This chapter discusses the ways that leaders promote the adaptability facet in their leadership by (A) meeting the demands of the internal and external environment, (B) embracing change, (C) using situational leadership and context, and (D) adapting to incorporate follower feedback. In addition, this chapter also discusses ways that educators can promote the adaptability facet in their teaching by (1) appealing to different types of learners, (2) using participatory or democratic leadership, (3) adapting to incorporate student feedback, and (4) embracing their roles as leaders in the classroom. Finally, this chapter also gives credibility to arguments who oppose the promotion of the adaptability facet by leaders and educators.
TopIntroduction
It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change. -Charles Darwin
Each of us can agree that the world is a different place than what it was when we were younger, and in order to attune to the times, we have had to adapt, lest the 21st century knowledge economy leaves us in the dust. The ability to adapt is especially important for leaders because each year budgets decrease, competitors create new products, and old ways of working simply no longer apply to those workers in Generation Y. Meanwhile, their educator counterparts also must embrace adaptability, since each new group of students brings its own set of unique challenges, what worked for one class in the past, may prove highly ineffective for a new group of incoming students, and the educator must change his or her teaching style accordingly.
Petrides (2009a) defines the adaptability facet as the ability of an individual to be “Flexible and willing to adapt to new conditions” (p. 14). Petrides (2009a) argues that those with high scores on the adaptability facet “are flexible in their approach to work and life. They are willing and able to adapt to new environments and conditions—in fact, they may even enjoy novelty and regular change” (p. 59). Thereby echoing comments made by noted English naturalist and geologist Charles Darwin. For in his work entitled On the Origin of Species, Darwin stated, “those which do not change will become extinct” (Darwin & Beer, 2008, p. 232).
Therefore, in order to ensure that one’s leadership and capabilities as an educator do not go extinct, the purpose of this chapter is to discuss the ways that leaders and educators alike can promote the adaptability facet in their leadership and education. Consequently, this chapter will meet these objectives:
- •
Determine how leaders can promote the adaptability facet in their leadership via discussion of (a) the internal and external environment, (b) embracing change, (c) situational leadership, and context, and (d) adapting to incorporate follower feedback, while simultaneously giving credence to the positions of those who oppose the promotion of the adaptability facet in leadership.
- •
Determine how educators can promote the adaptability facet in their teaching via a discussion of (1) appealing to different types of learners, (2) using participatory or democratic leadership, (3) adapting to incorporate student feedback, and (4) embracing leadership, while giving credence to those scholars who oppose such incorporation.
TopThe Auxiliary Facets
The Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue®) is the most psychometrically sound measure of the trait EI construct (Gardner & Qualter, 2010; Martins, Ramalho, & Morin, 2010; Perez, Petrides & Furnham, 2005; Petrides, 2001, 2009a, 2009b; Petrides, Furnham, & Frederickson, 2004; Petrides, Pita, & Kokkinaki, 2007; Petrides, Perez-Gonzalez, & Furnham, 2007). The TEIQue® earned this status since it is the only measure that measures the entire trait EI sampling domain (Petrides, 2009a, 2009b), and also because it has incremental validity over the big five (Freudenthaler, Neubauer, Gabler, Scherl, & Rindermann, 2008; Petrides, Vernon, Schermer, Ligthart, Boomsma, & Veselka, 2010) and giant three (Petrides et al., 2007) personality traits (Petrides, 2009a).