Is Flexible Leadership a Good Idea?

Flexible Leadership. It’s the title of my new book). And it is an idea that might sound good – (we need to be flexible right?), yet we want leaders to be consistent too, right?

So maybe being flexible isn’t such a good idea? Or maybe it’s just more complicated than that…

Since I literally wrote the book on the question, let me unpack it for you briefly.

Consistent or Flexible?

Here’s what I wrote in the first chapter of the book…

Aren’t we losing consistency if we strive for flexibility?

Consistency in some things is desirable, for sure. Here are some important examples:

• Consistency builds trust. When we are consistent in our words and actions, people know what to expect from us.
• Consistency builds credibility. When we are consistent in our ethical standards, we enhance our credibility.
• Consistency supports equity and fairness. When rules and standards are applied consistently, there will likely be less division and more team cohesion.
• Consistency supports stability. When leaders are consistent in times of stress or uncertainty, they help the team feel more secure.

All of these are true.

And . . .

Flexible Leadership isn’t at odds with consistency. Because we don’t need to frame flexibility and consistency as opposites. If they were opposites, then the antonyms of flexibility would be instructive. Let’s look at some of those antonyms.

• Established
• Stable
• Fixed
• Rigid
• Strict
• Hard
• Severe
• Harsh
• Stiff

While the first two seem useful, what about the rest?

Do you want to be a leader (or be led by someone) who you see as rigid, strict, hard, severe, stiff, or harsh?

Not so much. (Neither does your team.)

If you don’t frame consistency and flexibility as opposites, how do you think about them?

You frame them as both valuable and helpful, even though they aren’t the same. When you do that, you move from either/or thinking to both/and thinking.

Both/and thinking supports Flexible Leadership.

Three Reasons Flexible Leadership Matters

Now you see that flexible leadership doesn’t have to be inconsistent with being… consistent. But what are the compelling and practical reasons why you should strive to be a flexible leader?

I’m glad you asked.

Here are three of the most important reasons to consider flexible leadership to be your goal:

• Flexibility helps us navigate uncertainty. If you haven’t noticed, we have plenty of uncertainty surrounding us at work – globally, socially, geo-politically, technologically, economically . . . (do I need to go on?) When we are willing and able to adapt and flex, we can better move with uncertainty, try new things and see what we learn. When we are locked into an approach, we are rolling the dice once and taking the results we get - good or bad.
• Flexibility helps us build confidence. When we only have one way to try something, we put tons of psychological pressure on ourselves. When we realize we have options and can consider different approaches, our confidence grows. And the more approaches we have succeeded with, the more our confidence (and competence) soars.
• Flexibility is required in a changing world. Think about it this way: if the world is changing, and you aren’t, what is the likelihood that the world is changing in the direction of your set, consistent, unchanging style? If you are like me, you don’t like those odds.

Hopefully I’ve made the case for you – the case for the value and importance of flexible leadership. If so, now is the best time to order your copy my book, Flexible Leadership: Navigate Uncertainty and Lead with Confidence, here.