ADAPTIVE LEADERSHIPEmpowered Leadership Workshops

2013

Adaptive Challenges

Leading the Church in rapidly changing times

Shifting Church culture to stay relevant Facing adaptive challenges and

practicing adaptive leadership Three to focus on today:

Generational Challenges Economic Challenges Engagement Challenges

Defining Adaptive Leadership

Adaptive leadership is the practice of mobilizing people to tackle tough challenges and thrive and has three characteristics: Preserves essential DNA Discards the DNA that no longer serves Creates DNA arrangements for the ability to

flourish

All this takes time and can build adaptive capacity in the congregation.

Leadership vs. Authority

Authority relationships: power entrusted for service

Leadership challenges some expectations and creates an environment where the system can adapt.

Leadership & Authority TasksTask Authority Leadership

Direction Provide problem definition and solution

Identify the adaptive challenges and frame the key questions

Protection Protect from external threats

Disclose external threats

Order Orient people to current roles

Restore order

Maintain norms

Disorient current roles; resist orienting people to new roles too quicklyExpose conflict or let it emergeChallenge norms or let them be challenged

Adaptive Leadership Process

observe

interpret

intervene

Resistance

Equilibrium Strength – people like things the way they are

Known is more acceptable than the unknown

External and internal forces, values, narratives at work in the system

Living in Disequilibrium

Manage yourself Help people tolerate the discomfort Keep everyone in the productive zone of

disequilibrium

Productive Zone

Tolerance limit

Threshold of change

Influencing Change

Motivation Ability

Personal Make the undesirable desirable

Surpass your limits

Social Harness peer pressure

Find strength in numbers

Structural Design rewards and demand accountability

Change the environment

Will plus Skill

Courage requires all: heart, mind, spirit, guts

Skill requires competencies Connect with values, anxieties and

beliefs of those you are serving Connect to larger purpose

Work Collaboratively

Gather a network of support and feedback

Adaptive change takes time and ripples through the system

Discern vital behavioral changes and DNA changes with others

Create a climate for imagination and experimentation

Work toward gathering critical mass of support