Introduction Heifetz & Laurie "Work of leadership"

Question 1

Adaptive change

Answer 1

The sort of change that occurs when people and organizations are forced to adjust to a radically altered environment

Question 2

Technical challenges arise?

Answer 2

Within a system and can be solved by providing more expertise and technical adjustments

Question 3

Adaptive challenges

Answer 3

What companies face today. Changes in sociaties, markets, customers, competition and technology. This forces organizations to clarify their values, develop new strategies and learn new ways of operating.

Question 4

When is adaptive work often required? Think of a situation!

Answer 4

When deeply held beliefs/values/perspectives are challenged!

Question 5

Adaptive problems are often systematic?

Answer 5

Yes, with no ready answers

Question 6

2 reasons why leadership and not just expertise is extremely difficult!!

Answer 6

1. Executives must provide leadership in the form of SOLUTIONS. When companies faces adaptive challenges they must shift these into their people since adaptive challenges reside in the COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE of employees at all levels.
2. Adaptive change is DISTRESSING for people going through it. Employees often ask their boss about problems but leaders must ask tough questions and make the employees to feel outside threats in order to stimulate them to adapt.

Question 7

6 principles for leading adaptive work!

Answer 7

1. Getting on the balcony
2. Identifying the adaptive challenge
3. Regulating distress
4. Maintaining disciplined attention.
5. Giving the work back to people.
6. Protecting voices of leadership from below.

Question 8

In the diagram/box, what are the 5 leader’s (regulating distress) responsibilities?

Answer 8

1. Direction
2. Protection
3. Orientation
4. Managing conflicts
5. Shaping Norms

Question 9

Define “Getting on the balcony”

Answer 9

Have to be able to watch the patterns as if they were on the balcony

Question 10

Identifying the adaptive challenges

Answer 10

When they step back they will see the challenges

Question 11

Regulating distress

Answer 11

Adaptive work –> distress. Balancing between giving employees too much changes and just a nice amount of change.
Three fundamental tasks:
1. Holding environment- regulate pressure by turning up the heat while also allowing some steam to escape.
2. Responsible for direction, protection, orientation, managing conflicts and shaping norms. (diagram). Important for leader in a technical or routine situation.
3. Presence and poise. Närvaro och balans. Leader’s most diffucult job.

Question 12

Maintaining disciplined attention

Answer 12

Different people within the organization have different beliefs, backgrounds etc. A leader must get employees to confront tough trade-offs in values, procedures, operating styles and power. Giving the work back to people. The leaders most important role is to instill confidence in people, they must dare to take risks and responsibility. You must back them up if they make mistakes.
(Skuffa under mattan, uppmuntra folk att ta tag i de jobbiga sakerna)

Question 13

Giving the work back to people

Answer 13

Workers need to take responsibility as well as leaders have to support them. They must instill confidence in people.

Question 14

Protecting voices of leadership from below

Answer 14

Giving a voice to all people in the organization and always support them. Leaders must rely on others.

Question 15

Leadership as learning

Answer 15

Leadership-learning is a long process. It can’t be a responsibilty of a few or over a short period. It must occur over a longer period and cannot be seen as technical problems. We have adaptive challenges all the time.