Of all the leadership skills, adaptability and agility is perhaps the most mission critical.
You may be able to communicate and motivate effectively, have a clear vision, and be able to execute strategy; but if you fail to adapt, you and your organization will fall behind.
Adaptability is at the root of innovation, and it is one of the distinguishing factors between a business (and career) that succeeds and one that becomes obsolete. It is also one of the root causes of career progression and development, Being adaptable you stall your growth.
Below are a few reasons you might want to develop adaptability and agility as part of your leadership toolkit:
1. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Adaptability is a critical leadership skill for 2024, mainly because of major changes that are emerging globally, that intercept our everyday lives and impact the workforce and the industries we operate in. One such, rather obvious change, is that of AI. It is being adopted and used to create new tools and workflows at breakneck pace. This makes it critical for leaders to understand what AI is, how it works, the opportunities, threats, and challenges that are presented, and how to use it effectively to augment work and reduce costs while upskilling their workforce.
2. Navigating crisis
If the COVID pandemic taught us anything at all, it’s this: you can never be too prepared for a sudden economic downturn crisis, or for a disaster which can seriously impact your operations and threaten to shut down your entire business model or industry altogether.
Now of course, large-scale crises like the pandemic don’t occur so often. Nonetheless, it’s still essential to be adaptable enough to plan and think ahead, consider worst case scenarios, and invent flexible approaches so that you and your organization are well prepared and can continue being profitable and operate with a degree of normalcy.
3. Embracing innovation
To truly thrive, it’s your responsibility as a leader or manager to foster a culture of innovation and creativity—one that welcomes feedback, fresh perspectives, and new ideas, and creates an open environment in which all team members feel comfortable voicing their opinions and even challenging the status quo. Without taking risks or encouraging experimentation, it will be difficult to stay ahead of the competition.
4. Managing Diverse Teams
With today’s globalized workforce, you will often be tasked with managing team members—often remotely—who have diverse backgrounds and skills, and learning styles. This is why it’s essential to be adaptable so you can tailor your leadership and management style to pull the best out of each individual.
5. Establishing Credibility As A Leader
Being adaptable helps you to position yourself as a credible expert within your industry. This is because you will be relevant and attuned to customer needs and emerging opportunities, which leads to greater insights and innovation. And since you are so focused on obtaining fresh market information, you will quickly become an expert authority and go-to figure in your field because you possess the insights others are looking for.
Now, perhaps, you can better understand why adaptability is LinkedIn’s “skill of the moment.” Without it, you risk being stuck in stale ideas, limiting your organization’s growth, and halting your career potential.
