Adaptive Leadership for Sustainable Networks Prepared for FORHP Rural Health Network Webinar November 8, 2017 Eric Baumgartner, MD, MPH

Sustainable Network Core Relationships Vision and Charter Mutual Trust Agreement and Alignment Able to have difficult conversations One voice Have each others’ back Not project-focused Safe environment for risk taking Partners and Participants Authority Transparency Front-line perspective Confidentiality Perspectives Resources Culture of Innovation Knowledge Assumes change is inevitable Styles Part of the organizational DNA Leadership Structure Distributed Value learning together Shared “Deep and wide” involvement and accountability Willingness to try new things Sustainable Network Core Leadership is important for all domains of the Sustainable Network Core. Effective leaders help assure that there is a strong, coherent, shared and enduring vision that galvanizes the purpose for partners to collaborate. Effective leaders also support the work of identifying and engaging partners that to strengthen the collective work of the Network.

Adaptive Leadership Partners do not have authority over each other Effective collaboration is essential for success Health issues in communities have many drivers and shifting dynamics that require the ability to constantly assess and adapt strategies together Network must be sustained over years The most effective leadership approach for sustained collaborative networks that face complex health challenges is referred to as Adaptive Leadership. Rural Health Networks require adaptive leadership because: Partners do not have authority over each other Effective collaboration is essential for success Health issues in communities have many drivers and shifting dynamics that require the ability to constantly assess and adapt strategies together Network must be sustained over years

Adaptive Leadership Qualities Comfortable working with ambiguity Connected to purpose - applies both “head” and “heart” Constant scanning and sense-making is first nature Understands role and limitations of authoritative vs collaborative approaches Experiments with smart risk-taking Learns and adapts Adapted from: Heifetz, Grashow and Linsky, The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization and the World, 2009 The qualities of an adaptive leader include: Being comfortable working with ambiguity Being able to connect with both head and heart Having scanning and sense-making being 1st nature Understanding the role and limitations of authoritative vs collaborative approaches Being willing to experiment with smart risk-taking Constantly learning and adapting

Technical vs. Adaptive Challenges May be complex and critically important but problem is clear Have known solutions Can be resolved by applying current structures and procedures Problem definition not clear No set of known solutions, requires learning Requires shared solutions among stakeholders = collaboration Requires changes in peoples’/partners’ beliefs, habits and loyalties An important aspect of Adaptive Leadership is discerning between technical and adaptive challenges Adaptive challenges are those that have a known solution even though they may be complex – an example might be gall bladder surgery. A physician with the skills and training knows the recommended protocols for how to do this surgery. On the other hand, adaptive challenges have no prescribed way of solving the problem. Adaptive challenge could be how to bring desperate stakeholders to address health disparities in a community. The issue is so complex that it requires that people work together in new and creative ways to solve it.

Leadership As Fit Adaptive Leaders understand the importance of: discerning technical from adaptive challenges, and “fitting” their leadership approach to best support the stakeholders

Adaptive Leadership CRL Consulting has developed the Network Leadership Self and Situational Assessment Tool to help us understand the concepts of Adaptive Leadership and Leadership as Fit and assess our personal leadership strengths