Adaptive Leadership in a Highly Performing Corporate World

This report discusses the importance of adaptive leadership in a highly performing corporate world. It covers the advantages and disadvantages of adaptive leadership strategies and compares them to other forms of leadership. The report also includes a questionnaire on adaptive leadership dimensions.

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Abstract
Adaptation in leadership implies to a reaction or a response to change. Contrary to
many people’s beliefs that leaders do not necessarily change, adaptive leaders change in
terms of strategies and organizations management. Adaptive leadership is very proactive.
Most of them anticipate for changes in a corporate setting, prepare for the changes and make
the changes happen in the [places they want the organizations to go. Essentially, it is the
ability of leaders charged with leading to change and develop new strategies in this changing
times. In a competitive market, there are consumers, competitors and opportunities that spins
the market place at a high speed and is facilitated by rapid and spontaneous changes in
technology. Anticipating this changes gives a leader an opportunity to change and adopt.
Adaptive leadership can be learnt and applied in an organization (Becker, Gerhold p.23). It’s
therefore no surprising that adaptive; leaders share common traits and characteristics in their
journey to success. Adaptive leadership utilizes other talented people that think differently
and are good at what they do. They are also attuned to signals which are weak and are not
only alert to the signals of change but think ahead of time to capitalize on the movements.
The weak signals are as a result of society changes and changes in technology including a
shift in public opinions and market demographics. Adaptive leadership bet small before they
eventually betting big. They test the waters first before putting all legs in the swimming pool.
They also practice planned opportunism by ensuring that an organization has processes,
cultures and capabilities of having one foot stamped presently and the other foot ready to take
on the future. Adaptive leaders for them to thrive in the changes are very courageous.

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Courage according to adaptive leaders is the preemptive strike and ending something that has
been working but has limited or no future for the company (Boyd, Brewster, et alp.25).
Introduction
Adaptive leadership is a model that was introduced as an act of mobilizing a group in
an organization to handle difficult challenges and emerge victorious in the end. Leadership
perception has changed overtime and the idea of individual larger than life enforcing what the
organization considers his will is outdated (William, 78). Leadership by many standards is
considered a team sport and top leadership in an organization are increasingly working with
other employees. The top leadership now works with employees implementing the best
decisions brought together as a team to accomplish organizational goals. Corporate leaders
need to incorporate new leadership strategies in a high performing corporate world.
To adapt new strategies is the first step where adaptive leadership is considered vital.
Applications of adaptive leadership is the corporate world is the introduction of new
strategies where the leadership and the employees must work together to provide the best
solutions in a competitive world. Adaptive leadership considers two types of problems in an
organization which are adaptive and technical problems. In corporate technical issues an
expert is sought by the management to solve the technical challenges involved. Technical
problems in an organization are more of mechanical and can only be solved by professionals.
Adaptive problems in an organization are solved by anybody and no trained experts are
needed in this kind of problems (Deconinck, 234).
In this report, I will talk about the adoptive strategies, their advantages and disadvantages in
relation to the highly performing corporate world. The relevance and importance of the topic

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is to show how good adoptive style of leadership is as compared to other forms of leadership
(Pattloch, 176).
Background/ Literature review
Adaptive leadership considers two types of problems in an organization which are
adaptive and technical problems. In corporate technical issues an expert is sought by the
management to solve the technical challenges involved (Nayak, 102). In a competitive
market, there are consumers, competitors and opportunities that spins the market place at a
high speed and is facilitated by rapid and spontaneous changes in technology. Anticipating
this changes gives a leader an opportunity to change and adopt. Adaptive leadership can be
learnt and applied in an organization. It’s therefore no surprising that adaptive; leaders share
common traits and characteristics in their journey to success.
There are several advantages and disadvantages of adaptive leadership style
Advantages
1. The leadership style can be practiced by anybody
2. Adaptive leadership style allows for practice of a deeper leadership level
3. Necessitate people to think beyond and think outside the box
4. Leaders with this type of leadership skills expects changes to happen
5. Places experts in positions they can maximally optimize their strengths.
6. Diversity is a key focus in adaptive leadership
7. Adaptive leadership requires leaders with a high level of intelligence both emotionally
and intellectually.
8. It focuses on the moment

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Disadvantages
1. Adaptability may require a sudden shift in an individual value systems
2. May lead to workers avoiding their assignments due to their unstructured nature of
their environment
3. Adaptive leaders may sometimes break some rules due to making of decisions in an
effortless way.
Advantages and disadvantages of transformational leadership
Advantages
1. This type of leadership has lower turnover costs
2. It engages the person in full
3. The leaders in this type of structure manage and create leadership changes
4. Leaders can quickly formulate corporate visions
5. Creation of enthusiasm in this type of leadership (Frederick, 45)
6. Encourages ongoing development and learning
7. Churns out leaders who have excellent communication skills and changes low morale
situations into high morale situations.
8. Encourages relationship building within an organization (Ward,43)
Disadvantages
1. Negative outcomes can be developed
2. It requires a continuous verbal communication available
3. Requires consistent and constant feedback
4. Transformational leaders require their followers to fully agree with them
5. Can cause disruptive risks

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6. It can cause employee burnout
7. They focus on individual needs
8. Transformational leadership can focus on deception and sometimes it is not detail
oriented. (Logsdon, 38)
9. It has the capacity to ignore certain protocols in an organization.
Procedures and methods
The population that participated in this research are four students.
Questionnaire
Strongly
disagree
Disagre
e
Neutral Agree Strongly
agree
Adaptive Leadership
Dimensions
AL 1 I am good In stepping back
in difficult situations and
assessing the dynamics
1 2 3 4 5
AL 2 I use my authority to solve
events that cause strong
emotional
1 2 3 4 5
AL 3 I help people in an uncertain
organizational climate
1 2 3 4 5
AL4 I try to focus on complex 1 2 3 4 5

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situations that people are
avoiding
AL5 I tell employee what I think
they should do when
struggling with a decision
1 2 3 4 5
AL 6 I welcome thoughts of
people with low status
during decision making
1 2 3 4 5
AL 7 I loose sight of the big
picture in difficult times
1 2 3 4 5
AL 8 I use my expertise to tell
people what to do in
difficult times
1 2 3 4 5
AL9 During unresolved conflicts
I tell people what to do
1 2 3 4 5
AL
10
I challenge people to
concentrate on important
topics during organizational
change
1 2 3 4 5
AL
11
I encourage employees to
look for answers for
themselves if they approach
1 2 3 4 5

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me
AL
12
I value views of members
with radical views
1 2 3 4 5
AL
13
I have difficulty in listening
when we disagree
1 2 3 4 5
AL14 I step up to resolve a
conflict when other have
disagreed
1 2 3 4 5
AL
15
I have high emotional
capcity to encourage people
who are stressed
1 2 3 4 5
AL
16
I bring controversial
subjects up when people to
avoid them
1 2 3 4 5
AL
17
I encourage people to take
inititives in solving conflicts
1 2 3 4 5
AL
18
I am open to people who
bring up ideas that are
derailing a group
1 2 3 4 5
AL
19
I like to assess what going
on in challenging situations
1 2 3 4 5
AL
20
I encourage employees to
discuss the elephant in the
1 2 3 4 5

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room
AL
21
I have confidence to tackle
challenges and people
recognize that
1 2 3 4 5
AL
22
I think its reasonable for
people to avoid confronting
issues
1 2 3 4 5
AL
23
I enjoy providing solutions
for people
1 2 3 4 5
AL
24
I treat people who are
considered less very well
1 2 3 4 5
AL
25
I thrive on helping people 1 2 3 4 5
AL
26
I step out to gain new
perspective on issues
1 2 3 4 5
AL
27
In a storm people see me
hold easy
1 2 3 4 5
AL
28
I let people avoid
troublesome issues in an
effort to keep things holding
on
1 2 3 4 5
AL I empower people that are 1 2 3 4 5

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29 uncertain on what to do
AL
30
I neutralize comments to
restore equilibrium in an
organization
1 2 3 4 5
Key: 1=strongly disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Neutral, 4 = Agree, 5 = strongly agree
Student 2
Strongly
disagree
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly
agree
Adaptive
Leadership
Dimensions
AL 1 I am good In
stepping back
in difficult
situations and
assessing the
dynamics
1 2 3 4 5
AL 2 I use my
authority to
1 2 3 4 5

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solve events
that cause
strong
emotional
AL 3 I help people
in an
uncertain
organizational
climate
1 2 3 4 5
AL4 I try to focus
on complex
situations that
people are
avoiding
1 2 3 4 5
AL5 I tell
employee
what I think
they should
do when
struggling
with a
decision
1 2 3 4 5
AL 6 I welcome
thoughts of
1 2 3 4 5

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people with
low status
during
decision
making
AL 7 I loose sight
of the big
picture in
difficult times
1 2 3 4 5
AL 8 I use my
expertise to
tell people
what to do in
difficult times
1 2 3 4 5
AL9 During
unresolved
conflicts I tell
people what
to do
1 2 3 4 5
AL 10 I challenge
people to
concentrate
on important
1 2 3 4 5

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topics during
organizational
change
AL 11 I encourage
employees to
look for
answers for
themselves if
they approach
me
1 2 3 4 5
AL 12 I value views
of members
with radical
views
1 2 3 4 5
AL 13 I have
difficulty in
listening
when we
disagree
1 2 3 4 5
AL14 I step up to
resolve a
conflict when
other have
1 2 3 4 5

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disagreed
AL 15 I have high
emotional
capcity to
encourage
people who
are stressed
1 2 3 4 5
AL 16 I bring
controversial
subjects up
when people
to avoid them
1 2 3 4 5
AL 17 I encourage
people to take
inititives in
solving
conflicts
1 2 3 4 5
AL 18 I am open to
people who
bring up ideas
that are
derailing a
group
1 2 3 4 5
AL 19 I like to 1 2 3 4 5

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assess what
going on in
challenging
situations
AL 20 I encourage
employees to
discuss the
elephant in
the room
1 2 3 4 5
AL 21 I have
confidence to
tackle
challenges
and people
recognize that
1 2 3 4 5
AL 22 I think its
reasonable for
people to
avoid
confronting
issues
1 2 3 4 5
AL 23 I enjoy
providing
solutions for
1 2 3 4 5

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people
AL 24 I treat people
who are
considered
less very well
1 2 3 4 5
AL 25 I thrive on
helping
people
1 2 3 4 5
AL 26 I step out to
gain new
perspective
on issues
1 2 3 4 5
AL 27 In a storm
people see me
hold easy
1 2 3 4 5
AL 28 I let people
avoid
troublesome
issues in an
effort to keep
things
holding on
1 2 3 4 5

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AL 29 I empower
people that
are uncertain
on what to do
1 2 3 4 5
AL 30 I neutralize
comments to
restore
equilibrium in
an
organization
1 2 3 4 5
Student 3
Strongly
disagree
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly
agree
Adaptive
Leadership
Dimensions
AL 1 I am good In
stepping back
in difficult
situations and
assessing the
1 2 3 4 5

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dynamics
AL 2 I use my
authority to
solve events
that cause
strong
emotional
1 2 3 4 5
AL 3 I help people
in an
uncertain
organizational
climate
1 2 3 4 5
AL4 I try to focus
on complex
situations that
people are
avoiding
1 2 3 4 5
AL5 I tell
employee
what I think
they should
do when
struggling
with a
1 2 3 4 5

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decision
AL 6 I welcome
thoughts of
people with
low status
during
decision
making
1 2 3 4 5
AL 7 I loose sight
of the big
picture in
difficult times
1 2 3 4 5
AL 8 I use my
expertise to
tell people
what to do in
difficult times
1 2 3 4 5
AL9 During
unresolved
conflicts I tell
people what
to do
1 2 3 4 5
AL 10 I challenge 1 2 3 4 5

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people to
concentrate
on important
topics during
organizational
change
AL 11 I encourage
employees to
look for
answers for
themselves if
they approach
me
1 2 3 4 5
AL 12 I value views
of members
with radical
views
1 2 3 4 5
AL 13 I have
difficulty in
listening
when we
disagree
1 2 3 4 5
AL14 I step up to
resolve a
1 2 3 4 5

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conflict when
other have
disagreed
AL 15 I have high
emotional
capcity to
encourage
people who
are stressed
1 2 3 4 5
AL 16 I bring
controversial
subjects up
when people
to avoid them
1 2 3 4 5
AL 17 I encourage
people to take
inititives in
solving
conflicts
1 2 3 4 5
AL 18 I am open to
people who
bring up ideas
that are
derailing a
1 2 3 4 5

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group
AL 19 I like to
assess what
going on in
challenging
situations
1 2 3 4 5
AL 20 I encourage
employees to
discuss the
elephant in
the room
1 2 3 4 5
AL 21 I have
confidence to
tackle
challenges
and people
recognize that
1 2 3 4 5
AL 22 I think its
reasonable for
people to
avoid
confronting
issues
1 2 3 4 5
AL 23 I enjoy 1 2 3 4 5

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providing
solutions for
people
AL 24 I treat people
who are
considered
less very well
1 2 3 4 5
AL 25 I thrive on
helping
people
1 2 3 4 5
AL 26 I step out to
gain new
perspective
on issues
1 2 3 4 5
AL 27 In a storm
people see me
hold easy
1 2 3 4 5
AL 28 I let people
avoid
troublesome
issues in an
effort to keep
things
1 2 3 4 5

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holding on
AL 29 I empower
people that
are uncertain
on what to do
1 2 3 4 5
AL 30 I neutralize
comments to
restore
equilibrium in
an
organization
1 2 3 4 5
Result Analysis
Rater
1
Rater
2
Rater
3
Rater
4
Rater
5
Average
Rating
Self-
Rating
Difference
Get on the
Balcony
19 20 17 17 16 0
Identify the
Adaptive 18 18 13 16 18 3

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Challenge
Regulate
Distress
18 22 21 18 11 2
Maintain
Disciplined
Attention
19 16 15 19 16 1
Give the
Work Back to
the People
16 16 15 13 21 6
Protect
Leadership
Voices From
Below
17 12 14 17 20 3
Total 15
Conclusion
Applications of adaptive leadership is the corporate world is the introduction of new
strategies where the leadership and the employees must work together to provide the best
solutions in a competitive world. Adaptive leadership considers two types of problems in an
organization which are adaptive and technical problems.

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