Adaptive leadership: the secret to this CEO’s success

Since joining South Australia’s public sector 25 years ago, Marina Bowshall – who heads-up Preventative Health SA – has learnt one important leadership lesson. 

“Your technical skills can only take you so far…you need to have adaptive leadership skills in order to progress.”

Adaptive leadership helps individuals and organisations assess difficult situations and flourish in turbulent and challenging circumstances. 

The concept was developed by Harvard professors Ron Heifetz and Martin Linsky, and forms the basis of the Transformative Leadership Program, delivered by Professional and Continuing Education at the University of Adelaide. 

Like many people, Marina’s outstanding track record for delivering and influencing public health outcomes allowed her to climb through the ranks in the early stages of her career. 

“Every several years there had been a new career opportunity to explore and, like many people, it was clear that these opportunities were the result of my technical skills and capacity to deliver results… but as you grow in responsibilities and seniority, leadership skills need to be developed even more,” she said. 

“Adaptive leadership is the essence of how you grow, and how I’ve grown in my leadership development.”

In 2019, Marina enrolled in the Transformative Leadership Program to develop her adaptive leadership skills, which, unbeknownst to her, couldn’t have been more perfectly timed in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“I’d heard from peers and colleagues how transformative it was for them, and honestly, my participation couldn’t have been better timed,” Marina said. 

“Being able to broaden my thinking, understanding how to work in a Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous (VUCA) environment, right ahead of COVID-19 when everything turned upside down was so helpful.

“It’s the best leadership program I’ve ever done.”  Marina Bowshall

In the four years’ since, Marina credits the Transformative Leadership Program with providing her with the confidence and peer support to become a better leader. 

“It’s made me a more confident leader,” she said.

“I feel more confident being the unknown and navigating my way through the unknown, and I also feel more confident now I have peers I can turn to and seek advice from. 

“Through this network, you can share your experience testing ideas from the Program, learn from each other, and have a sounding board while you’re undertaking the program, and into the future.” 

While the Transformative Leadership Program isn’t for the feint-hearted – you need to prepare to be challenged, says Marina – by stretching yourself, you’ll grow personally and professionally, far more than you can imagine. 

“Be prepared to be challenged. Be prepared to think differently, observe different ways of doing things, broaden your understanding of leadership, be prepared to be a bit uncomfortable…this Program will stretch you."Marina Bowshall

“But that’s where the growth happens.”   

Since graduating from the TLP, Marina still keeps in touch with others in her cohort, and has joined the TLP Alumni network. 

“I’ve got three or four people I went through the TLP with who I still catch up with to talk about our leadership journey,” Marina said. 

“There’s also an active alumni network, which allows us to keep hearing about people’s experience and experiments and application of the program.”