Last month at a high-school reunion I met Suwat, an old friend who now works at a large multinational company. He told me he was facing a lot of stress coping with change, so I suggested he read Becoming an Agile Leader by Victoria V Swisher. We arranged to meet again in two weeks.
"Coach, thank you for the book. I loved it," Suwat tells me when we meet.
"What did you learn from it?" I ask.
"I discovered that Learning Agility is defined as the willingness and ability to learn from experience, and subsequently apply that learning to perform successfully under new or first-time conditions." The book describes five Learning Agility factors:
Self-awareness: Agile leaders know what they're good at and not so good at and actively address the not-so-good parts.
Mental agility: They are critical thinkers who are comfortable with complexity, examine problems carefully and make fresh connections that they are able to make understandable to others.
People agility: They understand the value of getting things done through others and are exceptional communicators who see conflict as an opportunity rather than a problem.
Change agility: They like to experiment and can deal with the discomfort of change; they have a passion for ideas and are highly interested in continuous improvement.
Results agility: They deliver results in first-time situations through resourcefulness and having a significant presence that inspires others.
"Khun Suwat, what are some of the take-aways from the book?" I ask.
"Each agility factor comes with several actions to apply," he says, and offers one action for each agility factor as an example:
Self-awareness: Approach every interaction as a way to self-check. How was my approach? What could I have done differently? Especially in areas that you are working on or that are critical to your performance, ask others who have watched you to share feedback with you shortly after events happen. Make this a habit. Seeking feedback increases both the accuracy of your self-understanding and people's evaluation of your overall effectiveness.
Mental agility: Get out of your comfort zone. Many busy people rely too much on solutions from their own history. Using this limited lens, they are quick to see a sameness in problems that isn't necessarily there. Beware of "I have always…" or "usually I…" Always pause, consider alternatives, and ask yourself, "Is this really like the problems I have solved in the past?" Or, conversely, "How is this different from past problems?"
People agility: Manage the first three minutes. This is essential in any interaction. The tone is set. First impressions are formed. Work on being more open and approachable, and take in more information during the beginning of a transaction. Put others at ease so that they feel okay about disclosing. Initiate rapport, listening, sharing, understanding, even comforting. Approachable people get more information, know things earlier and can get others to do more things. The more you can get others to initiate and say early in the interaction, the more you'll know about their intentions and the better you can tailor your approach.
Change agility: Prepare in advance. Leading is risky. You have to defend what you're doing, so convince yourself first that you are on the right track. Be prepared to explain again and again, to attract lightning bolts from detractors, from those individuals unsettled by change, and from those naysayers who always will argue it could have been done differently, better, faster or cheaper. To prepare for those possibilities, think about 10 objections that could come up and mentally rehearse how you will reply. Listen patiently to people's concerns, acknowledge them, and then explain why you think this change will be beneficial.
Results agility: Take more risks. Research indicates that successful people have made more mistakes than the less successful. You can't learn anything if you're not trying anything new. Go for small wins so you can recover quickly if you miss the mark and, more importantly, learn from the results.
Start with the easiest challenge and then work up to the tougher ones, such as taking on a tough assignment. Many people turn down opportunities based upon current life comforts only to regret it later when they are passed over. Think of that scary and unappealing new task, assignment, or job as an opportunity to acquire new skills and add variety to your resume.
"That's an interesting summation, Khun Suwat. What was the big insight you obtained from the book?"
"I was stressed because my ego was keeping me in my comfort zone. I wanted to work the same old way in a new environment. Once I learned that I need to let go, I could see a way out."
Kriengsak Niratpattanasai provides executive coaching in leadership and diversity management under the brand TheCoach. He can be reached at