Adaptive Leadership with Max Martina – Culture Bites Ep. 226

Show Notes

In this episode, Dominic Gourley and Corinne Canter are joined by Max Martina, President of Cambridge Leadership Associates, to explore the transformative concept of adaptive leadership. Max brings a wealth of experience in leadership development and shares actionable insights on how leadership can drive change, foster organizational growth, and tackle complex challenges.

Adaptive Leadership – Key Topics Discussed:

1. Adaptive Leadership: A Set of Practices

   • • Leadership is often misunderstood as authority or a position. Max challenges the traditional view by emphasizing that leadership is a set of practices—not a title.
     • Insight: Being a leader is not about having positional authority; it’s about practicing leadership behaviors that motivate and mobilize people to solve complex problems.

    

2. Authority vs. Leadership

   • Max distinguishes between positional authority (e.g., being a manager with the power to make decisions) and leadership practice (mobilizing people to act in challenging situations).
   • Action: Leaders must shift their focus from relying solely on authority to practicing leadership that inspires action and fosters growth in others.

    

3. Creating a Holding Environment

   • Leadership isn’t just about giving orders but creating a holding environment where people can take risks, experiment, and innovate.
   • Insight: The key to fostering a strong leadership culture is making room for mistakes, learning from them, and supporting people through stressful situations without overwhelming them.

    

4. Practical Leadership Behaviors:

   • Holding Steady: Leaders must develop inner fortitude to remain composed during stressful times and lead by example.
   • Getting to the Balcony: Step back from the “dance floor” (day-to-day tasks) to gain a broader perspective on the system and environment.
   • Connecting to Purpose: Providing people with a strong, shared purpose to help them overcome challenges and stay focused on meaningful goals.

    

5. The Challenge of Adaptive Problems

   • Adaptive problems are complex and don’t have straightforward solutions, requiring leadership to guide teams through uncertainty.
   • Action: Leaders must identify when a problem is adaptive (requiring behavior change) rather than technical (requiring expertise).

    

6. Emotional Labor in Leadership

   • Leadership is emotionally demanding, especially when navigating change. Leaders must acknowledge the emotional work involved in leading through transitions.
   • Insight: Change often triggers fear and loss, and effective leadership involves helping people work through these emotions to stay engaged and committed to transformation.

    

7. Real Work of Leadership

   • Leadership is about creating the conditions for growth and development, not just solving technical problems. This means fostering a culture of innovation, learning, and capacity building.
   • Action: Leaders should focus on building the capabilities of their teams rather than doing all the work themselves.

    

Adaptative Leadership – Key Takeaways:

• Leadership is a practice, not a position. To be a true leader, you must practice behaviors that help others navigate complex challenges.
• The best leaders understand the difference between technical problems and adaptive challenges. Technical problems have clear solutions, while adaptive problems require new behaviors and thinking.
• Creating a holding environment is critical in times of change, providing a space where people feel safe to experiment, learn, and grow.
• Leadership is about building capacity and empowering people to solve problems, not just managing day-to-day operations.
• Leadership and culture are deeply interconnected—changing the culture is often the most challenging aspect of leadership.

Resources Mentioned:

• Human Synergistics: Learn more about the tools and methodologies for assessing and improving organizational culture at Human-Synergistics.com.au
• Max Martina’s work at Cambridge Leadership Associates: Max’s insights on leadership and organizational change are foundational to the practice of adaptive leadership.

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