1. What changes were Kyle and Harrison trying to make? How did these changes effect the beliefs, attitudes, or values of the players?
2. Were the challenges the team faced technical, technical and adaptive, or adaptive? What examples can you give to explain your answer?
3. Citing examples, explain how the captains engaged in each of these adaptive leader behaviors: 1) get on the balcony, 2) identify adaptive challenges, 3) regulate distress, 4) maintain disciplined attention, 5) give the work back to people, and 6) protect leadership voices from below
4. Describe the holding environment that the co-captains created for the team. Do you think it was successful? Why or why not?
Kyle Barrett, a serious ultimate disc player, was disheartened because his college ultimate disc team did not take the sport seriously. Together with his teammate, Harrison, Kyle worked to turn the group from a "partying" team to a competitive one.
When Kyle and Harrison became co-captains of the team, they hired a stellar professional athlete to work on skills and strategies with the players. This enhanced the players' skills. Kyle and Harrison also enhanced the players' motivation by openly asking each member to candidly discuss his or her personal goals for the team. Together, the players decided that they wanted to do well enough at the sectional competition to obtain a berth at the national collegiate competition.
During practice, inexperienced players sometimes caused stress, frustration, and friction. However, the captains talked about concerns, discussed the team's goals before and after each practice, and organized social events to help keep commitment high. Two years later, the team earned a spot on the national competition and showed that they could collaboratively change direction and compete.
This case study shows adaptive leadership at work and highlights some effective behaviors that led to success.