Adaptive leadership represents a fundamental paradigm shift from leadership as an individual responsibility to a social, collective process. It’s an ethos that Heifetz, Linsky, and others have described as “leading without authority.” It might sound counterintuitive, but in this model, leadership isn’t about exercising power over others.

To tap into successful adaptive leadership, follow five common principles to guide your response and shape long-term recovery plans.

The adaptive leadership model highlights six key leadership behaviors that are used together in a non-linear fashion to support followers in navigating change and solving problems.

Now, Heifetz, Linsky, and coauthor Alexander Grashow are taking the next step: The Practice of Adaptive Leadership is a hands-on, practical guide containing stories, tools, diagrams, cases, and worksheets to help you develop your skills as an adaptive leader, able to take people outside their comfort zones and assess and address the toughest ...

adaptive leadership. A Model of Adaptive Leadership Figure 1 presents a model of adaptive leadership. Antecedents are the strength of the stimulus, leaders’ readiness to initiate change, and organiza-tions’ readiness to accept change. Support factors are leaders’ and organiza-tions’ capacity to manage change.