There are two dimensions of flexibility; flexible thinking, and social flexibility.
- Flexible Thinking: People who think flexibly can generate a broad range of thoughts and possible responses without feeling compelled to decide on one response right away. They have a tolerance for ambiguity plus a high level of creativity. This allows them to tackle a problem from many directions.
Flexible thinkers enjoy new or complex ideas, are open to varying perspectives, and devise creative solutions in order to adapt to change. At a personal level, people who think flexibly supplement their own knowledge with the talents of other people, knowing they themselves cannot have all the answers. They are facile at building networks to freely exchange support and information.
- Social Flexibility: People with a great degree of social flexibility have a clear sense of their individual strengths and weaknesses. Their self-concept is not easily threatened as they reach out to others, looking for collaboration and working to build social networks. They have no problem reaching out to see where others can add value and asking others for support.