Monday IINspiration: Adaptability Without Losing Yourself

Laura Galante
Apr 28
3 min read

Darwin said:

“It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself."

In today’s world, adaptability is not just a skill; it’s a survival strategy.

Markets change. Organizations evolve. Teams restructure. Technologies disrupt.

To stay relevant, to grow, to thrive — we must adapt.

But adaptability must have roots.

It is not about becoming unrecognizable.

It is about flexing while staying deeply aligned with your core values, your strengths, and your authentic self.

Over-adaptability is dangerous.

When we adapt without limit, without reflection, we begin to lose ourselves.

We erode our self-trust, our clarity, and our power.

I think of one of my clients — a senior director leading a large team, carrying real business responsibility.

Throughout her career, she had thrived in organizations where trust, autonomy, and authenticity were part of the culture.

She was naturally flexible — able to adjust her strategies, her style, her priorities — but always anchored in her leadership identity, her values, and her intuition.

Recently, she stepped into a new role — an exciting challenge in a vibrant organization.

But soon after joining, she found herself facing a very different leadership context:

Her manager’s expectations were shifting constantly, sometimes even contradicting themselves.

She was asked — directly and indirectly — not just to adapt her strategies, but to be someone else.

To change her natural leadership style. To fit an unclear, ever-changing mold.

At first, she adapted, thinking it was just part of the onboarding.

But little by little, the ground kept shifting.

Today, although she loves her mission, her team, and her responsibility, she feels lost.

She doubts herself even on the basics.

She walks on eggshells every day.

She feels overwhelmed — not because of the work itself, but because she no longer recognizes herself in her work.

This is the silent cost of over-adaptability:

• You don’t just lose performance.

• You lose presence.

• You lose trust in yourself.

• You lose your leadership voice.

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My role as her coach is to work with her on two critical fronts:

• Realigning her with herself. Helping her reconnect with her values, her authentic leadership style, and rebuild her self-trust.

• Building a healthy, professional collaboration with her manager. Not by becoming someone else, but by finding a way to flex where needed — while protecting and expressing who she truly is.

Leadership is not about choosing between adapting and being yourself.

It is about adapting because you are rooted in yourself.

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Leadership Lesson: Adaptability Should Empower, Not Erase.

As leaders — of teams, of projects, of our own careers — we must adapt with wisdom.

True adaptability isn’t shapeshifting endlessly to please external pressures.

It’s listening, adjusting where needed, but always anchored to who you are, to what you stand for, and to the leadership style that defines you.

Leadership advice for yourself and your teams:

• Stay connected to your core values. Know what is non-negotiable for you.

• Adapt your strategies, not your identity. Change how you act, not who you are.

• Notice early signs of disconnection. When you start doubting yourself constantly, feeling lost, or walking on eggshells — it’s time to pause and reflect.

• Create environments of psychological safety. If you lead others, allow them to be flexible without forcing them to betray their core identity.

• Encourage aligned adaptability. Challenge your teams to adjust to change while staying true to their authentic selves.

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