Murdoch Business School lectures in leadership.

1. Adaptive Leadership -
Dangers and Challenges

2. A constant theme
• What matters to you?
• Leadership with or without authority is an act of
courage
• Adaptive leadership is dangerous: in a technical
challenge, roles are defined. In adaptive
challenges, roles are ambiguous
– what will people do so they won’t have to give up their
values
– What would you do to avoid learning new ways?
– Return to equilibrium
– Don’t want to change

3. 2 things can happen
• External threats
– Marginalisation
– Diversion
– Attack
– Seduction
• Personal failure
– Kellerman:
• Bad
• Ineffective
– Hogan: Dark side Personality traits

4. Broad threats to you
• Marginalisation
– Left out in the cold
– Responsibilities given to others
– Authority reduced
– Not listened to (why? – crying wolf?; one trick
pony?)
– Embody the issue (new hire brought in to
facilitate change …/new expertise ..)

5. Broad threats
• Diversion:
– Objective is to lose focus, distract
– Do too much, get sidetracked
• Drowning in paper work, email
– Promotion, given plum
task/assignment/posting

6. • Attack:
– Upcoming elections are a fine example: compare the
Republican vs Democrat campaigns
– Intent is to make you the issue rather than what you
are trying to achieve – divert attention
– Discredit you: everyone has an Achilles Heel
• “you’re a fine one for talking about X when you yourself do Y’
• Al Gore
– Personal in nature
– Misrepresentation:
• Lipstick on a pig : Barack Obama
– Extreme form: assassination

7. • Seduction:
– The process by which you lose your sense of
purpose
• Seduced by money, power, sex, approval,
challenge etc
– Caught off-guard when defences are down
– Desire for approval: “Always dance with the
person who brought you”
• Loyalty or obligation (we helped you with this –
make sure we don’t lose any jobs)
• Lobbyists in the US system

8. The Challenge
• You become a target. Don’t become a
martyr.
– Martyrs are created by people around you; if
you ‘die’ before people are able to handle the
adaptive challenge, the challenge will
overwhelm them
• Will you matter then?
– What will your legacy be then?
– Can you put things off till tomorrow to let the
turbulence settle? Buy time
– Pick your battles, build coalitions and
alliances

9. Kellerman
• Bad vs Ineffective
• Bad leadership is defined as uncontrolled
personal desires (money, power, etc.) instead of
seeking the common good.
• Leaders are generally judged ineffective
because of the means they employ (or fail to
employ) rather than the ends they pursue.

10. • Note: Kellerman does not distinguish between
‘leader’ and ‘leadership’. Her typology has 7
leadership types. I prefer to label them 7 types of
leaders. Also focus on role of followers
– Incompetent
– Rigid
– Intemperate
– Callous
– Corrupt
– Insular
– Evil

11. Ineffective Leadership
• Incompetent– the leader and at least some
followers lack the will or skill (or both) to sustain
effective action. With regard to at least one
important leadership challenge, they do not
create positive change.
• Rigid– the leader and at least some followers
are stiff and unyielding. Although they may be
competent, they are unable or unwilling to adapt
to new ideas, new information, or changing
times.
• Intemperate– the leader lacks self-control and is
aided and abetted by followers who are unwilling
or unable to intervene.

12. Unethical Leadership
• Callous– the leader and at least some followers
are uncaring or unkind. Ignored or discounted
are the needs, wants, and wishes of most
members of the group or organization,
especially subordinates.
• Corrupt– the leader and at least some followers
lie, cheat, or steal. To a degree that exceeds the
norm, they put self-interest ahead of the public
interest.

13. • Insular– the leader and at least some followers
minimize or disregard the health and welfare of
“the other” i.e., those outside the group or
organization for which they are directly
responsible.
• Evil– the leader and at least some followers
commit atrocities. They use pain as an
instrument of power. The harm done to men,
women, and children is severe rather than slight.
The harm can be physical, psychological, or
both.

14. • Limit the tenure of leaders.
• Share power.
• Don't believe your own hype.
• Get real, and stay real.
• Compensate for your weaknesses.
• Stay balanced.
• Remember the mission.
• Stay healthy (in heart, mind, body)
• Develop a personal support system.
• Be creative..
• Know and control your appetites.
• Be reflective. the importance of self-
knowledge, self-control, and good habits.
Kellerman’s
solution

15. Hogan: Dark side personality traits
• Contrast to bright side personality traits: The Big
5 - Surgency, dependability, agreeableness,
adjustment, and openness to experience are all
related to perceived, emergent, and effective
leader.
• DSPT: Irritating, counterproductive behaviours
that interfere with a leader’s ability to build
cohesive, goal oriented teams
• Most apparent when leaders are not managing
their self-image, such as during times of stress,
when focusing on task accomplishment,
multitasking, dealing with tight deadlines, or in a
crisis

18. Melding the 2
• Hogan’s perspective suggests formal
authority holders fail because their
personality traits lead to behaviours that
are ineffective or unethical

19. What to do?
• Respect your hungers and know them:
– Know who “YOU” are
– “YOU” are not your” ROLE” or “Position”
• Reality check: get on the balcony! By your
self or appoint someone to drag you there

20. Did he …
• Kill himself because
his restaurant was
downgraded by a
restaurant guide?

21. • Manage your hungers, know your
limitations
– Self destruct
– Watch the extremes: hubris vs confidence
– Your need for power and control
• Can you let go?
– Affirmation and importance:
• What is your hunger for this?
• You are not the issue – keep it that way

22. • Anchor yourself:
– Why are you doing this? Vision and purpose
• Confidants and Allies
– They are not the same
– Allies have their own responsibilities which may
conflict with yours e.g. cross-boundary: strategic
alliance
– Confidants are usually outside the organisation and
have few, if any, conflicts of interest with you.
– Can an ally become a confidant?
• Sanctuary
– Your ‘Escape’: physical or mental
– Renewal and reflection