1. How do you define the problem the editors were trying to address? What this a technical or an adaptive challenge?
2. What is your reaction to what the principal did in this situation? How do you think what she did fits in with providing direction, protection, orientation, conflict management, and productive norms?
3. Describe the holding environment in this case. Was the holding environment sufficient to meet the adaptive challenges in this situation? How would you improve it?
4. Based on Figure 10.1, discuss who the adaptive leaders were in this case. Which of the leader behaviors (get on the balcony, identify adaptive challenges, regulate distress, etc.) did these leaders exhibit?
Madeline Halpert and Eva Rosenfeld wanted to write and publish an article in the highschool newspaper that detailed students' battles with depression. They hoped that publication of the article would diminish the stigma of mental illness and planned to use the full names of students in the article. All students, and their parents, consented to the article.
Unfortunately, the high school principal felt that publication of the article could lead to bullying of the mentally ill students. Madeline and Eva protested, claiming that printing an article with students' real names was crucial to diminish the stigma of depression. The principal and district, however, refused to publish the article. In response, Madeline and Eva wrote an op-ed piece, "Depressed, but not Ashamed" which was published in The New York Times. The article discussed their dismay with having the article halted by school administrators-an act that they believe further stigmatized those with mental illnesses.