Northouse, Leadership: Theory and Practice, Seventh Edition: Instructor Resource
David Wilt
Leadership 1301 N4
Chapter 11 – Adaptive Leadership
Questions for Study
1. Explain how the adaptive leadership approach differs from other leadership theories in our textbook.
Adaptive leadership focuses on how the people change in their environment and the leader learns from their followers rather than the other leadership theories that focuses on the leaders change.
2. What are the respective roles of leader and follower in this approach?
The leader lets the followers decide and adapt for themselves to solve situations. The leader challenges them to help them learn from their past experiences. The followers are the people who are actually accomplishing the task in hand.
3. What are the five activities expected of leaders in this approach? Be able to explain each of them.
Mobilize- Be able to bring all the followers together to perform the task together.
Motivate- Be able to make the followers feel like they can do it, to make them believe in themselves.
Organize- Be able to keep the group together and keep them on task.
Orient- Find each person’s role in the group, make the followers feel comfortable and let them know they have purpose.
Focus the attention of others- Be able to keep the group focused on the task/goal of the project. Letting them know the purpose of performing their task.
4. What does a systems perspective contribute to our understanding of adaptive leadership?
Systems perspectives is acknowledging that each problem is complex and has many factors. This can lead to the followers evolving to the situation and becoming more independent.
5. What are the key insights of Complexity Leadership Theory?
Complexity Leadership Theory focuses on the strategies themselves that developes learning, creativity, and adaptation. These three things are the key insight of Complexity Leadership Theory, but the core of this is the organization of this information.
6. What are the three types of situational challenges leaders face?
Technical Challenges- These challenges are able to be solved in the workplace and can be implemented through organizational rules and procedures. These are solved through higher authority like people looking up to the leader for the solution.
Technical and Adaptive Challenges- These challenges have the problems that are clear problems but they do not have a clear solution. This challenge is usually solved with the leader and the followers working together to find a solution.
Adaptive Challenges- These challenges are not easily identified; they cannot be solved by an organized method a leader can provide. These are solved by the followers being able to work together to find a solution.
7. Explain the six leader behaviors prescribed in the model of Adaptive Leadership.
Get on the Balcony- This is for the leader to see the “big picture.”
Identify Adaptive Challenges- This is to identify which problem is which, from deciding if it is a technical problem or an adaptive one.
Regulate Distress- Being able to control distress that has resulted from the project.
Maintain Disciplined Attention- Keep the followers focused on the work they need to do.
Give the work back to the people- Let the followers know they are doing their job affectively.
Protect Leadership voices from below- Be open to the ideas the followers may bring up.
8. What are the four patterns of adaptive change a leader needs to identify in the Adaptive Leadership approach?
The four patterns that the leader needs to have is the pattern to motivate, organize, adapt to the followers, and keep the followers on task.
9. What are the three ways leaders can regulate distress in an organization, according to this approach?
The leader can regulate distress by creating a holding environment, Providing direction, and regulating personal distress.
10. Be able to explain and give examples of these five behaviors: providing direction, protection, orientation, conflict management, and productive norms.
Providing direction- Being able to show the followers what to do in tough situations.
Protection- Being able to keep the followers feeling safe within the community.
Orientation- Being able to keep the followers in check and make them feel they are doing a good job.
Conflict Management- Being able to handle conflicts either within the group or a conflict that comes across the group as a whole.
Productive norms- Being able to show how the job is done and the role everyone provides.
11. What are avoidance behaviors and why should leaders be concerned about them?
Avoidance behaviors are the actions people use to distance themselves from the group or a task in hand. Leaders should be concerned about these behaviors because they can create problems in the group as a whole or make the follower feel isolated which will result in no change for them.
12. What are the strengths of the Adaptive Leadership approach?
Demonstrates the relationship between the leader and the follower.
This theory stands out by centralizing the follower rather than the leader.
Teaches the followers how to deal with conflicting values.
Provides a perspective approach to leadership.
Identifies the concept of holding environment.
13. What are the criticisms of the Adaptive Leadership approach?
Has not been established on research.
It needs more refinement.
It can be too criticized.
Does not explain how it incorporates a moral dimension.