Adaptive leadership
Adaptive leadership mobilises people to work on challenges requiring learning or changes in established assumptions, relationships or behaviour. In Heifetz’s distinction, technical problems can be addressed with existing expertise, while adaptive work requires those affected to participate in developing a response. Many situations contain both kinds of work. Leadership therefore goes beyond supplying an expert solution or holding formal authority.
Worked example
New software fixes a technical reporting limitation, but teams must also reconsider ownership, trust and how they use information. A leader helps them work through those adaptive issues rather than assume installation solves the whole challenge.
Common mistake
Do not define adaptive leadership merely as a leader changing personal style or treat every difficult technical problem as an adaptive challenge.
Where it appears in your exams
| Qualification | Exam | Relationship | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACCA | BT | Supporting | September 2026–June 2027 |
| ACCA | SBL | Supporting | September 2026–June 2027 |
| FIA | FBT | Supporting | September 2026–June 2027 |