I was privileged to spend a week at a University in Morocco recently working with colleagues from academia, Government and the private sector to explore topics in entrepreneurial leadership. This is a topic of great importance generally but perhaps with particular consequence for the African Continent as its constituent countries seek to develop socioeconomically, from a low relative baseline.
It is important to note that the focus was on entrepreneurial leadership which is broader than just its subset, entrepreneurship. We are not all called to be entrepreneurs, but increasingly all leaders are expected to develop facility with being entrepreneurial as their organisations are required to navigate ever more complex and uncertain environments and to be able to be innovative and agile in response.
In an era defined by disruption, uncertainty, and rapid technological advancement, innovation is no longer optional — it is essential. But innovation doesn’t just stem from great ideas or cutting-edge tools. It requires a new kind of leadership – adaptive leadership. This leadership style is critical for navigating complexity, fostering creativity, and building resilient organisations that can thrive in change.
This article explores briefly what adaptive leadership is, why it’s vital for innovation, and how organisations can build this capacity intentionally and sustainably.
Adaptive leadership is a framework developed by Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linsky that emphasises the ability to lead through change, uncertainty, and systemic challenges. Unlike traditional leadership, which often relies on authority and known solutions, adaptive leadership is about:
- Mobilising people to tackle tough, systemic problems that don’t have clear answers.
- Encouraging experimentation and learning rather than enforcing rigid plans.
- Navigating resistance to change by engaging stakeholders in the process.
- Letting go of outdated practices and embracing new ways of thinking.
In the innovation context, adaptive leaders are those who can pivot quickly, learn continuously, and empower others to take initiative — even when the path forward is unclear.
Innovation is inherently disruptive. It challenges norms, introduces ambiguity, and often requires organisations to rethink their identity. Adaptive leadership is essential in such contexts because it enables leaders to:
Navigate Ambiguity and Complexity
Innovation rarely follows a linear path. Adaptive leaders are comfortable operating in environments where:
- The problem is not fully defined.
- The solution is not obvious.
- The outcome is uncertain.
They use sense-making techniques — like stakeholder-mapping, systems thinking, and iterative feedback — to make informed decisions in complex environments.
Lead Through Constant Change
Whether it’s digital transformation, climate adaptation, or geopolitical shifts, change is constant. Adaptive leaders:
- Anticipate trends and prepare their teams for disruption.
- Respond quickly to emerging challenges without losing sight of long-term goals.
- Balance stability and agility, maintaining core values while evolving strategies.
Empower People to Innovate
Innovation is a collective effort. Adaptive leaders:
- Create psychological safety, where team members feel safe to speak up, take risks, and fail forward.
- Encourage cross-functional collaboration, breaking down silos to unlock new ideas.
- Model vulnerability and curiosity, showing that it’s okay not to have all the answers.
Developing adaptive leaders requires more than a one-off training. It’s a long-term investment in mindset, behaviour, and organisational culture. It was encouraging to find these themes repeatedly emerging and being reinforced at the Morocco summit.
Consider five core strategies which combine to build adaptive leadership capacity:
1. Foster a Growth Mindset Culture
A growth mindset — the belief that abilities can be developed through effort and learning — is foundational to adaptive leadership. How might organisations foster it?
- Celebrate learning, not just results, and recognise teams for experimentation and iteration, even if the outcome isn’t perfect.
- Reframe failure as feedback using post-mortems and retrospectives to extract lessons from setbacks.
- Encourage curiosity by promoting questioning, exploration, and continuous improvement across all levels.
For example, Google’s “Project Aristotle” found that psychological safety and a learning mindset were key to high-performing teams.
2. Design Experiential Learning Opportunities
Adaptive leadership is best developed through real-world challenges, not just classroom theory. How might organisations implement such opportunities?
- Innovation sprints and hackathons give leaders a chance to solve real problems under time constraints.
- Cross-functional rotations expose leaders to different parts of the business to broaden their perspective.
- Stretch assignments assign projects that push leaders out of their comfort zones and require collaboration, negotiation, and creative problem-solving.
For example, IBM’s Corporate Service Corps sends high-potential leaders to emerging markets to work on social innovation projects, building both empathy and adaptability.
3. Invest in Coaching and Reflection
Adaptive leadership is deeply personal. Leaders must understand their own values, triggers, and blind spots. How might organisations support this?
- Executive coaching provides one-on-one support to help leaders navigate complex challenges and develop adaptive behaviours.
- Peer learning groups create safe spaces for leaders to share experiences, reflect, and learn from one another.
- Structured reflection encourages journaling, after-action reviews, and leadership diaries to internalise learning.
Reflection turns experience into insight. And insight enables reactivity to be transformed into informed intentionality. Without a secure reflective practice, even the best experiences lose their developmental value.
4. Build Systems for Feedback and Learning
Feedback is the fuel for adaptation. Adaptive leaders need real-time insights into how their actions are perceived and what impact they’re having. How might organisations build effective feedback systems?
- 360-degree assessments gather input from peers, direct reports, and supervisors to provide a holistic view of leadership behaviour. [Note, for this to be effective, there needs to be a willingness for people to be open and honest in their feedback, particular towards senior colleagues – a facility with speaking truth to power. This is not always easy and in some cultures there is a deep reticence which will need to be overcome.]
- Pulse surveys use short, frequent surveys to gauge team sentiment and identify areas for improvement.
- Feedback rituals embed feedback into regular meetings, project reviews, and performance check-ins.
For example, Adobe replaced annual reviews with “Check-Ins” — frequent, informal conversations focused on goals, feedback, and development.
5. Model Adaptive Leadership at the Top
Culture change starts at the top. Senior leaders must embody the behaviours they want to see in others. What might this look like in practice?
- Admitting uncertainty: leaders who say “I don’t know” create space for others to contribute.
- Sharing learning journeys: talk openly about personal growth, mistakes, and lessons learned.
- Empowering teams: delegate authority, trust teams to make decisions, and support them when things go wrong.
When leaders model adaptability, it signals that change is not a threat — it is an opportunity.
As AI, climate change, and global instability reshape the business landscape, the ability to adapt will define successful leadership. Organisations that invest in adaptive leadership today will be better equipped to:
- Innovate continuously
- Respond to disruption
- Empower diverse, resilient teams
Innovation is not just about technology — it is about people. And people need leaders who can guide them through uncertainty, inspire bold thinking, and create environments where innovation thrives.
By cultivating adaptive leadership, organisations can unlock their full innovation potential and build a future that’s not just resilient but regenerative.
