With the constant state of change in business and the world around us, Adaptability Intelligence isn’t just a competitive advantage—it’s a survival skill, for individuals and organizations. Yet according to a recent cross-industry survey, nine out of ten companies admit they struggle to adapt quickly to market changes (Source: Quantive).
For organizational leaders and people professionals, that statistic should feel like a warning. For the vast majority of companies, their check engine light is already on, and the terrain is only going to get rougher.
The reality is that market disruptions are no longer an “if” but a “when.” Whether it’s shifting customer expectations, competitive threats, AI reshaping entire industries or global supply chain vulnerabilities, the pace of change is accelerating (Source: Accenture). The companies that can pivot—swiftly, decisively and repeatedly—will thrive. The rest will flounder.
The Reinvention Imperative
Research from Innosight shows that the average company lifespan on the S&P 500 has dropped from 35 years in the late 1970s to less than 15 years today! In order to survive, organizations must reinvent themselves every 3–5 years on average. The old model of building a strategy and sticking with it for a decade is obsolete.
We’ve seen what happens when companies fail to adapt. Blockbuster famously dismissed streaming as a fad—until Netflix made it the norm. Toys “R” Us and Sears–once mega retailers in their respective spaces–both failed to adapt to the modern e-commerce model and got left behind.
These scenarios serve as stark reminders: what worked yesterday won’t carry you into tomorrow.
“We see it over and over: leaders underestimate how quickly their organizations need to evolve, and overestimate their ability to pivot quickly,” says Krista Sheets, an Adaptability Intelligence expert and CEO of Competitive Edge, which provides Adaptability Assessments to help companies benchmark their ability to pivot. “Reinvention isn’t a once-a-generation transformation—it’s now a continuous cycle. The question isn’t whether your company can pivot once; it’s whether you’re prepared to pivot again and again.”
HR and talent professionals, in particular, should be asking themselves: Does our workforce have the mindset and capabilities to support continuous reinvention?
Adaptability Is a Talent Strategy
While most organizations talk about transformation only in terms of technology, the real bottleneck is people. Your team’s ability to adjust to new workflows, embrace new tools, and adopt new behaviors–either intrinsically or based on the level of organizational support–determines whether a pivot will succeed or fail.
That’s why Adaptability Intelligence is no longer a “soft skill.” It’s a measurable capability that directly influences business outcomes. And it’s one that HR leaders are uniquely positioned to cultivate.
“When organizations talk about agility, they often focus on processes and systems,” Sheets says. “But true agility comes from people. If your teams aren’t prepared or you haven’t helped prepare them to flex, to experiment and embrace change, no amount of technology will save you—in fact, it may be your undoing.”
Q4 Is Here. Are You Ready for 2026?
As we approach the final quarter of the year, most HR leaders are already thinking ahead: performance reviews, workforce planning and budgets for 2026. It’s the perfect moment to ask: “Are we truly positioned to maximize our Return on PeopleTM next year?”
If your workforce is highly adaptable, you can confidently navigate whatever the market throws at you—whether that’s a sudden regulatory shift, a competitor’s bold new move or an internal restructuring. But if your people don’t have the capacity or the support they need to flex, you risk becoming one of the 90% stuck on the sidelines.
The Role of the Adaptability Assessment
The AQai Adaptability Assessment offers organizations a clear, data-driven view of how ready they are to pivot. It measures both individual and team Adaptability across key dimensions—such as mindset, resilience and ability to unlearn and relearn—to create a benchmark and a method to measure progress. Because it’s a neutral, non-judgmental, data-based tool, it allows teams to discuss Adaptability challenges and opportunities with facts, not fear.
Armed with this insight, HR and organizational leaders can:
- Identify Adaptability champions within the organization and leverage them as mentors.
- Build complementary teams that pair various Adaptability styles together for balance and holistic perspectives.
- Pinpoint areas where resistance to change is likely to slow progress, and devise strategies to overcome it.
- Design targeted training and development programs to strengthen individual and organizational flexibility.
- Examine operational patterns, policies and behaviors and adjust as needed to cultivate an environment that supports Adaptability.
- Align talent strategy with the pace of organizational reinvention, so the right people are in the right place with the right tools and support to capitalize on opportunities.
In short, it provides the clarity leaders need to make Adaptability not just a buzzword, but a measurable, actionable driver of success.
“Adaptability Intelligence is the ultimate future-proofing strategy,” Sheets says. “The companies that invest in it today will be the ones still standing five, ten, fifteen years from now—they’ll be that top 10% who can pivot. Everyone else will be left behind.”
You Can’t Afford to Wait
The data is clear: most companies are struggling to keep pace with change. But yours doesn’t have to be one of them. As you finalize Q4 plans and set your sights on 2026 strategies, now is the time to take stock of your organization’s Adaptability Intelligence—so you can take action to improve it.
Contact us to get started with an Adaptability Assessment to benchmark their current abilities and begin developing your team’s Adaptability Intelligence so they’re not just ready to pivot, but able to pivot strategically whenever and however the market demands.