Northouse, Leadership 9e
SAGE Publishing, 2022
Class Activities
Chapter 11: Adaptive Leadership
Activities
These activities may be used in either small-group or large-group settings, depending on class size and
Definitions
This chapter introduces many terms that are not explained fully or may be unfamiliar to students. Have
students look up the following terms online or in the journals where they are cited and explain how they
relate to the Adaptive Leadership approach:
Mobilize
Internal cues
Value-laden
Archetype
Sacred cow
Norms
Ask students to provide real-life examples of each term or behavior.
Delving Deeper
This chapter references the foundational work of Heifetz and various colleagues. Assign one of the
books in the reference section for the class to read. Each chapter should be assigned to a small group of
students to read thoroughly and briefly report on to the class. What unique ideas does the chapter
contribute?
Delving Deeper #2
This is an introductory exercise in model testing. Similar to McGrath’s Critical Leadership Functions, a
leader using the adaptive approach needs to assess the needs of a situation before intervening. Have
students create a brief template for themselves on how to distinguish among the three kinds of
situational challenges (technical, technical and adaptive, and adaptive). Have them interview a leader
Northouse, Leadership 9e
SAGE Publishing, 2022
they know about situational challenges in the leader’s organization or community. Have students show
the template to the leader and ask which type of challenge the leader thinks he/she is dealing with. Are
the three categories distinct? Understandable? What other variables does the leader consider? After
identifying the kind of challenge, what actions did the leader take to address it? Why did the leader
choose those actions? Did any of these actions include the six leader behaviors of the AL model? If so,
Develop a Skit
This activity can take between 30 and 45 min. Divide students into small groups of 5–6. Assign each
group to create a skit in which a leader faces a situational challenge, uses one of the leader behaviors
prescribed by the Adaptive Leadership model, effectively or humorously, and then does adaptive work
with the follower.
Allow 15–20 min for preparing and performing the skits. Then debrief:
How would you manage these conflicts in real life?
New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest
This is a creative exercise, asking students to develop a humorous caption, related to adaptive
first with previous cartoons. Check out www.cartoonbank.com for examples. Consider:
• Is there something unusual about the drawing itself or will the cartoon rely on the caption for its
humor?
• If there is something unusual about the drawing, do some free-associating about the image.
Why is the odd object there? What incongruous purpose could it serve?
• What is a potential target for humor in this cartoon: A self-important boss? A clueless follower?
An expression used in the chapter such as “elephant in the room”? An offbeat interpretation of
a leader behavior, such as “getting on the balcony”, or “giving work back to the people”?
• Imagine what could go awry in adaptive work between leader and follower—brainstorm ideas.
• Then play with various captions.
Northouse, Leadership 9e
SAGE Publishing, 2022
Creative Problem Solving
This activity may spread across three or more class periods. Have small groups of students select a
community problem to address using the Adaptive Leadership model (high unemployment, gangs, food
deserts, etc.). After researching the history and causes of the problem, and previous efforts to address
Adaptive Leadership Questionnaire
Have students complete the Adaptive Leadership Questionnaire individually and with five friends or
coworkers. Ask them to share their results in small groups. Within each group, what leadership
behaviors received the highest scores and lowest scores? As each group reports its results in a large-
Case Analysis
Assign each case to one or more small groups for in-class analysis and discussion. Each small group
should then report back to the entire class about the results of its group work.
Current Event Analysis
Bring in a newspaper story (online or print) of a current problem facing your community, city, state, or
nation. For example, protests about Confederate statues, hurricane relief efforts, or the DACA program.
Instructors can also assign students to do individual research on the topic before coming to class. As a
class, work through the steps of the Adaptive Leadership framework.
• What kind of challenge is it—technical; technical and adaptive; or adaptive?
• If it is a technical challenge—who is mainly responsible for resolving it?
• If it is a blended challenge—what is the leaders’ role in resolving the issue and what is the
employees’ role or citizens’ role in resolving it? How can the two parties work together?
• If it is an adaptive challenge, apply the six leader behaviors: (1) Who needs to get on the
Northouse, Leadership 9e
SAGE Publishing, 2022
Writing Assignments
Contemporary Leadership
Have students write a 2–3-page reaction paper about a contemporary leader, using the Adaptive
Leadership model to analyze this individual’s ability to encourage effective change across the
Adaptive Leadership Questionnaire
Have students write a 1–2-page reaction paper that explains their scores on the questionnaire and how
they compare to the five other responses they collected. Their paper should describe their perception of
the accuracy of these measures, discuss the implications of the scores for their potential in a leadership
role, and provide specific examples to support their ideas.
Anticipating the Future
Have students choose one of the basic patterns of adaptive change (e.g., work avoidance) and create a
hypothetical scenario where this pattern exists. Have them anticipate three different “next steps” a
One-Minute Paper Topics
Is there an “elephant in the room” in your workplace?
When and how do you stay in your “comfort zone” at work?
Internet Activities
Internet #1: Class Blog
In your class blog or chat room, write about some of the discussion questions provided in this chapter.
Some additional questions are suggested here:
• How can a leader find out what is really going on in a group or organization so she or he can
accurately identify what kind of situational challenge exists?
• What is your personal tolerance for change and listening to unpopular opinions at school or work?
Northouse, Leadership 9e
SAGE Publishing, 2022
Internet #2: Challenging Others to Face Change
There are many clips on YouTube of Ron Heifetz speaking about Adaptive Leadership. Choose one as a
discussion starter for class. One example is “The Nature of Adaptive Leadership” (about 8 ½ min long).
After playing it for the class, have students discuss in small groups:
What pressures do people in positions of authority experience?
How can we develop our capacity to solve problems?
Most problems come bundled. How do we tease out the parts?