It is the process of successfully adapting from an old way to a new. In the face of this change, however, you have the ability to shape your response in a positive manner. Just look at the numbers. Globalization, new technologies, and greater transparency have combined to upend the business environment and give many CEOs a deep sense of unease. These leaders are always learning and willing to take risks, as long as it means that they can develop personally and professionally. You should give yourself time to adapt to the policy, but hold yourself accountability to following through on your goal. An emotionally flexible leader is comfortable with the process of transition, including grieving, complaining, and resistance. Leaders with emotional flexibility vary their approach to dealing with their own and others’ emotions — an area that many leaders often fail to consider. You often demonstrate: Add Relevant Skills to Your Resume In your resume, be sure to highlight any time when you took the initiative and adapted to unusual circumstances. Adaptability is about having ready access to a range of behaviors that enable leaders to shift and experiment as things change. Admit personal mistakes, learn from them, and move on. As noted in our white paper on Adaptable Leadership, executives who display adaptable leadership are flexible. Change and uncertainty dominate today's workplace. Adaptability is a requirement. Like the seasons we need to keep moving and letting go of the past, despite the environment. Join a community of people who recognize the importance of leadership development, © COPYRIGHT 2020, CENTER FOR CREATIVE LEADERSHIP. Adapting to change requires give and take between the leader and those experiencing the change. According to our research, the most frequently cited success factor for North American managers was the ability to develop or adapt. Because change is constant and inevitable, leaders must be flexible to succeed. Use this sample response as a … Are you able to try new things and handle different workflows? Humans evolved and the dinosaurs, for example, failed to millions of years before we even existed, and thus, no longer roam the earth as they did over 65 million years … As a soft skill, adaptability requires a number of other soft skills in order to be applied successfully. As a leader, you not only have to respond to change, but you also have to steer change. Important Human Resources Skills for Workplace Success, Important Skills for Information Technology (IT) Jobs, Resume Skills for High School Students With Examples, Most Important Business Skills for Workplace Success, What You Need to Succeed in the Knowledge Economy, Important Computer Skills for Workplace Success. Skills that are emblematic of persistence include: Often the goal is clear, but the path to get there is not. It doesn’t matter if they’re the head of the FBI, the CEO of a Fortune 500 company or a school principal, the ability to adapt is paramount. Denial and resisting change will only result in you living a miserable life. Are you flexible and willing to learn? Additionally, you must be able to recollect what you’ve discovered, so you can identify trends and make decisions accordingly. Employee enthusiasm, cooperation, morale, and creativity are jeopardized, making it all the more difficult to run the business or organization. People with adaptability skills are never discouraged by failure. Highlight Skills in Your Cover Letter Mention a situation in which you exercised adaptability skills in a past job in your cover letter. Adaptability Skills: Definition and Examples. For employers, the benefits of hiring and developing resilient staff are manifold.Fewster confirms that staff with a tolerance for ambiguity tend to be more creative, have diversified problem-solving solutions and a capacity to embrace complexity rather than looking for the simple options and taking comfort in old process. That’s because inflexible leaders limit the adaptability of others. Use these 5 tips as you adapt to change and guide your team through change: Want to know more about the importance of flexible leadership? These skills are in demand and will help you get hired. Be sure to give specific examples of when you've experienced change, how you handled it and highlight your ability to learn fast. The key to accepting change is to have an open mind and to accept everything as it presents itself. Being able to adapt to changing environments and work processes can be desirable traits to employers. Employees in a leadership role often have to manage unusual circumstances where there are no explicit instructions. A sudden, unexpected event happens that forces us to change how we work, to adapt the way we think of our career aspiration and our life. Anything that stands out makes you curious. An adaptable person will be able to source new resources and techniques that less-adaptable colleagues haven’t considered. Adaptability is about having ready access to a range of behaviors that enable leaders to shift and experiment as things change. Ability is defined by an individual demonstrating the required changes such that overall expected performance results are achieved. Available topics include Leading with Agility, Innovation & Breakthrough Thinking, Leading People Through Change, and more. 2. 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