It is fairly typical for senior leaders to spring to action when business conditions change and implement new or modified operating processes and purposely over communicate to employees imploring their need to accept the changes. These traditional approaches to change management usually result a “compliance” response from the organization but often fail to modify the organization’s default behaviors or “mindset”. In order to truly adapt to change, leaders must learn to create an internal environment that stimulates the adaptive nature of individuals. It is usually necessary to bring new leaders into the organization to serve as models of an alternaive mindset and help to guide others through the adaptive cycle having been through similar situations and cycles before. These individuals will require executive sponsorship and support as they will stick out in the organization because their mindset reflects the organization’s potential “destination” versus its current situation. Additionaly, Adaptive Leaders must learn to “close the door” to old ways as the organization advances its mindset.
Level 5 Adaptive 