1. www.cambridge-leadership.com The Challenges of L E A D E R S H I P Ronald A. Heifetz

2. www.cambridge-leadership.com THE CLASSIC ERROR Treating Adaptive Challenges as if they were Technical Problems

3. www.cambridge-leadership.com Technical & Adaptive Work KIND OF WORK TECHNICAL TECHNICAL & ADAPTIVE ADAPTIVE PROBLEM DEFINITION CLEAR REQUIRES LEARNING SOLUTIONS & IMPLEMENTATION CLEAR REQUIRES LEARNING PRIMARY FOCUS OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE WORK AUTHORITY AUTHORITY & STAKEHOLDER STAKEHOLDER>AUTHORITY

4. www.cambridge-leadership.com Nine Properties of an Adaptive Challenge  The Challenge consists of a gap between aspirations and reality demanding responses outside the repertoire  Adaptive Work to narrow that gap requires difficult learning  The Learning involves distinguishing what’s precious and essential from what’s expendable, which involves loss

5. www.cambridge-leadership.com Nine Properties of an Adaptive Challenge  The Losses often involve learning to re-fashion loyalties and develop new competencies  Adaptive Work is value-laden; conservative as well as progressive  The People with the problem are the problem, and they are the solution  Problem-Solving Responsibility shifts to the stakeholders

6. www.cambridge-leadership.com Nine Properties of an Adaptive Challenge  Adaptive Work requires a longer time frame than technical work  Adaptive Work is experimental  Adaptive Challenges generate disequilibrium and avoidance

7. www.cambridge-leadership.com Adaptive or Technical?  Identify 1-3 challenges faced by your organization  Determine whether these are technical, adaptive or both  Discuss the relative degree of difficulty associated with “managing” each

8. www.cambridge-leadership.com Work Avoidance Mechanisms  Organizations tend to avoid adaptive work  Common Pathway: Diversion of responsibility or attention  Common Function: Restore equilibrium and hold onto the past

9. www.cambridge-leadership.com Work Avoidance Mechanisms  Displace Responsibility Externalize the enemy Attack authority Kill the messenger Scapegoat

10. www.cambridge-leadership.com Work Avoidance Mechanisms  Distract Attention Fake Remedies – Define the problem to fit your competence – Misuse of structural adjustments – Misuse of consultants, committees and task forces Denial Sterile conflict: Proxy fights; No curiosity or creative engagement

11. www.cambridge-leadership.com Examples of Work Avoidance Please give and discuss examples of work avoidance patterns that operate in your organization.

12. www.cambridge-leadership.com PRODUCTIVE RANGE OF DISTRESS DISEQUILIBRIUM TIME LIMIT OF TOLERANCE THRESHOLD OF LEARNING ADAPTIVE CHALLENGE WORK AVOIDANCE TECHNICAL PROBLEM Technical Problem or Adaptive Challenge?

13. www.cambridge-leadership.com Authority  Resource and constraint on leadership  A contract for services Formal or informal  Power entrusted for service Power Trust Service

14. www.cambridge-leadership.com Trust Trust  Predictability Values Competence

15. www.cambridge-leadership.com The Services of Authority  Direction  Protection  Order Orientation to roles Control of conflict Norm Maintenance

16. www.cambridge-leadership.com Leadership with Authority AREA OF FOCUS DIRECTION PROTECTION ORDER: ORIENTATION CONFLICT NORMS TECHNICAL PROVIDE PROBLEM DEFINITION & SOLUTION PROTECT FROM EXTERNAL THREATS ORIENT PEOPLE TO CURRENT ROLES RESTORE ORDER MAINTAIN NORMS ADAPTIVE IDENTIFY THE ADAPTIVE CHALLENGE; FRAME KEY QUESTIONS & ISSUES DISCLOSE EXTERNAL THREATS DISORIENT CURRENT ROLES; RESIST ORIENTING PEOPLE TO NEW ROLES TOO QUICKLY EXPOSE CONFLICT OR LET IT EMERGE CHALLENGE NORMS OR LET THEM BE CHALLENGED AREA OF FOCUS DIRECTION PROTECTION ORDER: ORIENTATION CONFLICT NORMS TECHNICAL PROVIDE PROBLEM DEFINITION & SOLUTION PROTECT FROM EXTERNAL THREATS ORIENT PEOPLE TO CURRENT ROLES RESTORE ORDER MAINTAIN NORMS ADAPTIVE IDENTIFY THE ADAPTIVE CHALLENGE; FRAME KEY QUESTIONS & ISSUES DISCLOSE EXTERNAL THREATS DISORIENT CURRENT ROLES; RESIST ORIENTING PEOPLE TO NEW ROLES TOO QUICKLY EXPOSE CONFLICT OR LET IT EMERGE CHALLENGE NORMS OR LET THEM BE CHALLENGED

17. www.cambridge-leadership.com The Paradox of Trust  People will often trust you when you fulfill their expectations for service So what happens when you: Raise questions or deliver information that conflicts with those expectations? When you tell them what they may need to hear, but not what they want to hear?

18. www.cambridge-leadership.com Risking Trust Please give an example of a time when you should have told people what they needed to hear rather than what they wanted to hear. Please give an example of a time when you generated distrust by telling people what they needed to hear.

19. www.cambridge-leadership.com L E A D E R S H I P  Mobilizing adaptive work Leadership is an activity With or without authority Not defined by personality traits, power, influence or position

20. www.cambridge-leadership.com 4 Confusions of Leadership 4 Confusions of Leadership  Leadership = authority  Leadership = personality  Leadership = knowledge  Leadership = value-free

21. www.cambridge-leadership.com Leadership Tasks Leadership Tasks  Assess the Adaptive Challenges  Think Politically  Orchestrate the Conflict  Discipline Attention  Develop Responsibility  Regulate Disequilibrium  Infuse the Work with Meaning

22. www.cambridge-leadership.com The Politics of Leadership ADAPTIVE CHALLENGE

23. www.cambridge-leadership.com Activity: Leadership Tasks 1.Assess the Adaptive Challenges –Proposition: People often confuse technical problems with adaptive challenges. –Identify 3 or more diagnostic indicators to identify an adaptive challenge. Instructions: At your table, respond to the assigned question. Please select a person to summarize your insights. (20 minutes)

24. www.cambridge-leadership.com Activity: Leadership Tasks 2. The Politics of Change –Proposition: Adaptive learning is inherently political. –Identify the relevant parties to a recent strategic initiative. How are you asking each of them to experience a measure of loss, disloyalty, or incompetence? Instructions: At your table, respond to the assigned question. Please select a person to summarize your insights. (20 minutes)

25. www.cambridge-leadership.com Activity: Leadership Tasks 3. Using Conflict –Proposition: Competing perspectives can become a source of creativity rather than a source of destructive conflict. –What structures, processes, and norms can enable competing perspectives to become a source of creativity? Instructions: At your table, respond to the assigned question. Please select a person to summarize your insights. (20 minutes)

26. www.cambridge-leadership.com Activity: Leadership Tasks 4. Maintain Disciplined Attention –Proposition: People often avoid adaptive work by diverting attention away from the issues that generate frustration and conflict. –Identify 3 or more actions you can take to maintain disciplined attention. Instructions: At your table, respond to the assigned question. Please select a person to summarize your insights. (20 minutes)

27. www.cambridge-leadership.com Activity: Leadership Tasks 5. Develop Responsibility –Proposition: People often avoid adaptive work by displacing responsibility for tough issues away from themselves. –Identify 3 or more actions you can take to give the work back to relevant stakeholders. Instructions: At your table, respond to the assigned question. Please select a person to summarize your insights. (20 minutes)

28. www.cambridge-leadership.com Activity: Leadership Tasks 6. Regulate Disequilibrium –Proposition: Too much disequilibrium overwhelms people, not enough stagnates. –Identify 3 or more actions you can take to raise and to lower the amount of disequilibrium to keep it within a productive range. Instructions: At your table, respond to the assigned question. Please select a person to summarize your insights. (20 minutes)

29. www.cambridge-leadership.com Activity: Leadership Tasks 7. Infuse the Work with Meaning –Proposition: People need to feel committed to the work they’re doing, in spite of the sacrifices. –Identify 3 or more actions you can take to infuse work with meaning. Instructions: At your table, respond to the assigned question. Please select a person to summarize your insights. (20 minutes)

30. www.cambridge-leadership.com Get on the Balcony  Distinguish Technical from Adaptive Work  Find Out Where People Are At  Listen to the Song Beneath the Words  Read the Authority Figure for Clues

31. www.cambridge-leadership.com Think Politically  Find Partners  Keep the Opposition Close  Accept Responsibility for Your Piece of the Mess  Acknowledge their Loss  Model the Behavior  Accept Casualties

32. www.cambridge-leadership.com Orchestrate the Conflict Orchestrate the Conflict  Create a Holding Environment  Control the Temperature  Pace the Work  Show Them the Future

33. www.cambridge-leadership.com Give the Work Back  Take the Work Off One’s Shoulders  Place the Work Where it Belongs  Create Structures & Processes to Distribute Responsibility  Make Interventions Short & Simple

34. www.cambridge-leadership.com Hold Steady  Take the Heat  Let the Issues Ripen  Focus Attention on the Issues

35. www.cambridge-leadership.com L E A D E R S H I P generates

36. www.cambridge-leadership.com Leadership is Dangerous Leadership is Dangerous  At the Heart of Danger is Loss  Going Beyond One’s Authority

37. www.cambridge-leadership.com The Faces of Danger The Faces of Danger  Marginalization  Diversion  Attack  Seduction

38. www.cambridge-leadership.com The Personal Challenge – Staying Alive 1.Get on the balcony 2.Use partners 3.Distinguish role from self 4.Listen 5.Manage one’s hungers 6.Anchor oneself 7.Preserve one’s sense of purpose

39. www.cambridge-leadership.com Manage One’s Hungers  Power and Control  Affirmation and Importance  Intimacy and Delight

40. www.cambridge-leadership.com Anchor Yourself  Distinguish Role From Self  Don’t Confuse Allies With Confidantes  Keep a Sanctuary

41. www.cambridge-leadership.com Losing Heart QUALITY OF HEART INNOCENCE & IMAGINATION CURIOSITY & DOUBT COMPASSION BECOMES CYNICISM ARROGANT CERTAINTY CALLOUSNESS DRESSED UP AS REALISM AUTHORITATIVE KNOWLEDGE THICK-SKIN OF EXPERIENCE

42. www.cambridge-leadership.com Why Lead? Why Lead?  Service  The Form Doesn’t Matter  The Myth of Measurement