When a young widow in Zimbabwe said “This is not my water to carry,” she wasn’t just resisting tradition, she was showing what leadership looks like when no clear answer exists. In this talk, Harvard lecturer and leadership advisor Farayi Chipungu introduces adaptive leadership — the kind we need when the challenge isn’t technical, but deeply human. Whether in families, boardrooms, or global systems, she shares how real change begins with three questions: What do we keep? What do we let go? Where must we innovate? Farayi Chipungu helps people do hard things—together. A lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and Harvard Law School, she teaches leadership, change, and how to navigate the high-stakes, messy moments where clarity is rare and courage is required. With a background in corporate law and nearly a decade at McKinsey, Farayi brings real-world grit to every room she’s in, whether advising Fortune 500 leaders, coaching changemakers, or challenging students to ask braver questions and take smarter risks. Part strategist, part coach, part lawyer, part researcher, she’s known helping people lead with courage, clarity, and just enough chaos to disappoint people at a rate that they can tolerate. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx