Adapt or Die

Leading Through Change      

In March of 2020, I boarded a plane to Florida, six months pregnant and toting two toddlers. We were going to see my parents and spend a couple days in the sun, away from the doldrums of the gray winter of the North. A few days later, I sat on the porch with my parents, in the light of the Floridian sunset, discussing whether I could make it back home to my husband before the world supposedly shut down. I remember laughing thinking, the world shut down? Eye roll.

Later that night, my husband called me from Costco in the middle of a frenzy of shoppers, asking if he should stock up on paper towel and toilet paper. Again, I thought, this is madness. It’ll all blow over. The next day, we boarded our flight back home and landed without a hitch. The day after that, all flights were cancelled. I had beaten the lockdown by one day.

We all know what happened next. Complete disruption of our plans. Life came to a screeching halt. We found ourselves in the middle of one of the biggest seasons of change our country had seen in almost a decade.

Some of us adapted well, happily setting up home offices, embracing our returned college-students, and introverting like no introvert has ever introverted before. In contrast, some of us (me) went berserk with every new cancellation—church, school, all social plans—spent long hours yelling back and forth across the yard to the neighbors instead, and frequented any grocery store that was open just to be around other people.

We all adapted, whether we liked it or not. And we will likely have to adapt to unexpected changes again in the future. So, how do we do it well? And how do we lead others through it?

Most people don’t adapt well. It’s natural to face changes with fear and even anger. Grant Buenger, the Executive Director of Racine Habitat for Humanity, has led his organization through many changes in the last three years—new staffing models, large scale growth, and changes in brick-and-mortar space. Over time, he has discovered the key to leading well through change is fostering adaptability within a team by keeping the mission at the forefront.

Buenger cites a story from Tod Bolsinger’s book, Canoeing the Mountains. Lewis and Clark, the great explorers, were heading west. They figured they could make it all the way across the United States to the Pacific Ocean by taking waterways and using their canoes. That is, until they hit the Rocky Mountains and their expedition quickly came to a grinding halt. Instead of giving up their quest, they decided to trade their canoes for horses and continue the journey until they found water again. Eventually, they hit the Gold Coast as planned. They didn’t let the unexpected topographical shift keep them from achieving their mission, they simply adapted their strategy and continued. They weren’t so committed to their canoes that they decided to stop in Colorado and call it a day. Instead, they adjusted, adapted and achieved.

So how do we, as leaders, “Lewis and Clark” our way through Covid? Or inflation? Or policy changes? How do we build teams that respond well to these changes and many more that are sure to come?

Here are a few ways to help foster adaptability within your team:

1. Speak the Mission Aloud and Speak it Frequently: Say what you do, say it often.  Make sure it’s clear. We build homes, we provide great service, we make IT easy to understand. Speak this in meetings, write it on the wall, make sure everyone on your team repeats it when you ask them what you do. It’s the bigger reason behind the daily work. It’s what drives passion and unites a team.

2. Create Trust Among the Team: When changes happen, people look to others for help. If they trust their leadership and their teammates, they’re more likely to feel supported. This will help them adapt well to the change. In some cases, enduring trials and adapting can even make a team stronger.

3. Model adaptability. If you let fear and uncertainty grip you when unexpected changes occur, how will you expect your team to adapt well? You must remember the mission, you must chart new courses, trade the canoes and shift when necessary.

4. Go slower than you think. Accepting change can take time. I am a prime example. My family and I relocated back to our hometown 3 ½ years ago and I’m just now able to say that I’m settling in and accepting my new surroundings. It’ll just take more time than you think. The Rockies gave Lewis and Clark pause and they couldn’t procure horses within an evening. They had to understand what they were facing, how to face it and, acquire what they needed and then continue on. Give yourself and your team time and space to process the change, create a plan and then continue on.

While I would not have wished the year 2020 on anyone, I will say that I’m much more resilient and adaptable because of it. While I admitted above and will say it again, I did NOT adapt quickly or well to the changes at first, I can look back with pride and say that I continued to find new courses and new ways to accomplish the things that needed accomplishing and dare I say that, after a few months in, I was able to feel mentally, physically and emotionally healthy once again.

While adapt or die might sound a little strong, it’s the truth. Which will it be?

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This blog post is loosely based on the IOL Podcast #147 Building Hope and Transformational Leadership with Grant Buenger.

Written by Ashley Buenger (Yep, they are a dynamic duo!)