INTHEBLACK April 2026 - Magazine - Page 57
Strengthening the skills to thrive
in constant change takes more than
technical know-how. Developing
an adaptability quotient helps to
navigate uncertainty, make smart
decisions and lead with confidence.
WORDS MEGAN BREEN
F
or years, organisations have relied on
the intelligence quotient (IQ) to measure
cognitive ability and the emotional quotient
(EQ) to assess interpersonal skills.
Now, another measure is gaining attention:
the adaptability quotient (AQ).
While it has not replaced traditional metrics,
its significance is increasing as workplaces manage
automation, globalisation and regulatory shifts.
The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report
2025 highlights this trend. Analytical thinking remains
the most in-demand skill, with 70 per cent of employers
listing it as essential, but closely following are resilience,
flexibility and agility — all core elements of AQ.
According to organisational psychologist
Kathryn McEwen, founder of Working with Resilience,
AQ is gaining attention because the pace and
complexity of change today are unprecedented.
“20 years ago, we would say ‘change is the only
constant’, but now it is exponential and has been
amplified by technology, AI and shifting ways
of working,” she says. “People are realising that
what got them to their current level of success
will not necessarily take them to the next stage.
Adaptability has become a critical capability, enabling
professionals to evolve and thrive in a very different
work environment.”
So what distinguishes highly adaptable
professionals from their colleagues, and how can
people sharpen their judgement and skills to thrive
amid constant change?
MORE THAN FLEXIBILITY
Understanding AQ requires looking beyond flexibility,
says Professor Catherine Althaus, founding director
of the UNSW Academy of Adaptive Leadership. It is
about developing the skills, mindset and resilience
to meet the challenges we face.
“All too often people just reduce AQ to having
a flexible mindset,” she says. “But, in practice
it is much more. AQ is about confidently navigating
complexity, combining curiosity with calm under
pressure, being open to other people’s ideas
and continuing to perform when challenges arise.”
On an organisational scale, Althaus describes
it as “disappointing people at a rate they can tolerate”.
“Leaders driving change — whether that is
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