How New Leaders Can Cultivate Adaptability (And Lessen Stress)

Forbes

31-03-2025

In any work environment or profession, adaptability is a critical skill for effectively tackling challenges and ever-evolving situations. For a new leader, adjusting to the demands of their new role—while exciting—can feel overwhelming.
Learning leadership skills and taking on unfamiliar and increased responsibilities requires adopting fresh, practical approaches and mindset shifts—and that takes the willingness and ability to adapt and manage stress. Below, members of Forbes Coaches Council recommend some actionable strategies and exercises to help new leaders become more adaptable and maintain healthy stress levels. Follow their advice to embrace your new role with greater ease and confidence.
Adaptability begins by being energetically centered and curious. Leaders can improve their AQ (adaptability quotient) with daily centering practices like meditation, breathing or yoga and eating well and on time. Curiosity can be nurtured with a beginner's mindset. Learn by sharing stressful situations and workplace challenges with colleagues. High AQ will soften the impact of stress. - Gina Lavery, Gina Lavery Inc.
One of the best ways for a new leader to become less stressed is to get clear on the priorities that drive the most value and impact in their role or business. Using principles from Adaptive Leadership, get up on 'the balcony' and look at things from the most strategic vantage point. From there, prioritize your work based on what's going to move the needle. Delegate the tactical as much as you can. - Carolyn Moore, CultureFluence Consulting
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I approach adaptability as a way of being—perceiving the self in relationship to the situation. Intentionally becoming more adaptable means taking an honest look at how I am reacting internally to the challenge. Why is it stressing me? How can I shift my understanding of it and myself to more easily manage it? Who would find it easy to deal with this? How can I be more like them? Because I can! - Michael Brian Lee, Innotivity Institute
Identify stress triggers—deadlines, public speaking, tough conversations. Notice how the body feels and the stories you tell yourself. Self-awareness helps you respond, not react. Stop trying to solve everything. The skills that got you here aren't always what you need now. Pause. Seek new insights. Adaptability means trying different approaches. - Rudhir Krishtel, Krishtel LLC
Expect the best, prepare for the worst and view challenges as opportunities for learning. Acknowledge and accept the reality of each situation. Then, use the OODA loop (observe, orient, decide, act) to quickly assess and respond to changing circumstances. Focus on what's within your direct control; delegate or let go of what isn't. - Ula Ojiaku, Mezahab Group
A new leader can stress less by shifting their focus from control to alignment. One powerful exercise: At the end of each day, review a challenge you faced and ask, 'What was this situation trying to teach me? How can I use it to grow?' This practice rewires the mind to see obstacles as learning opportunities rather than stressors, making adaptability a natural and empowering process. - Veronica Angela, CONQUER EDGE, LLC
A new leader can dream big and execute flexibly by practicing scenario planning—visualizing multiple paths to success while embracing pivots. An effective exercise is 'Reverse Failure Mapping'—envision the boldest goal, list potential obstacles and prestrategize adaptive solutions, reducing stress through preparedness. - Damodar Selvam, Equifax Inc.
A new leader can build adaptability by visualizing resilience daily. Each morning, close your eyes and picture yourself effortlessly navigating a challenge—calm, confident and in control. See obstacles as stepping stones, not roadblocks. This mental rehearsal rewires your brain to embrace change with ease, reducing stress and boosting leadership agility. - Dr. Adil Dalal, Pinnacle Process Solutions, Intl., LLC
Adaptability starts with intentional time management. New leaders must schedule daily time to handle the inevitable chaos—whether it's 15 minutes to reset priorities or reflect on challenges. Without this buffer, they stay reactive and not adaptable. A simple practice: Block 'flex time' on your calendar to adjust, learn and respond proactively rather than just reacting under stress. - Alex Draper, DX Learning Solutions
Uncertainty isn't the enemy; resistance to it is. The more you fight change, the more it drains you. Let go of control, reframe challenges as experiments and stay curious. Ask what's the worst that could happen, what's the best and what can be learned either way. Adaptability isn't a gift; it's a skill. Strengthen it through small shifts, trust yourself and stress less. - Stephan Lendi, Newbury Media & Communications GmbH
Practice mindful reflection to become more adaptable. Each day, note a challenge, brainstorm flexible solutions and experiment. This fosters adaptability while reducing stress by shifting from reactive to proactive thinking. Over time, you'll build resilience and welcome change with greater ease. - Peter Boolkah, The Transition Guy
New leaders should practice self-awareness, be open to feedback and cultivate flexibility. An effective approach is regular journaling to reflect on challenges, identify emotional triggers and develop coping strategies. Practicing mindfulness meditation can also help a leader stay present, adjust more readily to change and avoid getting caught up in anxious thoughts about the future. - Jonathan H. Westover, Ph.D., Human Capital Innovations
Plan for inevitable volatility (such as market shifts, dependencies that are requirements truly outside of your control, and so on). Prepare yourself by adding a buffer; have responses and action plans in place, especially crisis management. Track risks and assemble a supportive leadership team. Monitor and stay engaged. Be open to difficult trade-off decisions. - Kinga Vajda, Execute Your Intentions, LLC
Try treating every challenge like an improv scene rather than a scripted play. Instead of clinging to rigid plans, practice 'Yes, and … ' thinking, where you accept unexpected changes and build on them creatively. Better yet, turn situations into gamification scenarios to rewire your mindset from control to curiosity when dealing with stressors. - Thomas Lim, Centre for Systems Leadership (SIM Academy)
Get to know your stress and what's behind it. When is it triggered? What changes can you make, and what support do you need? Do you choose to adjust and grow? The benefit of deep relaxation is massive; make sure you can slow down your breathing and bring it to your stomach and calm your nervous system. This will build your resources, bringing you acceptance, perspective, flexibility and resilience. - Mathilda Klingberg, Klingberg Stockholm AB
To reduce stress, a new leader must understand the leadership culture of their environment. It's essential to grasp not just the tasks, but also the team dynamics, ensuring they introduce ideas without disrupting the mission. Understanding the group also helps identify key individuals who can support and reinforce the leader's vision. - Dr. Demoine Kinney, D Kinney Research, Development and Consulting, LLC
A new leader becomes more adaptable by leaning into fear instead of avoiding it. Growth happens outside the comfort zone. Stay focused on what you can control, commit to learning from setbacks and build a routine that keeps you grounded (for example, daily reflection or problem-solving exercises). Adaptability isn't about avoiding challenges; it's about facing them with confidence and consistency. - Sariki Abungwo, Blesatech Consultancy Services
'Pressure surfing' is a technique leaders can use to reduce stress by learning when to paddle, pause or ride the momentum they've built. Start by recognizing when you're overpaddling into exhaustion and building strategic recharge rituals to regain clarity. Then, in the standing position, you gain perspective—focusing energy where it matters most, staying adaptable and using momentum to rest. - Tom Roberts, Cranberry Leadership International
Adaptability starts with acceptance. If things aren't going as planned, the first step is acknowledging that, because you can't adjust if you're still resisting what's happening. I've found that approaching stressful situations with a 'yes, and' mindset helps a lot. The 'yes' helps you accept what is happening, while the 'and' prompts you to find a different way forward. - Kelly Stine, The Leading Light Coach
New leaders often need to get out of their own way. Self-doubt and imposter syndrome hold people back more than outside forces. Understand and recognize these mentalities when they crop up and take proactive measures to reinforce yourself. Journaling often helps people get their thoughts out of their heads and onto a page, allowing them to analyze them rather than continue to simmer. - Ed Brzychcy, Lead from the Front