Tools
The Whole-Person Approach
To lead others with this human-centered mindset, it is helpful to first reflect and understand what drives or deters your …
In a world defined by constant change, effective leadership is less about having all the answers and more about knowing how to adapt. Whether it’s managing team conflict, shifting priorities or sudden market changes, modern leaders are faced with relentless disruption, so it’s more imperative than ever that they master the ability to stay stable and steady, even as the ground continues to shift.
This is the essence of agile leadership—the ability to remain flexible and develop a solutions-oriented approach to respond to change swiftly—not with panic, but with clarity, purpose and confidence.
According to a study from the Harvard Business School, nearly three-quarters of executives consider adaptability to be one of the top qualities they seek in new leaders. So what makes it such a sought-after skill and why is agile leadership is such a vital asset in today’s workplace?
When leaders prioritize creating a mindset of agility, they can ensure that they remain prepared for anything and can pivot missions, goals and projects at a moment’s notice, if need be. Agility can also open the door for leaders to:
Agile leadership is an active process requiring constant commitment and regulation, but the advantages are clear. When you focus on these key aspects of leadership, agility comes more naturally, allowing you to exemplify it and pass it on to your team.
Eras of change are typically when the most problems arise, so being an agile leader demands that you be ready to put out fires wherever they occur. The sooner you can solve a problem, the better it will be for everyone involved.
In any role, a person with experience is better prepared for the things a job can throw at them. While you can prepare to be an agile leader and take all the right steps, the best way to learn is to do it in real time. Of course, you don’t have to have proven your resiliency yet, but moments of overcoming and learning from mistakes can provide you with the necessary resilience to continue moving forward even when things don’t go as planned.
Leadership is as much about catering to the needs of your employees as it is about handling the business side of operations—managing success and engagement. Your team knows what they need, so ask them about it and commit to listening to them. These needs will likely change over time, so you have to continue listening so you can adjust accordingly and give them the support they need to thrive in their roles.
When you consider agile leadership, adaptability may feel like a foregone conclusion. However, these concepts are two different things. While agility prioritizes being able to jump into change, adaptability is more about responding to change meaningfully. When change comes, how can you make the most of it for yourself and the people around you? Considering the implications of how you’ll navigate change is critical for the long-term success of your employees and business.
Growth happens every day, but times of change provide leaders with the chance to push that growth further. An agile leader knows how to turn any transition into a learning opportunity because they’re excited to grow and develop their future—and bring everyone else along for the ride.
With The Center for Leadership Studies (CLS), you can learn how to ride any wave of change with flexibility and precision. Our Situational Change Leadership™ course helps leaders develop an agile leadership mindset and support their team members when change hits.
Talk to our team or sign up for our course today and gain the critical skills you need to embrace change, develop new strategies and create a better, more resilient team.
