Organizational Leadership Assignment
Group Number: 11
Ankit Kanaujia 18BM60140
Abhishek Tiwary 18BM60142
Rutuja Sarage 18BM60144
Ankit Kumar 18BM60146
Neelabh Garg 18BM60148
Case 11.2: Taming Bacchus
1. What changes were Kyle and Harrison trying to make? How did these changes
affect the beliefs, attitudes, or values of the players?
Ans: Kyle and Harrison set out to change the culture of their soccer team from one that
was like a fraternity, where the priorities were more about drinking than playing the sport,
to a more structured and goal-oriented program. The individuals who were only on the
team for the parties were resistant to the idea of changing the team dynamics because it
meant that their desires would not be fulfilled. Those who could not face these difficult
changes left the soccer club altogether. Those who stayed analyzed their own attitudes and
values as it relates to the team and what they wanted out of the program and changed them
to promote the greater good of the team and effectively achieve the team’s shared vision.
The changes Kyle and Harrison set forth require commitment and honesty of each
member of the team, forcing them to realize that if they wanted to win competitions they
would need to change how they did things—both on an individual level and the team.
2. Were the challenges the team faced technical, technical and adaptive, or
adaptive? What examples can you give to explain your answers?
Ans: The challenges faced by the team are technical and adaptive. Technical challenges
involve the obvious and fixable issues such as the team needing expert advice to develop
players skills and strategy. To resolve these challenges technical in nature, Kyle and
Harrison hired Mark O’Brien to coach the team and leverage his knowledge and
experience to address concerns of skill and strategy. By bringing Mark on board, Kyle
and Harrison were able to focus on the adaptive challenges that are present; meaning, the
issues that are more ambiguous and subjective and entail more creative and involved
efforts. These adaptive challenges include the culture shift and changing individual beliefs
and values to recognize what needs to be done in order to achieve team success.
3. Citing examples, explain how the captains engaged in each of these adaptive leadership
behaviors: 1) get on the balcony, 2) identify adaptive challenges, 3) regulate distress, 4)
maintain disciplined attention, 5) give the work aback to the people, and 6) protect
leadership voices from below.
Ans:
1) Get on the Balcony: Kyle and Harrison were able to take themselves out of the issue
in order to formulate a realistic plan that would effectively achieve their desired
success. They recognized that they would not be able to serve as captains, coach the
team, and play at the same time. This honest consideration of the big picture helped
Kyle and Harrison identify what steps were necessary to revamping the soccer
program. The first step, for example, was bring Mark O’Brien on board as head
coach.
2) Identify Adaptive Challenges: Kyle and Harrison recognized the four basic patterns
that identified the existence of adaptive challenges. The most obvious being a gap
between what the team desired and behaviors that did not support desired goals such
as prioritizing partying. The also saw competing commitments which is why they hired
Mark so they could focus on being team players and co-captains which enabled them
to proactively lead adaptive changes necessary to shifting the team culture. They also
knew that members of the team may have feared difficult conversations and topics
which might develop into work avoidance. Kyle and Harrison approached this by
discussing all topics by anonymous submission, including ones considered
controversial in an open forum. that they had to overcome to reshape the soccer
program.
3) Regulate distress: Kyle and Harrison bravely initiated change and contained any
counterproductive reactions of uncertainty and resistance by creating a holding
environment where individuals are encouraged to speak their opinions freely without
fear of judgement or retaliation. They orient their team to the new ideas and directions
of the program by including them in the decision-making process. Thus, final decisions
are reached collectively including rules of behavior to be shared by group members.
4) Maintain Disciplined Attention: Kyle and Harrison maintain regular team check-ins
before and after every practice in order to continue encourage discussion, remind the
team of their goals, and establish a routine towards achieving these goals.
5) Give the Work Back to the People: By including the team on goal setting and mapping,
Kyle and Harrison are putting the responsibility for making changes in the hand of the
individual members of the team. For example, experienced players mentor
inexperienced ones, which is putting the team in control of goal attainment and, in a
way, encouraging them to serve as leaders along with Kyle and Harrison.
6) Protect Leadership Voices from Below: Kyle and Harrison not only encourage acts of
leadership through the mentoring relationships amongst the team, but also when
having team conversations that take place in the holding environment. Team members
feel safe to speak openly and with confidence that their opinions will be heard and
respected by each person on the team.
4. Describe the holding environment that the co-captains created for the team. Do
you think it was successful? Why or why not?
Ans: To create an environment where members of the team felt comfortable and free to
share their honest opinions, the captains initiated this open dialogue by asking members
of the team to submit their thoughts in writing anonymously. These unidentified feelings
and perspectives were shared to the entire group and discussed in depth. Not only was
their holding environment a successful initiative, it was also sustainable with positive
results in strengthening the bonds of the team and enabling them to effectively manage
conflict.
