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The Yin and Yang of Adaptive Leadership
Michael R. Wood is a Business Process Improvement & IT Strategist Independent Consultant. He is creator of the business process-improvement methodology called HELIX and founder of The Natural Intelligence Group, a strategy, process improvement and technology consulting company. He is also a CPA, has served as an Adjunct Professor in Pepperdine's Management MBA program, an Associate Professor at California Lutheran University, and on the boards of numerous professional organizations. Mr. Wood is a sought after presenter of HELIX workshops and seminars in both the U.S. and Europe.
What does it take to be a great leader? Is it charisma, forthrightness, insightfulness, wisdom? Or is it simply being able to energize people about your destination and demonstrating the confidence that you know how to get there in a way that makes them want to follow?
I have never been able to classify the really amazing leaders I have known as to a specific style such as participative/collaborative, directive/autocratic, delagative/free rein, etc. Instead, they have been all of these types when needed; they adapt their style to the needs of the organization and individuals.
The adaptive leader understands that leadership is a process of constantly assessing situations and circumstances and adjusting strategies and resources in order to achieve the best balance of value-added outcomes for the organization and its stakeholders.
Adaptive leadership is all about helping organizations achieve positive change. In his April 22, 2007 article “What is Adaptive Leadership”, Dr. Charles Albano makes the following observations related to adaptive leaders:
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Their attention is focused on value-added outcomes.
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They create job descriptions that are intentionally broad-based to allow for flexibility.
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They encourage roles that are fluid. Within limits, people are expected to substitute for one another.…
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"More than any time in history mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness, the other to total extinction. Let us pray that we have the wisdom to choose correctly." - Woody Allen |