Patty Stonesifer and Adaptive Leadership

Patty Stonesifer shares her leadership growth experiences during her time as leader of the Gates Foundation. Her interview with Bridgestar is a nice experienced based road map for how to deal with wicked problems.

This turbulent time is the result of many factors but one aspect that has avoided scrutiny is the specific failings of global leaders to see the future and find the courage to make difficult decisions.

The work of Ron Heifetz and his Adaptive Leadership frameworks are essential leadership competencies for these times. We all must step up our competency to lead. Turbulence is now a way of organizational life and knowing how to make progress in these conditions is the leadership moment of truth.

A Development Strategy for a Lifetime

I am a collector of structures and processes that hold the possibility of self-development, organizational improvement and dare I say global health. My collection of structures and processes includes approaches that most would agree are proven. Six Sigma, Systems Thinking and Model I/Model II to name a few. At the other end of the development spectrum, there are processes like Encounter and Community Building, Dialogue and even some straight ahead yelling and screaming.

I reject stuff that will not hold up across broad groups, different organizations or at the individual level. As a collector I feel free to cherry pick these approaches for strengths while leaving behind the non-useful parts. I then attempt to put these pieces together new forms of development and test them on myself. If they show promise, I share them with others.

This approach to development is a bit edgy at times but it can be rich in discovery. At the same time, I am always seeking simplicity. I’m looking for the development equivalent of Danish design: clean, simple, and highly functional. I discovered just such an approach and wouldn’t you know it, I found it living with the Buddhists. Seems we can count on Eastern wisdom to give us simplicity and challenge all wrapped together.

Here is a Buddhist approach to self-development, organizational improvement and global health in five simple but not-so-easy-to-implement steps:

1. Confess My Faults
2. Approach What I Find Repulsive
3. Help Those I Think I Cannot Help
4. Anything I Am Attached To, Let It Go
5. Go Places That Scare Me

In my next few entries, I’ll talk about what I have learned about myself while practicing this development strategy. For now, consider how these five “interventions” might play out for you. Oh and these things often make me crazy.