Adaptive Leadership requires Learning and Change

Last weekend I attended and assisted in training, at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, the Executive Skills Series class: Exercising Leadership to Facilitate Adaptive Change.

One thing that struck me, is that we often rely upon our technical expertise so much, that we don't want to make the effort to learn how to change our thinking, our environment, or our paths. Change is scary, it's the unknown, letting go of our control and what we know.

Yet, when I think of the times that I "let go" as a leader and listened to my co-workers' suggested actions and paths, they were turning points in my leadership experience and learning, as well as, how they viewed me as their leader. That is the key to successful adaptive change in my experience -- when your team members participate in the change, they believe in and facilitate the change to endure, and they start to really believe in their leader.