Adapt

Being adaptable doesn't mean giving up control. It means knowing when to hold on and when to let go - and having the courage to trust the difference.

I've been writing about leadership these last few posts because that's an area of focus for me. Read Essence and Beyond to catch up. So, in the next post in this series, I will write about leadership and the need for adaptability.

It's one of the six principles Christopher I. Maxwell writes about in his book, "Lead Like a Guide: How World-Class Mountain Guides Inspire Us to Be Better Leaders".

It's also one I struggle with.

Learning to step back

A classic example is this blog post. I knew it was due, but I was behind schedule on shipping because of unexpected work demands. Yet, instead of carving out time to write, all I could think about was maintaining control of everything else on my to-do list and not dropping the ball at the office. I was caught in what I've called the glorification of busyness - again.

Yet as Maxwell says, the best leaders accept the need to be adaptable.

” There are times on the mountain when a guide would have to say, 'Do this. And if you don't do what I tell you, you're going to have a problem.' But if you're like that all the time, it won't work. So, guides have learned to be flexible and use the right style at the right time."

And that's where I am right now. Part of being adaptable is letting go of control, which can be freeing, while still staying aware of what's going on.

In the business world, this can be hard, but when you've laid a foundation of trust and built a great team, you can feel confident that people are using their skills to perform at their highest effort. If a question comes up or something takes a sharp turn in a direction you didn't expect, you don't have to rush in to control it all.

” You can act as a guide and be there to support your team."

That means you set the direction and the pace, but you also make adjustments when they're needed. For example, offering encouragement and friendship can help people feel safe enough to try something new or take a step forward by applying new skills. Trust will also help when the team needs to shift and execute your decisions without questioning you, as long as you're always there for advice or to lend a helping hand.

Adapting in this way can also empower others.

I had to trust that I would get it done for me and for this blog post, even if that meant adjusting the schedule I had set. So, not worrying about perfection or anything else, I adapted my regular routine and let my thoughts fall onto the paper. Once I deviated from my usual practice, I was surprised by how easily I could write this post.

” In a fast-paced business environment, you have to be flexible and adapt to new situations. Because things happen, and you need to always be on top of the situation."

It all comes down to leadership and how you're viewing yourself as a leader, or guide, if you will. Set the pace and direction, and then mentor people along the way. Be a guiding friend instead of a top-down manager, but never leave the hard decisions to someone else. Retake control and lead through hazardous paths when needed, then let go a bit again when it's safer.

It's key to lead through moments like these. As a leader, you have to dare to lead, even if times are uncertain. The worst thing you can do is do nothing or hide between something else, waiting for the crisis to pass. I want you to feel encouraged to face challenges head-on, knowing that your actions can rebuild trust and unity. Keep an eye out for 'Backwater' coming later if you want to read more about this.

Learning to adapt

It's a lot about finding the right balance of energy and trusting to let go more and more. It's so easy to get caught up in controlling every stream of information going on, especially if the business you're in is struggling to function. Stepping away to gain a better view from the top, a fresh perspective on everything that's going on, can be one way to help you embrace adaptability.

I'm still learning to let things go if they're not necessary at the moment, but I'm getting better at it. For example, I am always transparent in what I do and include people in our decisions. When I do this, it fosters a sense of involvement and belonging, helps the team see the direction we're headed, and builds trust.

As I've touched on before, the fast-paced environment isn't always about cooperation, and I'm currently leading more as a manager than as a mentor or guide. It's not what I like, and it's draining like crazy, but fundamentally it's about protecting the people you're leading when the times are rough. It's also about letting go when you have to and adapting to things that might be outside your natural comfort zone or leadership style.

” Looking at leadership as an art with many facets. Learning how to use each of them, I find the benefits for my teams and business. Trying not to fall into the same rut is a challenge, but friendship, mentorship, and guidance are the way forward."

By applying the appropriate leadership when "reading the room", you can understand what's going on and what the situation demands. In combination with trust and a clear view from the top, these are important ways to ensure you're delivering precisely what your team needs, when they need it.

Guiding people in a fast-paced business environment is about having the whole team working toward a common goal. It's about including everyone, mentoring people along the way, but always being there to lead when situations and risks demand it. To do this, you have to be flexible and willing to adapt to different leadership styles.

This is what Guide, one of my three guiding words, is really about.

The organizations that struggle most with adaptability are the ones carrying the heaviest cultural debt - the ingrained belief that what worked before will work again. In a world where AI can optimize processes faster than any leader, the ability to adapt - to read the room, to know when to tighten and when to let go - is becoming more, not less, essential.

Adaptability is infinite-mindset thinking - it's about playing the long game, not optimizing every short-term fire.

In the next post in this leadership series, I will discuss leadership qualities in periods of change. And by being aware of people and guiding them, you can still build a business where people feel safe and inspired to do their best work - even amid change.