ADAPTABILITY IN LEADERSHIP



Adaptability in Leadership depicts the ability of a leader to adapt to changes around him/her. This is a strong determining factor to how far S/He will go in leadership.
Breaking the word down in two ways, we have: ADAPT and ABILITY. First we take a look at the word “ADAPT”. We can have the words “AD” and “APT”. We can also have the words “ADD” and “APT”. From the Dictionary the word “AD” means to advertise, to show, announce, to broadcast. The word “APT” is the short form of “APTITUDE” which means the “potential to acquire skill” or “quickness to learning; quickness and ease in learning”. Bringing them both together, AD-APT will mean the leader “showcasing/advertising/broadcasting or announcing his/her ability to learn about his/her environment, the people as well as him/herself in order to be an effective leader, OR, showcasing, publicizing his/her skills or abilities; Knowledge-Ability, Leadership abilities in a way and manner that fits the environment or task needed.

Now using the “ADD” and “APT”; ADD means to enhance, complement or improve, to put together with something. Then “APT” is the short form of “APTITUDE” which is: “natural skill or ability in learning, or APT: to be suitable. So if we bring them together it will be “to enhance or improve with or by one’s natural ability in learning.

ADAPTABILITY will now be “The Ability of a Leader to enhance or improve him/herself, the people and the environment S/He is leading in a way that is suitable, fit, right or proper for all the stakeholders”.

Every leader must improve him/herself, the people and the environment S/He is a leader in, in the right manner and proper way that will turn out best for the stakeholders.
Some of the things the leader can add to improve the system is the knowledge he has and that of the people. By this, the leader empowers Him/Herself, the People and the Environment/Constituency. Knowledge is power, and when the leader improves the knowledge of his/her constituency, S/he is indirectly empowering the constituency at large and in the long run. When the minds of people in a constituency are with knowledge, they start to see things differently, act differently and then it betters the constituency in the short and long term beautifying it.

According to the Good Book, The Bible in Proverbs 24: 4, Knowledge beautifies and enriches the mind of whoever it touches, so it is very important to beautify the minds and lives of people with knowledge. This is why it is very important for leaders to be good learners and be given to constant learning. A leader must be able to adapt what S/He has learnt or is learning to situations confronted. S/He must be able to adapt his/her knowledge constructively and not destructively to solve problems and improve on systems and situations.

Every leader has resources in different capacities and volumes available to them, and the leader must be able to adapt these resources as the need arises in a constructive manner which will lead to the achievement of set goals of the leader, people or stakeholders.

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