Everyone Says 'Be Adaptable.' Here’s What They Don’t Tell You!
Edition 15
Welcome to Edition #015 of People Please! My mission with this newsletter is simple—but ambitious: to help 100,000 professionals shift from being people pleasers to becoming culture-builders.
This edition focuses on demystifying the term “adaptability”—a word that often sounds like jargon to both the people saying it and the ones hearing it. Let’s break down what adaptability truly means at work—and what mindsets and habits we may need to unlearn along the way.
You’ve heard it in performance reviews, leadership keynotes, and every second LinkedIn post:“Be adaptable.”
It sounds great in theory—until you realise no one tells you how to be adaptable, or what it actually looks like at work when things get tough.
Here’s the hidden truth: many professionals confuse rigidity with discipline and assume that makes them adaptable. In reality, that confusion might be quietly holding them back. While it’s not the only factor influencing career growth, this edition zooms in on this subtle but critical distinction—unpacking how our understanding of discipline and rigidity directly shapes our adaptability.
What’s the Difference, Really?
On the surface, discipline and rigidity can look similar: structured, consistent, goal-driven.mBut only one of them supports learning, leadership, and long-term success.
Discipline is grounded, intentional, and flexible in the face of reality. It builds structure, consistency, and accountability. It helps you meet deadlines, build trust, and develop mastery.
Rigidity is fear in disguise—cloaked in control, resistant to feedback, and allergic to uncertainty. It reflects emotional resistance, inflexibility, and a fixed mindset.
While discipline elevates your performance, rigidity quietly erodes it.
In the modern workplace—fast, unpredictable, emotionally complex—adaptability doesn’t mean changing everything. It means staying steady while staying open.
Why Rigidity Fails—Across Roles and Industries
Here’s how rigidity sabotages your career, often invisibly:
1. Career Growth
Leaders are chosen not for being “right,” but for managing uncertainty, coaching others, and responding with agility. Rigid professionals are often passed over for promotions because they resist feedback, micromanage, or can’t pivot.
A Harvard Business Review study (2019) found that 87% of high-potential leaders demonstrated “adaptability under pressure,” while rigid personalities underperformed in crisis situations.
2. Team Dynamics
In agile work cultures, rigid people slow teams down. They resist new tools, complain about changes in workflows, and tend to dominate or withdraw in team conversations. A McKinsey report (2022) identified that “collaborative adaptability” is the single most desired quality for high-performing teams.
3. Innovation & Strategy
Markets shift. Ideas evolve. Professionals who cling to “the way we’ve always done it” miss opportunities and hinder progress. Adaptability means having the emotional range to try new approaches—even if they fail. Consider:
4. Social Reputation
Rigidity isn't just about ideas—it affects emotional and social connection. Rigid professionals may be:
Perceived as controlling or closed-minded
Struggle to thrive in diverse, fast-changing teams
Emotionally reactive under stress
Over time, this erodes trust and isolates them from networks that fuel learning and career growth.
Rigidity vs. Discipline vs. Equanimity at Work
Real-World Work Examples
Satya Nadella’s Microsoft: Transformed a “know-it-all” culture to a “learn-it-all” one. His focus on empathy, learning, and emotional intelligence led to a 700% stock surge between 2014 and 2023.
Tata Group: Has evolved across generations, industries, and global expansions—without compromising ethics or agility.
Infosys: Maintains its stature by balancing structural discipline with cultural flexibility, even navigating global controversies with clarity and calm.
Success Loves the Balanced Mind
Let’s address the heart of the matter: successful professionals are rarely rigid.
A 15-year longitudinal study by Stanford University on career success revealed that:
Emotional regulation (a key element of equanimity) was one of the top predictors of career longevity and promotions.
People with a growth mindset, who could detach ego from ideas and listen with curiosity, rose 40% faster than rigid peers—even if both started with similar qualifications.
Even in high-stakes professions—pilots, doctors, investment bankers—calm under pressure (not control) defines success. Discipline gives you execution power. Equanimity gives you the emotional space to navigate complexity.
Examples:
Ratan Tata calmly exited the Singur plant amid political hostility, prioritising dignity over conflict.
Narayana Murthy (Infosys) fostered a culture where mistakes were seen as learning opportunities—a rare blend of equanimity and discipline.
Indra Nooyi (former PepsiCo CEO) led with “performance with purpose,” consistently merging discipline with empathy for sustained growth.
In contrast, rigid leaders often collapse under scrutiny—unable to accept feedback, pivot, or relate to diverse teams. Their fall isn't dramatic; it’s just... quiet and inevitable.
The Future Belongs to the Equanimous
Tomorrow’s HR leaders won’t just ask:
“Is this person disciplined?”
They’ll ask:
“Can they adapt with calm, listen without ego, and lead without losing balance?”
In a world of constant change, equanimity is the edge.
It’s what separates those who merely survive from those who truly thrive.
Rigidity builds walls. Discipline lays foundations. Equanimity opens doors.
Choose what builds, not what blocks.
Best | Shikha Mittal | Founder, Be.artsy
Forward this newsletter to a friend or colleague. Once they register, they’ll start receiving the newsletter too.
Why Trust Me?
Over the past 15 years, I’ve collaborated with 450+ organisations across 42 industries, designing and delivering learning and developing programs impacting over 500,000 professionals through my enterprise, Be.artsy. which I founded in 2010 in Delhi, India.
From small beginnings to global impact, Be.artsy has led the way in using learning programs to drive revenue. We're not just in the business of training—we’re in the business of Trainings with ROI! Today, we go beyond learning to deliver measurable impact.