As leadership guru Jim Collins tells us, organizations go from good to great when personalities step aside and let purpose become the focus.  Essentially, great organizations are purpose-driven (versus leader-driven).  

 

So how can you become an adaptive leader in your organization, and still stay on purpose? 

 

Adaptive leaders understand that:

 

-Change happens incrementally.

-Learning can be painful, so anticipate and counteract reluctance.

-Continuously connect change to core values of the organization.

 

What else can you do to embrace adaptive leadership? 

 

Give key people responsibilities to junior leadership that rest right at the edge of their ability level and experience set. Your role is to take one thing off your own plate, and instead accomplish the same task by coaching a junior leader through it.  This may sound like it takes more energy than doing it yourself, but the more comfortable you are with the process, you’ll realize that you accomplish two goals; getting a job completed and fostering new leadership in the organization.

 

Consistently assess the processes and relationships that are not in line with the core values of the organization and be willing to let them go.  Consider this an organizational “don’t do” list.  Are there processes that aren’t working anymore?  Employees that make you wish you weren’t a boss?  Imagine how your focus could shift when these items, relationships or perceived priorities drop off your list.

 

Across the country and across industries, training budgets have become tighter than ever, and companies are still feeling the aftershocks of a tough economy. In the midst of these challenges, training employees has become more critical, both to keep the company moving forward and to retain high potential employees. 

 

So, with a chiseled-down budget and waning morale, what do you do to engage the team in the training that they need? Here are some broadly practical takeaways that you can use in your training programs (or even presentations and conferences!) today:

 

1. Continuously emphasize the most critical concepts. Re-introduce concepts using multiple media and engaging as many senses as possible.

 

2. Create visual keys for abstract concepts. Many of today’s learners are visual learners.  A simple diagram can be more valuable than a thousand words.

 

3. Utilize in-class activities to reinforce newly presented material. After a new concept or subject has been presented via text reading, lecture, or class discussion, allow participants to put the concept into action by completing an in-class assignment.  And, as a bonus - Attendance tends to improve in courses that have in-class assignments!

 

4. Create links between concepts and information.  These overlaps build on information that has already been learned and helps learners acquire the new knowledge at the same time.

 

Each of these takeaways can help motivate even the most lethargic employee.

 

Set the scene with an expectation of high performance and mutual respect, along with the takeaways above, to keep your employees performing at a higher level and growing their career, even in the face of challenging constraints.