Episode 07: The Adaptive Challenge of Managing Growth

A conversation with Jevan Soo Lenox

On today’s episode of On the Balcony, Michael is joined by Jevan Soo Lenox to discuss chapter seven of Ronald Heifetz’s Leadership Without Easy Answers. Jevan has held Chief People Officer roles at multiple exciting Bay Area growth companies, including Blue Bottle, Stitch Fix, and most recently, insitro, where he has brought the adaptive leadership framework to life in fast-paced hyper-growth environments. Today, he helps us bridge the lessons from Heifetz’s examples of leadership failures  into today’s world.

In his reading of chapter seven, Jevan was struck by the common thread of failure resulting from an avoidance of adaptive work and leaning into the seduction of authority. It’s so common for people in charge to carry the burden of all the work, both technical and adaptive, and as a result to overpromise what can be achieved. The result is often disastrous - momentum is lost and opportunities are missed.  Eventually people get frustrated with their executives and politicians and push them out. 

Jevan has spent his career helping organizations to accept that adaptive work is an essential part of their approach to change and the emotions it creates within a company. This includes the loneliness and pressure experienced by those in authority  roles, and Jevan finds joy and meaning in helping CEOs and founders feel less alone in their work and think about bringing others in without shying away from their responsibilities.