The most successful leaders I know offer their employees a rewarding work life—an environment that cares for them, values their contributions and gives them a chance to grow. They know that organizational health directly depends on employee satisfaction. When people are unhappy, the company suffers in myriad ways; when employees thrive, the company flourishes. There seem to be no exceptions.
You see, employees want, actually, they need their leaders to be reliable sources of guidance and support, able to handle an ever-evolving environment with a variety of inputs, viewpoints and choices. They need leaders to adapt to the diversity of their surroundings. This is the first key attribute of leadership authenticity that I introduced in my last post.
As Anna Crowe writes in Get Real: The Power of Genuine Leadership, a Transparent Culture, and an Authentic You (Lioncrest Publishing, 2019), adaptable leaders adjust to people’s unique situations. It requires a confident and, ironically, consistent character.
How Adaptable Are You?
Adaptability doesn’t mean being fickle, constantly changing course or bending under pressure. It calls for sticking to principles and plans with consideration, reasonable flexibility and understanding. Being consistent in how you display these traits allows your people to count on you. They know what they’re getting and what to anticipate. Consistent adaptability provides comfort and support, two important ingredients of fulfillment.
Leaders who assess their personalities are better able to gauge their flexibility. A stubborn, prideful spirit clearly isn’t geared for authenticity. A trusted colleague or qualified executive coach can help you objectively determine how adaptive you are. Coaches are trained to guide you through adaptability’s nuances and steer your personality toward this critical mindset.
The Benefits of Adaptability
An adaptable approach fosters trust in challenging times and allows you to be true to yourself. People will know where they stand with you. When leaders put on airs, hide their intentions or contradict themselves, authenticity and trust are compromised. Leaders who remain calm, collected, insightful, understanding and willing to try new ideas demonstrate the trust-building power of adaptability.
Adaptable leaders know how to build unity within their teams. They avoid power games, politics or favoritism. They understand how to pull people into a common effort, pick their battles, make appropriate exceptions, meet urgent needs and make effective changes when necessary. I also see leaders who maintain the status quo, rigidly cling to rules and fear new approaches perceived as lacking in authenticity, causing employees to hold back their best.
As a coach, I see leaders gain respect and trust when they adapt to others’ input. For example, most teams include people with diverse backgrounds, personalities and perspectives, which encourage a wide range of ideas and solutions. Authentically considering what people offer and appreciating their contributions affirm them and add to their sense of fulfillment.
How is your organizational health? Maybe it’s time to take a look at leadership authenticity and adaptability. You can call me at 561-582-6060, let’s talk. And as always, I can be reached here, or on LinkedIn.
