Adaptive Leadership Lab
School management analyses one real leadership situation, identifies which leadership approach was used, and explores alternative responses that might fit the situation better. The team then designs one small “leadership dial shift” they can test in a future meeting or school situation. The method turns leadership into a set of deliberate choices rather than one fixed style.
Purpose
This method strengthens school management’s sense of Freedom by helping leaders see that leadership is adaptable, not fixed. It supports the idea that a leader can choose a response that fits the class, the team, or the moment, instead of repeating the same habit every time. In Glasser’s framework, freedom means having choice and using it responsibly; in school leadership, that means adapting one’s style to the situation while staying clear, fair, and professional.
Use and Learning Outcomes
- 1. Helps school management recognise how they currently lead in different situations.
- 2. Encourages flexible rather than fixed leadership behaviour.
- 3. Supports reflective decision-making in meetings and school routines.
- 4. Builds confidence in adapting leadership style to the needs of the moment.
- 5. Produces one practical leadership shift to test in real school life.
Wellbeing References
Details & Preparation
Room Requirements
A room where school management can sit in small groups and briefly move around for paired discussion. A flipchart or whiteboard is useful for collecting leadership patterns and selected shift ideas. No special technical equipment is required.
Time for preparation
15 minutes
Preparation
Tasks before the activity:
• Choose one recent or typical leadership situation that required a response.
• Prepare a simple Leadership Situation Map for individual reflection.
• Print Leadership Dial Cards for exploring alternative responses.
• Print a Leadership Shift Plan sheet for the final step.
• Prepare sticky notes, pens, markers, and dot stickers.
• If possible, arrange a follow-up date before the session ends.
Principles for success
• Focus on real situations, not abstract theory.
• Encourage flexible thinking rather than “right or wrong” answers.
• Make the method practical, respectful, and non-judgmental.
• Keep the focus on choices leaders can actually make.
• End with one tested shift, not a long list of ideas.
Materials
• Printed Leadership Situation Map
• Printed Leadership Dial Cards
• Printed Leadership Shift Plan
• Pens or markers
• Sticky notes
• Dot stickers
• Flipchart or whiteboard
Sequence of Steps
Introduction
5 minutesSuggested introduction:
"Leadership in school is not about using the same approach every time. Some situations need clarity and direction, some need listening, some need structure, and some need space. Today we will look at one real situation and ask what it needed, what kind of leadership was used, and what shift might work better next time."
The facilitator explains that the session will move from one real situation to pattern mapping, then to a short leadership rehearsal, and finally to one practical shift plan.
Leadership Situation Map
10 minutesThey consider questions such as:
• Which situation recently required me to lead in a specific way?
• How did I respond in that moment?
• What worked well in my response?
• What felt less effective?
• What did the situation seem to need most?
The facilitator encourages participants to choose one concrete situation, such as a staff conflict, a meeting that drifted, a deadline issue, a difficult conversation, or a moment when the team needed more clarity.
This step makes leadership practice visible before the group begins to explore alternatives.
Pattern Mapping
10 minutes• structure
• calm presence
• clarity of expectations
• flexibility
• listening
• pacing
• boundaries
• emotional tone
The group identifies:
• one leadership response that worked well
• one response that felt too rigid or too loose
• one situation where a different style might have helped
This step helps school management notice that leadership is situational and that different contexts call for different responses. OECD materials on teacher agency and leadership underline the value of autonomy, open dialogue, and adaptable school leadership.
Leadership Dial Rehearsal
15 minutesTheir task is to explore alternative leadership responses for the selected situation. They look at:
• what the current leadership style was
• what the situation seemed to need
• what alternative response might fit better
• what the leader would do differently
The groups can rehearse small shifts such as:
• from directing to guiding
• from reacting to anticipating
• from controlling to structuring
• from explaining to simplifying
• from correcting to resetting
• from speaking first to listening first
The facilitator encourages school management to think in terms of choice and adjustment rather than fixed personality type. This is the innovative core of the method: leaders practise switching deliberately depending on the situation, instead of relying on one habitual style. Glasser’s Choice Theory is especially relevant here because it emphasises purposeful behaviour and responsible choice.
Gallery Walk and Selection
10 minutes• most realistic
• most helpful for the situation
• easiest to test
• most likely to improve the leadership climate
The facilitator then helps the group choose one leadership shift to test first.
The selected shift should be small, concrete, and possible in an ordinary meeting or school situation. If the shift is too broad, it will not be used. The goal is to create a real next step that school management can try soon.
Launch and Next-Step Agreement
5 minutes• when it will be tested
• in which meeting or situation it will be used
• what the leader will do differently
• what signs will show whether it helped
• when the group will revisit it
Suggested closing:
"Today we did not try to change your whole leadership style. We looked at one real situation, identified what it needed, and designed one shift you can try next time. That is what freedom in leadership looks like: being able to choose a response that fits the situation."
If possible, the shift is tested in the following weeks and briefly reviewed later.
Reflection & Tips
Reflection
School management can reflect individually or in a short team discussion.
Possible reflection questions:
• What made this situation require a shift in leadership?
• Which leadership move felt most natural to you?
• Which alternative response seems most useful now?
• What does it mean to adapt leadership rather than stay fixed?
Optional method:
Use a three-part exit reflection on sticky notes:
• I lead best when…
• This situation needed more…
• My next leadership shift will be…
Place the notes on a board and briefly read the common themes.
Tips for Implementation
Promoting the learning process
Keep the atmosphere practical and non-judgmental. School management is more open when the session is framed as professional skill-building rather than evaluation. The focus should stay on choice, flexibility, and learning from real situations.
What to pay particular attention to
Do not reduce the method to generic leadership advice. The key innovation is the deliberate shift between leadership responses depending on the situation. OECD and Edutopia sources both emphasise that adaptive leadership, collaborative decision-making, and the ability to respond to interruptions or change are important parts of effective school leadership.
Possible variations of the exercise
Short version: focus on one situation and one shift idea in 20–30 minutes.
Extended version: test the leadership shift over two weeks and return to review what changed.
Cross-references to other exercises
• Decision Facilitation Studio
• Leadership Backline Studio
• Trust Backline Studio
• Decision Space Studio
Further Readings & Links
Files & Attachments
English
