Adaptability is defined as being able to adjust oneself readily to different conditions.
To be adaptable is to be flexible, versatile and accepting of change.
Easier said than done!
Ghandi shared this quote, which got me thinking: ‘adaptability is not imitation. It means power of resistance and assimilation.’
Nowadays, living in a fast-changing and rapidly-evolving world, it’s almost the norm that others tell us to ‘slow down’ and be willing to change because life won’t stay the same.
Of course! Nothing stays the same.
The only option we have is to be adaptable and responsive to the world around us.
We now know from research that to be adaptable … is the new intelligence.
From IQ to EQ to … AQ
Once upon a time, if you had a high IQ you were looked upon favourably as a very efficient and intelligent human being.
Then it was EQ that was looked upon in a kindly manner. It was that emotionally intelligent human being who was cognizant of their emotions and those of others. Therefore, they had the superpower of being able to connect with others easily.
With the change of times and the ever-evolving door of variation, transformation and revolution, today we have a new intelligence trend.
AQ is the brilliant, agile, composed and savvy leader that most organisations scream out for. The term is used for those that can manage the equilibrium of a mental state in adverse situations of life, as well as find the solution of coming out of it.
Let’s face it. No one likes change. There will always be a level of resistance to it.
However, the quicker we can adapt and get our head, mind and brain into finding a way forward, the faster we can get to where we need to be.
After all, resilience is how quickly we get back up after we fall.
Don’t let your struggle become your identity
We grow through adversity.
When life puts a wall in our way, what do we do? We can stop. We can hit our head against that wall. Or we can work out a way to get over, under or around that wall.
The wall is adversity.
If I look back on my life with full honesty, some of the hardest moments turned out to be an absolute blessing. I would not be the woman I am today without them.
Challenges are what makes life interesting, exciting, adventurous … and meaningful.
The beauty of challenges is overcoming them
Think about how boring life would be without them.
If you went to the movies and there was no drama, no action, no surprises and no adversity, how would you describe that film? Maybe dull, humdrum or uninteresting.
You just have to see life as a movie. That’s it.
Most organisations are going through widespread change and asking their leaders to be resilient, tough and able to bounce back in a volatile environment.
How does one do that when they have not experienced adversity, catastrophe or any form of hardship?
To read the second piece of this two-part blog series on cultivating adaptability, resilience and AQ, click here.
