The most common leadership failure stems from trying to apply technical solutions to adaptive challenges. ~Ronald A. Heifetz

The simplest definition of an adaptive leadership challenge is one that requires people to change their ways. We try to apply solutions that have worked in the past in similar situations. However, we don’t adequately account for the human complexity in the situation. The challenge itself cannot be separated from the people who are part of the challenge or scenario. Different people means different human complexity.

Human Complexity

Ronald Heifetz points out a few of the human dimensions that change requires: “pace of adjustment, tolerances for conflict, uncertainty, risks and losses, the resilience of the culture, the network of authority, and lateral relationships.”

I recently sat down with a CEO who wants to change his organization’s culture. He believes it’s lacking healthy accountability. When I asked how significant this change would be for his employees, he said very significant. That certainly sounds like an adaptive challenge because it will require people to change their ways. His hope was to instill a cultural shift to heightened accountability in a one-day inspirational off-site event. That sounds like a technical solution. After more conversation he concluded that this adaptive challenge is going to require much more time and effort than a one-day off site because of its human complexity.

How to Recognize an Adaptive Challenge

Heifetz says “one way you know that there is an adaptive challenge facing your organization is that the problem persists even after a series of attempted technical fixes.”

Another example, I recall a client who implemented an EMR (electronic medical records) system. The focus was on the technical implementation. But this technical solution created an adaptive challenge. When the first software solution wasn’t well-accepted by users, they scrapped it and moved to the second attempt. After they were well into the second attempt they began to realize the problem wasn’t technical, it was adaptive. More technical solutions weren’t going to solve their adaptive challenges. They were up against human complexity, not technical expertise.

Small Adaptive Moves

Here’s another way to think about this. Edgar Schein (organizational culture expert) would call this the difference between a diagnosis followed by a treatment plan versus a series of small adaptive moves. It’s very difficult to come up with a treatment plan that accurately assumes the outcome of each step. How people will emotionally respond is extremely difficult to predict. Hence, the need to make a small adaptive move, see where you are, and then continue to make small adaptive moves.

This idea of adaptive challenges and making adaptive moves is difficult for leaders who are used to creating technical strategic plans. In recent history, leadership has leaned more heavily (I think) toward the technical side of leading. I believe we are now in the midst of an era that requires a heavy dose of adaptive leadership. It’s not one or the other, it’s both/and, technical and adaptive.