Human side of leadership in a rapidly changing world

Reflections from INSEAD’s Alumni Forum and Adaptive Leadership in Practice.

Last week, I attended the INSEAD Alumni Forum to stay attuned to global trends, cutting-edge thinking, and to connect with brilliant minds across industries and borders.

What stood out most wasn't the emphasis on AI, tech, or sustainability—though they dominated the agenda. It was that, more than ever, words like Purpose, Mission, Values, Vision, Empathy, and Human-Centricity took center stage.

Last week, I was also back at Johnson & Johnson, delivering a workshop on Adaptive Leadership—a framework developed by Ron Heifetz and Marty Linsky at Harvard, which, although not new, remains incredibly relevant.

Adaptive Leadership and Big Hairy Dilemmas.  

At the INSEAD Forum, a CEO fireside chat focused on the dilemmas that top leaders face today —those big, hairy decisions with no clear right answer, where any path taken is bound to disappoint someone.

Examples?

→ Should we stay in this market or exit?

→ Should we acquire this business or let it go?

→ Should we close this division or invest more at the cost of another?

These are decisions where there’s no “win-win.” The burden sits squarely at the top—and everyone looks up for the final yes or no. The big reflection from all 3 speakers was that these are no more occasional once in a year decisions, these are decisions that are coming to leaders at the speed they do not have the time to even reflect por process the information before the final decision is required. The pressure is on - more so than ever. 

Adaptive Leadership Is About Navigating Loss and Progress

 Adaptive Leadership aligns with the dilemma solving philosophy. It’s about recognizing that leading through change means disappointing people—but doing it at a rate they can absorb.

It teaches us that real leadership isn’t about pleasing everyone. 

It’s about:

→ surfacing tough conflicts,

→ mobilizing people to face reality,

→ making progress on challenges that don’t have clear, technical fixes.

Unlike purely top-down decision-making, Adaptive Leadership invites voices from below to co-create solutions for adaptive challenges - those where old playbooks no longer work and where success depends on shifting mindsets, beliefs, and behaviors.

Purpose-Driven Leadership: A Non-Negotiable

My last newsletter focused on purpose, and last week’s experiences only reaffirmed its critical importance.

Purpose fuels vision. And when a leader’s vision reaches beyond personal gain and into collective impact, it has the power to rally people—first themselves, and then others.

 As R. Heifetz says, courage is central to the practice of Adaptive Leadership. It’s not about having the answers—it’s about asking better questions.

Courage to:

→ Hold up a mirror to yourself.

→ Hold up a mirror to your team.

→ Ask hard, uncomfortable questions that don’t have easy answers. 

Take action that may upset the status quo but is necessary for progress.

It also requires adaptability—the capacity to shift between zooming in to act, and zooming out to see the bigger picture. What R. Heifetz calls “getting on the balcony” and “stepping onto the dance floor.”

Leaders today must do both—and they must do it faster than ever before.

Gone are the days of five-year strategies created in slow cycles. Change is outpacing planning. The future belongs to those who can stay grounded in purpose while responding nimbly to shifting realities.

Adaptive vs. Technical Challenges: Know the Difference

Here’s a simple but powerful distinction:

Technical challenges have known solutions. A system breaks, an expert fixes it. The authority figure has the answer.

Adaptive challenges are murky. They require changes in values, behaviors, and mindsets. They demand learning, collaboration, and emotional resilience.

Solving them starts with asking hard questions:

→ What’s the story beneath the story?

→ Are we solving the right problem?

→ What’s the real challenge here?

→ What are we not seeing?
 

A Real-World Case Study: Paris 2024 Olympics

At the INSEAD Forum, Georgina Grenon, Director of Environmental Excellence for the Paris 2024 Olympics, shared an extraordinary example of Adaptive Leadership in action.

The challenge?

To make the most sustainable Olympics in history, aligned with the Paris Agreement, an international treaty adopted in 2015 at the UN Climate Change Conference to adress he urgent global challenge of climate change. 

This wasn’t a task for a single leader. It required inventing new solutions and solving challlenges that never been solved:

→ Changing laws to allow reusable water bottles at events.

→ Letting athletes swim in the Seine for the first time in over 100 years.

→ Swapping the traditional Olympic flame for a greener alternative.

→ Motivating teams to embrace innovation—like cycling through Montmartre to inspire peak performance.

The team had to step onto the balcony to reimagine what was possible—and then back onto the dance floor to count required number of chairs and to organize logistics.

It’s a brilliant case study in applying adaptive leadership to real-world, complex challenges.

Vision met action. Purpose drove creativity. Courage led the way.

From Vision to Action

It often starts with a dream—one that feels too big, too scary, too out of reach. But the path unfolds as you walk it. When you involve others, when leadership becomes a shared act, momentum builds. That’s when the magic happens.

So as you reflect on your work, your business, your mission, ask yourself:

→ What dilemmas are on my plate right now?

→ Who am I disappointing—and is it at a rate they can absorb?

→ How can I bring in voices from below to co-create the way forward?

And finally...

Are you a pilot who controls the direction from the cockpit?
Or are you a bird, flying with the wind, sensing shifts, adapting mid-air, and seeing the landscape from above?

The best leaders today? They’re both.

Strengthen Within to Lead Beyond

For leaders navigating the relentless pace of change, burnout is not a distant risk—it’s a present danger. Adaptive Leadership reminds us that staying effective over time isn’t just about strategic decisions; it’s also about emotional stamina and inner alignment. 

To lead through uncertainty, disappoint others at a rate they can absorb, and hold the tension of competing demands, leaders must continuously strengthen their inner core—their purpose, values, and sense of self. But strength isn’t just built through grit. It’s also built through sanctuary—intentional moments to recharge, renew, and reset. 

Whether it’s a walk in nature, a trusted circle of peers, or time away from the noise, sanctuary is not a luxury; it’s a necessity. Without it, even the most adaptive leaders lose perspective.  

Clarity, courage, and compassion—the hallmarks of effective leadership—emerge from a centered place within.