Written by Maya Niksic, Leadership Coach
Maya Niksic is a Belgrade-born, Harvard-educated Serbian-American women’s leadership expert. Welcome to Maya's world where unleashing your inner superstar is the daily agenda. Maya is the Founder and CEO of Adaptive Leadership Atelier.
In the world of jazz, every note offers a chance for innovation—much like in leadership, where each challenge presents an opportunity to improvise and evolve. Just as jazz musicians flow with the beats of their music, effective leaders must improvise with the unpredictable demands of the modern world. This exploration dives into the artistry of leadership, helping you diagnose whether challenges are adaptive, technical, or a combination of both, as you sync your approach with the changing rhythms of organizational life.
The rhythm of leadership
Imagine yourself in a dimly lit jazz club, where the air vibrates with the anticipation of the unknown and the allure of improvisation. Leadership, much like jazz, is an art form that thrives on your ability to be flexible, responsive, and profoundly in tune with the moment. The challenge you face is knowing when to rely on technical solutions and when to embrace the improvisational needs of adaptive challenges.
External link: Harvard Business Review’s exploration of adaptive leadership
Understanding the rhythms: Adaptive vs. technical challenges
In today’s complex world, your role as a leader requires more than just sticking to tried-and-true methods. You need to understand the context deeply, adapt to unexpected changes, and have the courage to lead when the path is uncertain.
Adaptive challenges as jazz improvisations
Adaptive challenges are like improvisations in jazz—unscripted, unpredictable, and complex. For example, consider a scenario where an organization faces a shift in market conditions, requiring leaders to engage deeply with their teams and listen intently to emerging concerns. These challenges cannot be solved by applying known techniques or following a set process. Instead, you must be willing to experiment, learn from mistakes, and continuously adjust your approach based on real-time feedback. Just as a jazz musician stays attuned to the rhythm and flow of the music, you must remain sensitive to the evolving dynamics within your organization. Solutions lie within people, not in technical answers, as they require engaging deeply with their values, beliefs, habits, and loyalties.
Technical challenges as classical compositions
In contrast, technical challenges are like classical compositions—structured, predictable, and clearly defined. These challenges involve problems with known solutions, where the path is straightforward and can be managed through established procedures and expertise. Imagine a situation where an organization needs to implement a new software system. The steps are clear, the process is linear, and the solution is well-defined. While solving technical challenges requires mind, logic, and intellect, the real danger lies in misdiagnosing adaptive challenges as technical ones, leading you to apply quick fixes that fail to address the underlying complexities.
Most leadership challenges manifest differently than cleanly defined technical or adaptive. Often, they include elements of each.
Understanding loss
People do not resist change itself—they resist the loss that change brings. Leaders must understand that addressing adaptive challenges involves navigating this resistance, whether it’s the loss of familiar routines, power, or comfort. It’s not enough to implement new processes or systems; leaders must also help their teams reconcile with the losses they might be facing and support them through the transition. This often involves addressing deeper issues tied to values, beliefs, and loyalties deeply embedded in the organization’s culture.
“One of the most common dangers in leadership is the temptation to treat all challenges as technical.”
The danger of misdiagnosing: A leadership temptation
One of the most common pitfalls in leadership is the temptation to treat all challenges as technical. This misdiagnosis often stems from a desire for quick fixes or the comfort of relying on familiar methods. For instance, a leader may attempt to apply a standardized performance management process to resolve deep-seated cultural issues within an organization, only to find that the problems persist. Applying a technical solution to an adaptive challenge can suppress innovation, waste resources, and create frustration within your organization. It’s like forcing a jazz band to stick rigidly to a symphonic score—out of place, out of time, and out of touch with reality. You should resist this temptation and instead embrace the uncertainty and ambiguity of adaptive challenges.
External link: Harvard Business Review’s exploration of adaptive leadership: A Survival Guide for Leaders
Symptoms of diagnostic errors
How can you truly know if you are correctly diagnosing complex problems? Here are some telltale signs:
Recurring nightmares: If a problem persists despite your best efforts, it’s a glaring sign that you’re only addressing the surface. The roots run deeper, intertwined with the values, beliefs, and behaviors that define your organization’s culture.
Defiant team dynamics: Resistance from your team isn’t just pushback; it’s a call to dig deeper. When well-intentioned solutions meet with defiance, it’s a signal that the challenge requires deciphering the complex web of relationships and cultural dynamics at play.
Illusions of Progress: Beware of solutions that offer temporary relief but leave the core issue untouched. It’s like patching a leaky roof while ignoring the foundation crumbling beneath you. For instance, implementing a new process may provide short-term relief, but long-term success may remain unattainable if underlying morale issues aren’t addressed.
Superficial band-aids on deep wounds: If your solutions only address symptoms rather than root causes, you’re staring down an adaptive challenge that demands changes in values, attitudes, and cultural narratives that shape your organization.
Ever-morphing complexities: Adaptive problems are like shape-shifting beasts—just when you think you’ve tamed them, they evolve into something new. If your solutions seem to stir up more chaos, it’s time to rethink your strategy.
Echoes of feedback loops: Consistent feedback indicating that your solutions aren’t bridging key gaps between aspiration and reality strongly signals that you’re facing an adaptive challenge. For example, if employees continue to express concerns about transparency despite new communication policies, deeper trust issues may need to be addressed.
Overdependence on expertise alone: Relying too heavily on expert knowledge while ignoring the emotional and cultural dimensions of a problem can be a misstep. Adaptive challenges require engaging with the human elements—values, beliefs, and emotions—that influence your organization’s dynamics.
Organizational chaos and exodus: High levels of stress and turnover often indicate that technical remedies are being applied to fundamentally adaptive problems. When in these tumultuous waters, you are asked to recalibrate your approach to how issues are framed and confronted.
“When dealing with adaptive challenges, your leadership becomes both an art and a science.”
Leading in complex environments
When dealing with adaptive challenges, your leadership becomes both an art and a science. You should become adept at reading the room and understanding the unique tones and tempos of each situation. This involves not only diagnosing the nature of the challenge but also gauging your organization’s readiness to engage in the adaptive work required. Successful leaders emphasize the importance of relationships, understanding that change cannot occur in isolation. You build support networks, engage with allies and opponents, and navigate the political landscape with curiosity and sensitivity. Be prepared to acknowledge the losses that come with change, recognizing that asking people to adapt often means asking them to give up something they value.
“In the world of leadership, as in jazz, there is both beauty and chaos.”
Conclusion: The encore of adaptive leadership
In the world of leadership, as in jazz, there is both beauty and chaos. Just as jazz musicians riff off the unexpected tones in a live performance, effective leaders improvise to turn adaptive challenges into opportunities. Remain ever-curious in discerning the nature of the challenges you encounter. True artistry lies in moving through these modern-day complexities with elegance and responsiveness while staying grounded in the purpose of your organization.
Call to action
Step into the rhythm of adaptive leadership, knowing that each challenge is an opportunity to create something extraordinary. As you continue your leadership journey, consider the dance between the technical and the adaptive, and be willing to step into the unknown without missing a beat. Stay with us as we explore these themes further in our next edition!
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Read more from Maya Niksic
Maya Niksic, Leadership Coach
A dynamo in the world of leadership development, Maya Niksic has taken the leap from the heights of NYC's investment banks to the frontlines of women's leadership coaching. Belgrade-born and Harvard-polished, she moves through life's complexities with resilience shaped by conflict and crisis. Maya is a blend of mystic and alchemist, turning personal and professional battlegrounds into extraordinary growth with each inquiry. Maya is not just coaching – she is revolutionizing the way we lead and live. Welcome to Maya’s world where unleashing your inner superstar is the daily agenda. Maya is the Founder CEO of Adaptive Leadership Atelier. Her favorite things include black tea and suede boots.
References:
Heifetz, R. A. (1998). Leadership without easy answers. Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. Retrieved from Harvard University Press.
Heifetz, R., Grashow, A., & Linsky, M. (2009). The practice of adaptive leadership: Tools and tactics for changing your organization and the world. Harvard Business Press. Retrieved from Harvard Business Review.
Kegan, R., & Lahey, L. L. (2009). Immunity to change: How to overcome it and unlock the potential in yourself and your organization. Harvard Business Review Press. Retrieved from Harvard Business Review.
Kegan, R., & Lahey, L. L. (2016). An everyone culture: Becoming a deliberately developmental organization. Harvard Business Review Press. Retrieved from Harvard Business Review.
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