilitate an adaptive workplace。 This book provides a lot of actionable solutions to issues facing modern employment and collaborative team-building。 It benefits from a straight read-through， but will probably continue to serve my team and I better in the future as a strategic textbook that can be referenced for any given situation。The biggest surprise was how applicable most of these concepts are to enriching your relationships and community impact outside the workplace。 Facets of adaptive leadership like voicing "elephants in the room" regularly， questioning the status quo， and being okay with being uncomfortable are major topics of discussion worldwide right now。 In fact， they're IMPERATIVE to the future of our society。Not just a great guide for strengthening your output at work， but also for navigating （and helping others navigate） the progress of an ever-changing world。 。。。more
Everett Shupe
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A must read for anyone who wants to lead in the 21st century。 Grounded in academic research with practical examples。 I use it in the Leadership Development Program I manage。
Jamie
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I'm not saying this was a fun book to read， it is definitely a textbook and not something I would have read if it weren't required for one of my grad classes。 But， as far as textbooks about leadership go， it was useful and I could really see myself putting the strategies into practice in my work and community life。 It is definitely a book I would recommend for anyone wishing to take on more of a leadership role in any facet of their life， especially if there are major changes afoot。 I'm not saying this was a fun book to read， it is definitely a textbook and not something I would have read if it weren't required for one of my grad classes。 But， as far as textbooks about leadership go， it was useful and I could really see myself putting the strategies into practice in my work and community life。 It is definitely a book I would recommend for anyone wishing to take on more of a leadership role in any facet of their life， especially if there are major changes afoot。 。。。more
Erika RS
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The ideas in this book are critical for anyone engaging in organizational change in the face of complex change。 What keeps it from 5 stars is that， as a book， it feels more repetitive and disorganized than it needs to be which makes it harder to focus on the key points。Adaptive leadership is leadership in the face of complex （in the Cynefin sense） organizational problems。 Adaptive problems generally require learning， risk taking， and figuring out what parts of past culture and procedure to keep The ideas in this book are critical for anyone engaging in organizational change in the face of complex change。 What keeps it from 5 stars is that， as a book， it feels more repetitive and disorganized than it needs to be which makes it harder to focus on the key points。Adaptive leadership is leadership in the face of complex （in the Cynefin sense） organizational problems。 Adaptive problems generally require learning， risk taking， and figuring out what parts of past culture and procedure to keep and which to get rid of because it is no longer serving the organization。 Expertise is of little use when solving adaptive problems。This book is meant to provide practical ideas and exercises to help leaders grow in their ability to handle adaptive problems。 It contains a lot of material， so I will try to outline just the key topics。 There's a lot in the details。 The exercises， in particular， are one of the most valuable parts of this book。 Overall， this is worth a deeper read if you need to engage in complex organizational change。 There is a strong emphasis on diagnosis before action and understanding the many systems you and the organization have embedded in them。 Since adaptive problems cannot rely on existing technical expertise， understanding the shape of things is critical to trying the right things。 Diagnosis is critical because the status quo is tenacious， and changing it often has deeper structural implications than the initial surface problem may indicate。 We must distinguish technical challenges from adaptive challenges。 Technical challenges can be broken down and solved incrementally。 They often are best addressed using existing expertise。 They are， in the Cynefin sense， complicated。 Adaptive problems are interconnected。 Existing technical solutions are often part of the problem。 These problems are less about the surface shape of the problem and often are rooted in long standing values， beliefs， and loyalties。 They are fundamentally human problems， and solutions must be centered on changing hearts and minds。 We must characterize the nature of adaptive leadership。 Many leaders get to the positions they are in because they have a proven track record of solving problems。 They are often rewarded for continuing to succeed in the same way （even if that success was boundary pushing the first time）。 Being an adaptive leader requires thoughtfully pushing at the boundaries of your influence and authority。 This is because solutions to the complex problems of today are not to be found in the techniques and authorizations of the past。 But they cannot just jump beyond the scope of their authority。 Solving an adaptive challenge requires dancing on the edge between existing authority and leadership which pushes beyond that authority。This is because solving adaptive problems often requires making people uncomfortable。 An adaptive leader needs to be willing to raise the issues that others are unwilling to speak about。 They need to be willing to push people into the zone of productive disequilibrium。 This is the zone where they feel uncomfortable enough that they are motivated to take action but not so uncomfortable that they give up。 Orchestrating productive conflict is hard。 A leader needs to prepare by listening and learning， establishing ground rules for a safe conversation， making sure all views are heard， and keeping the uncomfortable issues on the table。 Leading in complex situations is an inherently political activity。 This does not mean that it's about gaining and keeping power。 Rather， it's about the more expansive sense of politics: the creation of coalitions to meet a common goal， across sometimes uncomfortable boundaries。 An adaptive leader needs partners who are willing to support them， even when it is risky。You need to understand who will be affected by change。 What will they gain？ What will they lose？ How likely are they to care？ Acting politically also means being aware of the bounds of both formal and informal authority and working to expand that authority in directions that will aid future interventions。Complementing all of this is the need to be observant。 The metaphor used throughout the book is getting off of the dance floor and up on the balcony。 Problems need to be observed and interpreted in multiple ways。 These multiple interpretations open up the door to pursuing iterative experiments。 Leaders need to understand that their interpretation is not the only one。 They need to understand the interpretations of others， both to test for weaknesses in their own interpretations and to understand how to persuade others。 Leaders also need to be able to lead others to new interpretations。 Just as important as the interpretations themselves is growing the organization's ability to hold multiple， conflicting interpretations at once。Leaders should see themselves as complex systems that interact with the organizational systems they are embedded in。 Leaders have many loyalties and many roles they play， both professional and personal。 Sometimes these can hold a leader back from doing what they need to。 Each person is affected by the world around them in different ways。 Leaders need to understand how they typically react so they can make sure those reactions don't become liabilities。 Leaders need to intentionally stretch their capabilities。Solving adaptive problems is hard。 Progress will feel stymied by distractions， foot dragging， and failures。 Adaptive leadership carries a real risk of failure with negative consequences on your role in an organization。 Thus， a leader needs to make sure that they are working towards a purpose that they believe in strongly enough to handle the despair and stomach the risk。 They need to stay connected to this purpose and let go of the parts of their past that limit their ability to achieve this purpose。 All this is tiring， so leaders also need to make sure to take care of themselves by having sources of meaning and connection outside of the organization they are trying to change。They also need to be able to inspire others when the going gets tough。 Inspiration isn't about having a particular demeanor or saying the right words。 Insted， it's about listening closely to the audience with curiosity and compassion so that the leader understand where they are in their journey。 Then， when this has been absorbed， a leader needs to speak from their heart -- from their values， beliefs， and emotions -- so that they connect with the values， beliefs， and emotions of others。 。。。more
Superkermit
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Best book on leadership， because it brings everything back to yourself。 Practical insights and lessons on how to influence， reframe， reposition， mobilize， andsoforth， to further your cause and stay connected to your purpose。
Andre
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Didn't really vibe Didn't really vibe 。。。more
Carol
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Excellent examples throughout the book for adaptive change in your professional life and personal life， too。 Great advice on how to lead adaptive change。
Michelle
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I can definitely tell the leaders who've read and adopted this method of leadership。。。I like it。。。 I learned some new things and reaffirmed others。。。 I can definitely tell the leaders who've read and adopted this method of leadership。。。I like it。。。 I learned some new things and reaffirmed others。。。 。。。more
Meg
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This was very practical and a guide that I will no doubt return to from time to time。
Alex Bergland
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Required reading for my masters class。Although not a strictly education book， the concepts apply to education well and I really liked a lot of the concepts that were talked about in this book。 It opened my mind to some new ways of doing things。
Ron Aguilera
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Fantastic book on leadership！
Luke Evans
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Read part。 More of a reference work
Bjarne Skjødt Hjaltalin
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Gode pointer， men alt for meget tekst i forhold til hvad forfatterne gerne vil frem med。
Kathryn
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This read like a self-published book。 It seemed they took transformational leadership and repackaged it into adaptive leadership。
Lauren
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Definitely a good one to keep on the shelf and refer back to。
Danielle Baranowski
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Meh。 If you've never， ever read a book about leadership， this might be interesting， but it's mostly repetition of things that have been said better elsewhere。 tl;dr: be flexible， build relationships， keep learning， question everything。 Meh。 If you've never， ever read a book about leadership， this might be interesting， but it's mostly repetition of things that have been said better elsewhere。 tl;dr: be flexible， build relationships， keep learning， question everything。 。。。more
Amy Constant
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Even though I read it for a class， I really enjoyed the concepts and theories。
Nurlan Mustafayev
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I happened to be in his lecture few weeks ago and was very impressed by his thoughts， speech， style。 This encouraged me to read his latest book。 It is a great book indeed。 Nearly all people want to change something in their environments， but sometimes our values， thoughts， goals and strategy do not match。 This books gave me a context and disciplined thinking in clarifying some of my inner values and pursuing a real "systemic change" in my organization/country。 Need to re-read this book again。 I happened to be in his lecture few weeks ago and was very impressed by his thoughts， speech， style。 This encouraged me to read his latest book。 It is a great book indeed。 Nearly all people want to change something in their environments， but sometimes our values， thoughts， goals and strategy do not match。 This books gave me a context and disciplined thinking in clarifying some of my inner values and pursuing a real "systemic change" in my organization/country。 Need to re-read this book again。 。。。more
Kim Phan
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I'd have liked this book better had I worked in a larger organization and that it's shorter。 The book's illustration is not inspiring。 I'd have liked this book better had I worked in a larger organization and that it's shorter。 The book's illustration is not inspiring。 。。。more
Rebecca Fenerty
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Overall， good leadership resource。 Very specific tools and techniques related to adaptive challenges within the workplace。 Not an introductory resource for new leaders necessarily， but excellent for someone who is getting ready to tackle a major change/shift within an organization。
Alyssa Foll
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This is the best leadership book that I have read。 "The Practice of Adaptive Leadership" is about leading change， but how to do so in leading others through loss and how to lead yourself。 It's one of the first leadership books that I have come across that made sense， intuitively， to me。 I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is leading in their organizations， schools， churches， or communities。 This is the best leadership book that I have read。 "The Practice of Adaptive Leadership" is about leading change， but how to do so in leading others through loss and how to lead yourself。 It's one of the first leadership books that I have come across that made sense， intuitively， to me。 I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is leading in their organizations， schools， churches， or communities。 。。。more
Rachael Mackie
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This was required reading for a leadership class so not one I chose。 The concepts made sense， but it was boring to read and I found myself skimming to get to the end。
Zach
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This book would be amazing if it went to the depth of inquiry necessary。 You read a section， and are left just wanting more， but not in a good way like a solid novel。 Instead， you being to understand the topic the authors are getting at， and are ready for more， and the chapter ends。 Very unexpected， and not very useful。
Corinna
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Great book about leadership。 This book or something similar should be required reading for all human beings。。。
Shane Orr
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