Adapt: A manifesto for leaders in times of change.

 

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent. It is the one most adaptable to change”.

You’ve likely seen this quote attributed to Charles Darwin. He never said it. Although the words may have been inspired by Darwin’s work, the source was a business professor named Leon C. Megginson. Coming from a businessperson and not a biologist makes these words all the more apt; especially for leaders charged with ensuring the relevance and resilience of organizations in this age of relentless change.

This manifesto is for all leaders of change -- the innovators, disruptors, change managers -- those people tasked with transformation, modernization and evolution who have been building better organizations and helping others on their journey to do the same.

In our work we have found that when organizations evolve -- whether to survive or to innovate -- there is one attribute that is inextricably linked to sustained success: the ability for the organization to reliably and repeatedly adapt to the changing environment in which it operates. This was no less true in the industrial age than it was in the information age. It is no less vital in the digital age and beyond.

Adapt Values

To best prepare for the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly changing world, we -- the leaders of change -- choose to align around shared values that transcend businesses, boundaries and borders. These values include:

  • People and culture over tools and technology

  • Always-on adaptation over one-time change

  • Evolutionary change over revolutionary disruption

  • Flexibility over firm plans and structures

  • Strategic action over endless analysis

  • Collaboration and inclusion over competition and exclusion

  • Curiosity over certainty

Originated: June 2019