Indiana's 2008 Statewide Conference on Housing and Community Economic Development focused on the ideas of Adaptive Leadership. You can review information about the conference at
http://www.instatewideconference.net/SessionPresentations/tabid/64/Default.aspx. Leadership has two definitions, when considered in this context of adaptive change. "Leadership is mobilizing people to narrow the gap between their aspirations and their current experience." Leadership is also defined as "disappointing your own people at a rate they can absorb."
Adaptive Leadership is a set of strategies and practices based on the following core beliefs:
- Leadership can be learned. It demands understanding and the practice of an enriched set of behaviors and actions. It is not simply an inherent set of traits such as charisma.
- Because adaptive change generates resistance, exercising leadership can be both difficult and dangerous. Those who lead must be well prepared for those difficulties and dangers.
- The adaptability of organizations depends on having widespread leadership that can come from anywhere within an organization, and not just from those in top positions of authority.
Adaptive Leadership distinguishes between adaptive challenges and technical problems. Technical problems are ones that can be defined clearly and for which solutions exist; it may be a difficult fix, but we know what to do or can find an expert who does. Technical problems can be managed and usually fall to some one with the authority to address them.
Adaptive challenges are usually fuzzy and hard to identify clearly. They involve changing hearts and minds and often are championed by someone who cares, but who may not have the authority to impose change. Adaptive challenges imply having to learn new ways and choose between what appear to be contradictory values. They cannot be "managed," but must be confronted and dealt with honestly.
As organizational and community leaders we confront adaptive challenges regularly. Adaptive challenges, although unique for each organization and community, share several properties in common.
- There is a gap between aspirations and reality.
- Progress requires responses outside the organization's standard repertoire.
- Narrowing that gap will require difficult learning.
- Part of the learning will require distinguishing, among all that is valued, what is essential to be carried forward and what is expendable, which will involve loss.
- The losses often involve learning to refashion loyalties and develop new competencies.
- Painful choices must be made between competing loyalties and values.
- The people with the problem are the problem, and they are the solution. Problem-solving responsibility must shift from authoritative experts to the stakeholders.
- Adaptive work requires a longer time frame than technical work.
- Adaptive work involves experimentation.
- Adaptive challenges generate disequilibrium, resistance and work avoidance.
I see in the characteristics of adaptive challenges relevance to how individuals, organizations, and communities advance comprehensive community development. What are the adaptive challenges you confront in your comprehensive community development work?
Comprehensive community development requires collaboration with government. One adaptive challenge I see is the need to manage this work through short political time frames. What is the threat to your work by a change in the city council, mayor, state legislature, governor, etc? Another adaptive challenge I see is helping organizations whose deliverables have traditionally been housing outputs to focus on community mobilization and engagement outcomes. How do you help your board of directors understand the need? Who are your champions in the community to think broadly? What are the unanticipated results to funding? From where does the capacity (human capital) come?
I look forward to your thoughts.
Andy Fraizer
Indiana Association for Community Economic Development
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