Over the last few years, we’ve all patted ourselves on the back for being incredibly “flexible” during times of change. During the pandemic we worked from home, mastered Zoom, and kept the lights on. But are we actually adaptable?

In this archive episode of Connected Leadership Bytes, Andy Lopata sits down with global speaker and comedian Tom Sligting  to explore the critical difference between flexibility and true adaptability. Tom argues that the desire to go “back to normal” proves that while we may be flexible in the short term, we are struggling with the long-term mindset shifts required to be truly adaptable.

Using the brilliant analogy of the 2006 smartphone, Tom explains why sweeping changes fail and why adaptability requires us to embrace discomfort. Discover why your brain’s autopilot is your biggest enemy, how to identify your weakest “power skills,” and why bringing a 21-year-old onto a veteran team isn’t enough to future-proof your business if the mindset doesn’t change.

Key Takeaways

1. The iPhone Metaphor: Why handing a 2006 professional a modern smartphone with all its current demands would have caused a total rejection of the Technology—and what that teaches us about organisational change.

2. Flexibility is Reactive, Adaptability is Proactive: Understand the fundamental difference between making a short-term adjustment to survive a crisis versus making a long-term, life-changing shift in direction.

3. The Autopilot Trap: Why 95% of our daily decisions are made on autopilot, and why you literally have to force yourself to feel “unsafe” and uncomfortable to become adaptable.

4. “Power Skills” over “Soft Skills”: Why we need to rebrand skills like mental flexibility, grit, and emotional range, and how measuring them can reveal hidden weaknesses in your leadership team.

5. The Danger of the “Back to Normal” Mindset: Why the most common phrase heard post-COVID is actually a massive red flag for businesses that want to survive the next decade.

   Actionable Insights

1. Audit Your “Power Skills”: Stop guessing how adaptable you are. Seek out assessments or feedback that measure specific power skills. Identify the one or two areas where you score lowest and create a targeted plan (a book, a course, a mentor) to improve them.

2. Embrace the Uncomfortable: True adaptability requires moving out of your comfort zone. When you face a change, resist the urge to rely on your “autopilot” reactions. Stop, reflect, and consciously accept that feeling uncomfortable is the first necessary step toward long-term Growth.

3. Leverage Your Network for Validation: When you make a major, adaptable shift in your career or business model, you will experience doubt. Lean on a trusted network of peers who can reflect back to you, validate your new direction, and provide the energy needed to keep you from retreating to your old, comfortable habits.

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

Connect with Andy Lopata: Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | X/Twitter | YouTube

Connect with Tom Sligting : Website |LinkedIn |

The Financial Times Guide to Mentoring

Episode 177 Featuring Tom Sligting

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Andy Lopata Author, Podcast Host and Speaker on Professional Relationships Strategy

Andy Lopata is a specialist speaker on professional relationships, mentoring, networking, and social media strategy. He is a firm believer that professional relationships underpin our success in business, our roles, and our careers. The right relationships with the right people can lead to new business opportunities, investment, collaborative working, innovation, and career progress. We just need to be comfortable approaching those relationships strategically, without making people feel ‘networked’ by us.

Andy has worked in the field of networking and professional relationships for 25 years, working with global giants such as Paypal, GSK, AstraZeneca, Wella, HSBC, Wembley Stadium, the BBC, and the Prime Minister’s Office of the UAE, among many others during that time. He has also worked with leading universities including NYU, Duke University, and Oxford University’s Said Business School.

A regular blogger for Psychology Today, Andy has been quoted in The Sunday Times, The Financial Times, and The Guardian, as well as many other national and regional newspapers and magazines worldwide. He has written or co-authored six books on networking and professional relationships, with his sixth book, "The Financial Times Guide to Mentoring," being published in Spring 2024. He is also the host of The Connected Leadership Podcast and has interviewed globally recognized names in business, academia, sports, and entertainment for the show.

Andy has been inducted into the PSAE Hall of Fame – the Professional Speaking Association Award of Excellence, which was held by only 21 other speakers at the time it was presented. He is a Fellow and a former President of the Fellows’ Community of the Professional Speaking Association (PSA), a Fellow of the Learning and Performance Institute (LPI), and a Member of the Association of Business Mentors and the Meetings Industry Association.