Adaptability as a Critical Component in Leadership
Maria is a Rolling Stone
Maria Wade, PCC
This blog was inspired by our special guest, another successful coach, Maria Wade, PCC. As an expert in \ Executive and Leadership Development Coaching, Maria is committed to helping her clients find their higher purpose.
She spent 10 years becoming a lawyer, has a Business Administration degree, a financial diploma, and is now using her professional coaching degree from Columbia University. I jokingly called her a slacker (she is anything but). Her backstory is one of incredibly tenacity, resilience, and commitment from which we can all learn.
According to Maria herself, her secret to success is her ability to respond positively to change. As a girl, she was forced to become adaptable after moving multiple times due to her family's involvement with the Russian Army. Moving from base to base, she had to find comfort within herself, truly to make the most out of her unstable surroundings. She explains, “I had to be adaptable, so I adopted, adapted, and aligned constantly. And when I describe my life with one word I think oh! I am resilient.” Even just recently celebrating 6 years in America, she and her family managed to move three times! I think we can all be inspired by her adventurous spirit. Especially in this time where many of us have endured enough change over the last year for a lifetime.
“So I’m moving, I am a mover. And when people introduce me as an agent of change, I think that, yes… I am in the midst of change constantly. ”
After listening to our episode over again, I realized that she’s used her evolving surroundings as an opportunity to evolve herself. “I am reinventing myself again and again,” Maria explained. What a fantastic way to frame all of the change she has experienced.
It can be difficult to figure out who we are. Not all of us can have as much clarity as Maria! But something that might help is to acknowledge the obstacles around us as opportunities to become a better version of ourselves. After learning from the mistakes we’ve made, we can let them go and be grateful for the learning. Even after all these accomplishments Maria still defines herself as an “unfocused, and unbalanced person.” That’s certainly not how she presents to the world - many of us can relate to that dichotomy, yes? But all the progress she’s made she reveals to be a product of hard work.
When asked for her “golden nugget advice” Maria explains that consistency is key. “It's not enough just to be engaged with something once in our life,” she told me. “It’s not enough to think that if we try doing something it’s enough, it’s not enough. Only consistent work.” Too often in coaching, we find a client looking for that magic wave of the wand and poof! You’re “cured!” Yet research tells us that it takes 6 months to make significant strides in life, and 12 months + to make profound, life-altering shifts. All of that means discipline, focus, and yes - adaptability to make it work.
Adaptability has also served her well as a coach. Providing clients the space to talk, listen without judgment, and give them the pedestal to be the “star” as Maria calls it, are all part of the coaching process. How often in life do we get someone’s undivided attention solely for our benefit? We all can use these tips in our everyday conversations as well. Try this out: next time you find yourself in a position to help, take a moment to bring awareness to your thinking and make a conscious choice: Is this a “me” conversation or is it time to take the backseat and be a good, curious listener.
I am so grateful to share Maria’s experiences and energy. Many of these conversations can relate to us in different ways, whether we need to learn to be more adaptable or self-disciplined or all of the above! It’s the effort you put into evolving yourself that matters. And that, of course, is where the magic is.
Leadership LIVE Friday - Maria Wade, PCC Full Episode
