397 Navigating Change: A Deep Dive into Adaptive Leadership with Tod Bolsinger
Jan 25, 2024
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Tod Bolsinger, an MDiv PhD and co-founder of A. E. Sloan Leadership, discusses adaptive leadership in a rapidly disrupted world. He highlights the importance of understanding core values, leading through loss, and navigating the tension between current values and evolving mission. The podcast explores redefining success, Jesus's disruptive teachings, and the struggles of adapting to new situations.
Adaptive leadership involves guiding teams through uncertain terrain by recognizing real-world problems and leading through loss.
Leaders must retrain themselves for new terrain by embracing a learner's mindset and adopting adaptive strategies.
Deep dives
Understanding Adaptive Capacity
Adaptive capacity refers to the ability to lead a group of people from their core values towards an uncertain future, positively impacting the world. Adaptive leadership comes into play when best practices or predefined strategies are insufficient. It requires relinquishing an outdated map and embracing the unknown. In this rapidly changing world, leaders must cultivate the skill to adapt wisely in real-time and guide their teams through learning and release of past methods.
Navigating Disruption and Uncertainty
The world is experiencing a series of disruptions, such as the shift away from Christendom and the recent COVID-19 pandemic. These disruptions have led to uncertainty, making people feel overwhelmed and lost. Traditional approaches to leadership, where predefined roles and strategies were sufficient, no longer hold true. Leaders must adapt to the new reality, face the discomfort of change, and let go of previous paradigms to navigate through the uncertainties of a rapidly disrupted world.
Embracing Loss and Transformation
Adaptive leadership requires embracing loss and facilitating transformation. Leaders must recognize that loss is an inherent part of change and acknowledge that they cannot guarantee certainty or success. The shift towards adaptive capacity involves letting go of outdated notions of success, numbers, or visions, and cultivating new understandings of fruitfulness and mission. This process involves helping individuals and communities navigate loss, make difficult decisions, and adapt their structures to better serve their purpose.
Retraining for New Terrain
In a rapidly changing world, leaders must retrain themselves for new terrain rather than relying on old training and approaches. Trying harder or exerting more effort is not the solution. Leaders need to develop new skills and perspectives that align with the evolving context. This may involve unlearning old habits, embracing a learner's mindset, prioritizing relationships and effective decision-making processes, and adopting adaptive strategies rather than sticking to rigid plans. Retraining is crucial for navigating the uncertain and disruptive landscape of adaptive leadership.
This podcast features Brian Miller, the executive director of Coach Approach Ministries (CAM), engaging in a conversation with Tod Bolsinger, an MDiv PhD and co-founder of A. E. Sloan Leadership, an executive coaching and consulting firm. Tod is recognized for his books "Canoeing the Mountains" and "Tempered Resilience: How Leaders are Formed in the Crucible of Change." The discussion revolves around the concept of adaptive capacity in leadership, particularly in the context of churches, nonprofits, universities, and marketplace leaders navigating change. They explore the challenges of leading in a rapidly disrupted world, emphasizing the need for leaders to adapt wisely and guide their teams through uncertain terrain. Tod highlights the importance of understanding core values, recognizing real-world problems, and leading through loss to foster adaptive leadership. The conversation delves into the changing nature of success, the role of humility and curiosity, and the need for leaders to navigate the tension between their current values and evolving mission. The podcast serves as a valuable resource for leaders seeking insights on adaptive capacity in the 21st century.