In today’s world, leaders face challenges that are more volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous—what scholars call a “VUCA” environment—than ever before. Traditional top-down approaches often fall short in such conditions. Ken Williams, PhD, Professor of Leadership and Change at Antioch University’s Graduate School of Leadership and Change, argues that the key lies in adaptive leadership: centering people in the problem-solving process, fostering creative tension without overwhelming distress, and grounding decisions in shared organizational values.
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Video Transcript
My name is Ken Williams. I am Professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior at Antioch University’s Graduate School of Leadership and Change. Today, I’d like to talk a bit about the kind of world we live in. We are in a world that I would categorize—and that has been categorized in the literature—as VUCA, which stands for volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. These are all characteristics that define the world we are in today.
Now, in such a world, leadership can respond in a number of different ways. Traditional models of leadership do not seem to be providing sustainable solutions for this kind of volatility, complexity, and uncertainty. Instead, I draw on the concept of adaptive leadership, which emphasizes that people—workers—must be at the center of problem-solving. Solutions coming from the leadership alone are not sustainable.
It is vital that leaders ensure their people are protected and that they have a voice. Those on the front lines of the work are often the best positioned to solve the problems. Leaders, however, have the responsibility to provide protection, resources, and support. It is okay to create some distress when driving change, because change can be stressful. But if distress is too high, people are not able to be creative.
Leaders must therefore find ways to foster creative tension while ensuring that people feel their voices are being heard. I believe this requires drawing on organizational values: identifying what values drive the organization, where people are situated within them, and ensuring that people are valued and cared for. Distress must be regulated, and there must be consistency in decision-making.
There are times when things are going to be hard, and people do not mind doing tough things. But it’s important that they are consulted, that leaders are honest and transparent, and that people are drawn into the problem-solving agenda.
