Running head: Can you Adapt?

Leadership Program: Can you Adapt?

Olivia Collins
Loyola University Chicago
Can you Adapt? 2

One of the first places you visit when you choose a choose a University is the residence

halls. Some of the first individuals you meet are desk receptionists. Desk receptionist welcome

you to the building, they make you feel at home, they answer all the questions you have. Desk

receptionist are on campus role models, friendly, respectful, resourceful student workers. Desk

receptionist are not usually trained student leaders. They are not trained to follow a certain

leadership model or theory. Though they are friendly and welcoming they can be better suited to

assist families and students in residence halls. I will propose a leadership retreat aimed to train

desk receptionist to be adaptive leaders. This paper, will discuss, the programs learning outcomes

and objectives, the institution in which the program would be at, how I plan to assess the

program and the limitations of the program.

University Overview

This program would be at Loyola University of Chicago. Loyola is the only Jesuit

institution in the city of Chicago. Loyola offers leadership opportunities but majority of them are

through certain school or colleges. In order to be a part of the leadership trainings you have to be

a part of the certain school or college. Loyola has opportunities for students to learn to be servant

leaders utilizing the catholic church and volunteering. According to the Andrew Greely Center

for Catholic Education (2018) “JVC Magis is a two/three-year service program for non-married

college graduates who are former Jesuit volunteers”. The mission of this program is influenced

by Loyola’s mission. Loyola University of Chicago mission and vision statement (2018) “We are

Chicago’s Jesuit, Catholic University- a diverse community seeking God in all things and

working to expand knowledge in the service of humanity through learning, justice and faith”.

The mission and vision statement have three important things: learning, justice and faith. These

are all concepts that can be learned. Another significant part of being a Loyola student is, The
Can you Adapt? 3

Student Promise. The Student Promise is: care for self, care for others, and care for community.

According to Division of Student Development (2018), care for self can be defined as “I will

honor the good in myself by being honest, compassionate, and respectful”. Care for others can be

defined as, “I will respect the individuality of others regardless of appearance, ethnicity, faith,

ability, sexual orientation, or social standing according to the Division of Student Development

(2018). Lastly, care for community, according to Division of Student Development “I will

contribute my talents, gifts, and ideas to strengthen the community”. The student promise is

intended to share a common sense of community within the students. Between the mission,

vision and student promise, desk receptionists, like all students and are expected to live by these

guidelines.

Residence Life

As desk receptionist, the staff operate within the Loyola Residence Life mission.

According to the Residence Life (2018) their mission is, “In partnership with our residents, the

Department of Residence Life enhances the Loyola Experience by providing safe and supportive

living communities where students can engage with others, explore their personal identity, and

develop a deeper understanding of their impact on the world”. Their mission is rooted in

providing supportive spaces where students can engage with others, learn who they are and

realize their impact on the world as leaders. In the next section I will discuss the adaptive theory

which I plan to use in the program.

Program

The title of the leadership program is: Can you Adapt? The program will be aimed

toward students who work within Student Support Services which would include majority of

students who work within residence. The program would be offered in the beginning of each
Can you Adapt? 4

academic semester, since student on campus job turnover is usually at those times. The program

would be retreat style, so it would be done on a weekend. The program would be in the morning/

afternoon and the evening time would be used to network with your peers. Students would learn

from Thursday evening to Sunday morning. Students would be required to place a fifteen dollar

down payment, in order to save a place on the bus and in the cabin. The down payment would be

immediately reimbursed once the students received their first paycheck from their respective on

campus job.

The program would be coordinated by a Graduate Assistant (G.A) from each major

department on campus job. For example, Furniture Crew G.A, Orientation G.A, Desk Operations

G.A, and others. The graduate students would choose selective student returners to lead skits,

networking and other task during the retreat. Having graduates and returning students engaging

with new students to learn the adaptive leadership model would encourage employees to be

active on their journey.

Theoretical Framework

The theoretical framework that the leadership retreat would implement is the adaptive

leadership model. Adaptive leadership, as defined by Northouse (2018) is, “The practice of

mobilizing people to tackle tough challenges and thrive” (p. 290). This model would be utilized

over other models because desk receptionist needs to know how to handle tough challenges such

as: helicopter parents, online databases failing, roommate conflicts, unexpected/ inappropriate

guest and more. Northouse (2019) states that “Adaptive leadership is the behavior of and the

action undertaken by leaders to encourage others to address and resolve changes that are central

in their lives” (p. 259). As students are entering a new period in their lives, they will have

conflicts and as the conflicts arise part of desk receptionists’ jobs is to be a resource for the
Can you Adapt? 5

students in their respective halls. In order for the students to thrive they will need to be able to

handle their own issues as they arise. One of the main reasons for the front desk staff being

student role models is because it creates a space for other students to feel comfortable to

communicate with other students. Possibly add the quote and information from page 290 that is

highlighted and all about adaptive work and holding environment.

Objectives

1. Gain basic understanding of what leadership is based on this program’s

definition

2. Learn to analyze, critically evaluate and problem solve student concerns

3. Learn to adapt based on their environment

Learning outcomes:

1. Students will learn one definition of leadership

2. Students will be able to define adaptive leadership

3. Student will be able to distinguish the difference between a leader and a follower in the

adaptive leadership model

4. Students will be able to identify the six leader behaviors that play a role in process of

adaptive leadership

Workshops

The first outcome of the program would be to define what leadership means to you? This

would be in order to spark conversation about leadership. The goal of this phase would be to

teach students that there is no wrong way to do leadership. Northouse (2019) “(A) leadership is a

process, (B) leadership involves influence, (C) leadership occurs in groups, (D) leadership
Can you Adapt? 6

involves common goals” (p. 5). The point of us utilizing this definition would be to show

students that becoming a leader does not happen over-night. To show students that leadership

involving influence does not have to mean one way or transactional. This definition is to prove

that leadership happens with all of us in the Student Support Services Departments. The last part

would be to show that all of our common goals are to provide for the students at our respective

jobs. Getting the conversation started about where students stand on leadership is essential to

getting them to the long-term goal, to utilize the adaptive leadership model. The activity here

would be the lily pad game. We would challenge students to be able to cross the water without

talking to one another and see who they communicate to be the leader at the end.

In the second phase of the retreat we will introduce adaptive leadership. Northouse (2019)

“Adaptive leadership is about how leaders encourage people to adapt- to face and deal with

problems, challenges, and changes. Adaptive leadership focuses on the adaptations required of

people in response to changing environments” (p. 257). We will use the several definitions and

examples of adaptive leadership provided in the Northouse book to ensure students learn the

theory. We want to make sure they not only learn it but see the value in why we are using this

theory over other theories. Students will be supporting other students in a multitude of

environments it is vital they be able to encourage themselves and others to adjust to their

surroundings. Here we will utilize a simulation of any event that they will encounter while

working in housing. At the end of the simulation we will then ask the students to self-reflect on

how the adaptive leadership model helped them solve a common issue in housing.

The third phase of the program would be to distinguish the difference from a leader and a

follower in the leadership model. We included this in the phase because it is essential to how the

student workers view themselves and the students they support. While the student’s workers are
Can you Adapt? 7

indeed the leaders, they use no power to control other behaviors. Northouse (2019) “Leaders do

not use their authority to control others; rather, leaders interact with people to help them do

adaptive work. Followers is used in the model simply to distinguish the specific individuals who

are doing adaptive work” (p. 271). This is important because leaders see how they affect

followers by using encouragement and followers see how the model is all about changing of

themselves to enhance the environment. Here the activity would be to take the True Colors

Leaders Assessment. This would be to show them how leaders and followers are not that

different.

The fourth phase would be identifying the six leader behaviors of the adaptive model.

Northouse (2019) “The six leader behaviors that play a major role in the process are (1) get on

the balcony, (2) identify adaptive challenges, (3) regulate distress, (4) maintained disciplined

attention, (5) give the work back to the people, and (6) protect leadership voices from below (p.

290). In this phase we would educate the students workers on each phase by using real world

examples. Each behavior will be set up at a table for the student workers to do an activity, which

will get them from one point in the behavior to the next. For example, (1) we would have a skit

where someone is babysitting and cannot see what is happening in the room but hear all four

children yelling. (2) Here the concern would be deciding which route to take. Identifying if the

issues is technical or adaptive in nature. (3) Keeping the stress people experience in order, which

can be done in several ways. Northouse (2019) “The model suggests three ways that leaders can

maintain productive levels of stress: (1) create a holding environment (2) provide direction,

protection, orientation, conflict management, and productive norms, and (3) regulate personal

distress” (p. 265). (4) An example of this would be reminding student workers why they are in

these roles and the discipline it takes to be successful at any job. (5) An example of this would be
Can you Adapt? 8

dancing. Leaders can teach them the moves, but they must practice the moves in order to be a

great dancer. (6) An example of this would be grassroot organizing. Story telling about how

some of the greatest change has been based on the voices of the people below.

In the final phase we will do a debrief. In this stage we will revisit all information learned.

After the debrief we will split up into groups, based on respective jobs and have a self-reflection

discussion as a team. Then we will come back together as a whole and celebrate the learning and

team work that took place. Before ending the celebration, students will take a post assessment

test.

Assessment

At the beginning of the retreat students will be asked to take a pre-assessment. The pre-

assessment would be to learn what students know about leadership. At the end of the retreat

before departure students would take the post-assessment test. This will tell staff what the

student employees have learned about adaptive leadership and if we met the objectives and

outcomes. From the pre and post test results the graduate students will be able to know what

areas in which they need to improve information.

Limitations

The limitations with the program are that is it based on one method of leadership. All

students do not relate to this one method of leadership. It is also limited because it is based on

one leadership theory that itself has flaws. One of the limitations of the theory itself is that it is

very broad and general. As stated in Northouse (2019), “The recommended leader behaviors

such as “give the work back to the people” often lack specificity and conceptual clarity” (p. 275).

Meaning that the theory does not come with a how-to manual. Some of the main parts of the

theory leave leaders to interpret the behaviors however they see fit.
Can you Adapt? 9

Works Cited:

Northouse, P. (2018). Leadership: Theory and practice, 8th edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage

//www.luc.edu/reslife/2018