CAREER CONNECTION: Leadership Development Journal - Final

chapter 11 Adaptive Leadership 287 ADAptiVe LeADersHip QUestionnAire Instructions: This questionnaire contains items that assess different dimensions of adaptive leadership and will be completed by you and others who know you (coworkers, friends, members of a group you belong to).

1. Make five copies of this questionnaire.

2. Fill out the assessment about yourself; where you see the phrase “thi\ s leader,” replace it with “i” or “me.” 3. Have each of five individuals indicate the degree to which they agree with each of the 30 statements below regarding your leadership by circling the number from the scale that they believe most accurately characterize\ s their response to the statement. There are no right or wrong responses.

Key: 1 = s trongly 2 = d isagree 3 = n eutral 4 = Agree 5 = s trongly disagree agree 1. When difficulties emerge in our organization, this leader is 1 2 3 4 5 good at stepping back and assessing the dynamics of the people involved.

2. When events trigger strong emotional responses among 1 2 3 4 5 employees, this leader uses his/her authority as a leader to resolve the problem.

3. When people feel uncertain about organizational change, 1 2 3 4 5 they trust that this leader will help them work through the difficulties.

4. in complex situations, this leader gets people to focus on the 1 2 3 4 5 issues they are trying to avoid.

5. When employees are struggling with a decision, this leader 1 2 3 4 5 tells them what he/she thinks they should do.

6. during times of difficult change, this leader welcomes the 1 2 3 4 5 thoughts of group members with low status.

7. in difficult situations, this leader sometimes loses sight of 1 2 3 4 5 the “big picture.” 8. When people are struggling with a value conflict, this 1 2 3 4 5 leader uses his or her expertise to tell them what to do.

9. When people begin to be disturbed by unresolved conflicts, 1 2 3 4 5 this leader encourages them to address the issues.

10. during organizational change, this leader challenges people 1 2 3 4 5 to concentrate on the “hot” topics.

11. When employees look to this leader for answers, he/she 1 2 3 4 5 encourages them to think for themselves.

12. Listening to group members with radical ideas is valuable 1 2 3 4 5 to this leader. 288 LeAdeRsHip THeoR y And pRAcTice 13. When this leader disagrees with someone, he/she has 1 2 3 4 5 difficulty listening to what the other person is really saying.

14. When others are struggling with intense conflicts, this leader 1 2 3 4 5 steps in to resolve their differences for them.

15. This leader has the emotional capacity to comfort others 1 2 3 4 5 as they work through intense issues.

16. When people try to avoid controversial organizational 1 2 3 4 5 issues, this leader brings these conflicts into the open.

17. This leader encourages his/her employees to take 1 2 3 4 5 initiative in defining and solving problems.

18. This leader is open to people who bring up unusual ideas 1 2 3 4 5 that seem to hinder the progress of the group.

19. in challenging situations, this leader likes to observe the 1 2 3 4 5 parties involved and assess what’s really going on.

20. This leader encourages people to discuss the “elephant 1 2 3 4 5 in the room.” 21. people recognize that this leader has confidence to tackle 1 2 3 4 5 challenging problems.

22. This leader thinks it is reasonable to let people avoid 1 2 3 4 5 confronting difficult issues.

23. When people look to this leader to solve problems, he/she 1 2 3 4 5 enjoys providing solutions.

24. This leader has an open ear for people who don’t seem to 1 2 3 4 5 fit in with the rest of the group.

25. in a difficult situation, this leader will step out of the 1 2 3 4 5 dispute to gain perspective on it.

26. This leader thrives on helping people find new ways of 1 2 3 4 5 coping with organizational problems.

27. people see this leader as someone who holds steady 1 2 3 4 5 in the storm.

28. in an effort to keep things moving forward, this leader lets 1 2 3 4 5 people avoid issues that are troublesome.

29. When people are uncertain about what to do, this 1 2 3 4 5 leader empowers them to decide for themselves.

30. To restore equilibrium in the organization, this leader 1 2 3 4 5 tries to neutralize comments of out-group members.

scoring Get on the Balcony—This score represents the degree to which you are able to step back and see the complexities and interrelated dimensions of a situation. Chapter 11 Adaptive Leadership 289 To arrive at this score:

Sum items 1, 19, and 25 and the reversed (R) score values for 7 and 13\ (i.e., change 1 to 5, 2 to 4, 4 to 2, and 5 to 1, with 3 remaining unchanged).\ ____ 1 ____ 7(R) ____ 13(R) ____ 19 ____ 25 ____ Total Identify the Adaptive Challenge —This score represents the degree to which you recognize adaptive challenges and do not respond to these challenges\ with technical leadership.

To arrive at this score:

Sum items 16 and 20 and the reversed (R) score values for 2, 8 and 14 \ (i.e., change 1 to 5, 2 to 4, 4 to 2, and 5 to 1, with 3 remaining unchanged).\ ____ 2(R) ____ 8(R) ____ 14(R) ____ 16 ____ 20 ____ Total Regulate Distress—This score represents the degree to which you provide a safe environment in which others can tackle difficult problems and to which you are seen as confident and calm in conflict situations.

To arrive at this score:

Sum items 3, 9, 15, 21, and 27.

____ 3 ____ 9 ____ 15 ____ 21 ____ 27 ____ Total Maintain Disciplined Attention—This score represents the degree to which you get others to face challenging issues and not let them avoid difficult problems.

To arrive at this score:

Sum items 4, 10, and 26 and the reversed (R) score values for 22 and 2\ 8 (i.e., change 1 to 5, 2 to 4, 4 to 2, and 5 to 1, with 3 remaining unchanged).\ ____ 4 ____ 10 ____ 26 ____ 22(R) ____ 28(R) ____ Total Give the Work Back to People—This score is the degree to which you empower others to think for themselves and solve their own problems.

To arrive at this score:

Sum items 11, 17, and 29 and the reversed (R) score values for 5 and 2\ 3 (i.e., change 1 to 5, 2 to 4, 4 to 2, and 5 to 1, with 3 remaining unchanged).\ ____ 5(R) ____ 11 ____ 17 ____ 23(R) ____ 29 ____ Total Protect Leadership Voices From Below—This score represents the degree to which you are open and accepting of unusual or radical contributions from low-status group members.

To arrive at this score:

Sum items 6, 12, 18, and 24 and the reversed (R) score value for 30 (\ i.e., change 1 to 5, 2 to 4, 4 to 2, and 5 to 1, with 3 remaining unchanged).

____ 6 ____ 12 ____ 18 ____ 24 ____ 30(R) ____ Total scoring chart To complete the scoring chart, enter the raters’ scores and your own s\ cores in the appropriate column on the scoring sheet below.

Find the average score from your five raters, and then calculate the dif\ ference between the average and your self-rating. Rater 1Rater 2Rater 3Rater 4Rater 5Average Rating Self-RatingDifference Get on the Balcony Identify the Adaptive Challenge Regulate Distress Maintain Disciplined Attention Give the Work Back to the People Protect Leadership Voices From Below 290 chapter 11 Adaptive Leadership 291 scoring interpretation • High range: A score between 21 and 25 means you are strongly inclined to exhibit this adaptive leadership behavior.

• Moderately high range: A score between 16 and 20 means you moderately exhibit this adaptive leadership behavior.

• Moderate low range: A score between 11 and 15 means you at times exhibit this adaptive leadership behavior.

• Low range: A score between 5 and 10 means you are seldom inclined to exhibit this adaptive leadership behavior.

This questionnaire measures adaptive leadership by assessing six compo- nents of the process: get on the balcony, identify the adaptive challenge, regulate distress, maintain disciplined attention, give the work back to\ peo- ple, and protect leadership voices from below. By comparing your scores on each of these components, you can determine which are your stronger and which are your weaker components. The scoring chart allows you to see where your perceptions are the same as those of others and where they differ. There are no “perfect” scores for this questionnaire. While it i\ s con- firming when others see you in the same way as you see yourself, it is a\ lso beneficial to know when they see you differently. This assessment can help you understand those dimensions of your adaptive leadership that are strong and dimensions of your adaptive leadership you may seek to improve.