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I have to confess that I didn't finish The Practice of Adaptive Leadership. As a practical matter, reading this book is a bit like joining a monastic order.

It will work for you if you're willing to take a lot of time to learn the system and then change your life to fit it. I don't think most of the managers who read my articles or blog will see that as a good trade-off.

Here's an idea of what to expect.

You will have to learn a new language. This is not that hard. I'm unclear why observing has to happen "On the Balcony" and why a "Practice Field" is necessary. But don't worry, there are lots of charts and diagrams to help you understand the concepts. Here is a list of just a few.

There is a 2 X 2 Diagnosis Matrix
A chart to help you distinguish Technical Problems from Adaptive Challenges
A graph of formal and informal authority
The Productive Zone of Disequilibrium

And of course, there is lots of consultant-speak. You get to read and decipher sentences like the following. "Previously highly successful protocols seem antiquated." I translate that as: "Things that used to work don't work anymore."

Like most books of this type, there is a lot of starting to prepare to begin to get ready to think about doing something. The first chapter is 'How to Use This Book." The second chapter is "The Theory Behind the Practice." And the third is "Before You Begin." Those chapters take up almost fifty pages.

Then you get to the examples. But they're not real examples. People and companies are not named. Instead you're told about "a large law firm: and "a fast-growing advertising and sales company" and "a global energy company" and a "large multinational corporation with a matrix organization." There are lots of non-business examples, drawn from the authors' experience with government agencies.

People are similarly un-named. The only identifying factors seem to be race and gender, which are nicely balanced.

Bottom Line.

A book can have some great content and still not be a book to buy. The Practice of Adaptive Leadership is more like a book of theology than one about leadership. Assumptions are never questioned. The book offers a carefully thought-through system, but one that requires full commitment and significant time to learn and put to use.

For most managers, there's a better use of time than reading The Practice of Adaptive Leadership. Simply put, it's not worth much if you can't put it to use.

Wally's Working Supervisor's Support Kit is a collection of information and tools to help working supervisors do a better job. It's based on what Wally's learned in over twenty years of supervisory skills training. Click here to check it out.