‘It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.’ Charles Darwin
The super temperatures and wild fires in Southern Europe, and other parts of the world, have shown us the need for change if we are to address our climate crisis. Conversely, we’ve also been confronted, in the same period, with an energy company reporting record profits and stating its long-term commitment to the extraction of fossil fuels…great powers resisting change.
We can also recognise that the immediate withdrawal from oil isn’t possible as it is deeply embedded in our everyday existence. Instead we can start to make different choices and adjustments – maybe fewer car journeys and more use of public transport, switching buying habits so we buy fewer products packaged in plastic, switching our diet to more locally-grown and less flown-in food.
Such changes may seem like a drop in the ocean yet the ocean is a collection of many drops. Our ability to adapt and adjust, as Darwin pointed out, is at the heart of sustained and successful change.
Whether we’re fighting climate change or the many other challenges facing our world or needing to bring change within our organisations our adaptability to the new, to altered conditions is a key element.
As leaders demonstrating our ability to adapt, even if we personally find change challenging, is essential in bringing others with us. It’s a quality we must cultivate in ourselves, making courageous choices and being prepared to be uncomfortable. Equally, we must help others build their adaptability by encouraging curiosity, open-mindedness, experimentation, questioning and challenge.
We can offer opportunities for development through more stretching and out-of-comfort zone experiences. And we can provide the feedback and coaching that will help a more growthful mind-set take root and flourish.
Adaptability is an essential skill in our changing world. As Helen Keller said: ‘A bend in the road is not the end of the road…unless you fail to make the turn.’