The Practice of Adaptive Leadership

Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization and the World

By: Ronald A. Heifetz, Marty Linsky, Alexander Grashow

Narrated by: Daniel Henning

When change requires you to challenge people's familiar reality, it can be difficult, dangerous work. Whatever the context - whether in the private or the public sector - many will feel threatened as you push though major changes. But as a leader, you need to find a way to make it work.

Ron Heifetz first defined this problem with his distinctive theory of adaptive leadership in Leadership Without Easy Answers. In a second book, Leadership on the Line, Heifetz and coauthor Marty Linsky highlighted the individual and organizational dangers of leading through deep change in business, politics, and community life. Now, Heifetz, Linsky, and coauthor Alexander Grashow are taking the next step: The Practice of Adaptive Leadership is a hands-on, practical guide containing stories, tools, and cases to help you develop your skills as an adaptive leader, able to take people outside their comfort zones and assess and address the toughest challenges.

The authors have decades of experience helping people and organizations create cultures of adaptive leadership. In today's rapidly changing world, The Practice of Adaptive Leadership can be your handbook to meeting the demands of leadership in the midst of complexity.

©2009 Cambridge Leadership Associates (P)2021 Ascent Audio

tough to listen to.

This is an interesting topic especially if you are growing leadership knowledge. While the focus of adaptive leadership is on change leadership, I see similarities to the work of Kotter.

It does require the ability to listen intently, and follow the themes. The topic is very helpful for people who can't distinguish the difference between a technical people problem and a situation that requires changing minds, process and strategies.

Articulate your purpose

Required reading for my MBA, but would recommend regardless. Can be applied immediately for managers.

Simple & Practical

The pause and reflect moments provided through “one the balcony” and “in the practice field moments” make the principles shared here simple and easy to apply.

You can change with intentional choices

What got you here, won’t get you there. The Practice of Adaptive Leadership is a action guide to changing how you view and influence others!

Wealth of knowledge and application

I came across this book as an academic read for a program I’m In. I have to say initially I was not looking forward to reading it. As I became immersed in the text over the last 3 days, I have to say there’s a wealth of knowledge and gems that this book has to offer. This book no only speaks to the lens’s of leadership in a professional setting, but what I like most, is that it apples to the mult-layered walks of life where we are subconsciously, and consciously leaders. I definitely recommend it to anyone looking to change their mindset on what it means to “lead”.