Identify a situational challenge in your organization (below) that requires adaptive leadership and:

• Briefly describe the challenge discussing why it is technical/adaptive or adaptive
• Discuss two leadership behaviors that are pivotal to mobilizing people to tackle this challenge and thrive providing specific examples.
• Assess the value of adaptive behavior in addressing change and meeting organizational goals

situational challenge in your organization

As a leader in Marine Corps Aviation, one of my biggest challenges was fostering collaboration among peers and departments across various squadrons. As a squadron leader, I oversee all Fixed Wing personnel and aircraft, ensuring they work together effectively to achieve our mission of conducting Weapons and Tactics Instruction courses annually, similar to "Top Gun." However, I constantly faced hurdles bridging the gaps between my peers, "Squadron Aviation Chiefs. " We build a robust squadron from every type of model series aircraft and personnel from all Marine Squadrons. The leadership challenge is building a training squadron by collaborating with other active squadrons within the Marines, using their personnel, aircraft, and equipment. We use practical communication tools such as Microsoft TEAMS to promote easy collaboration between each course. However, technology often needs help with personal changing data, which can lead to delays in completing the course tasks. The key players in this process are all Aviation Chiefs from each Marine squadron, who come together twice a year and bid for names for each course. My goal in each conference is to foster a collaborative environment where everyone works together towards a common goal, putting aside their differences. The planning stages can become complicated because everyone is the same rank, each squadron has personal issues, and training operational tempo outside the Weapon and Tactics Course.

As a leader, I tackled the challenge of building a course by first understanding the root cause of the issue. Through open communication and one-on-one conversations with my peers, we looked into specific areas causing the most friction. These included a need for clarity on timelines, required qualified personnel and responsibilities, misunderstandings due to different communication styles, and competing priorities. I have found that building trust within my peer group has helped make planning more efficient and team-building more accessible. This has encouraged more frequent interactions among peers and squadrons, breaking down barriers and fostering a sense of camaraderie.