LeadershipPart II: Effective Application

Kelvin K. DroegemeierUniversity of Oklahoma

NCAR Undergraduate Leadership Workshop11 June 2012

Some of Today’s Leadership Challenges…

¨ Global climate change¨ The economy¨ Health care¨ Terrorism¨ Proliferation of nuclear weapons (e.g.,

North Korea and Iran)¨ Same-sex marriage¨ Abortion

Challenges You Mentioned

¨ Climate change/warming of Arctic¨ Unusually severe weather events¨ Aerosols/anthropogenic effects on

weather and climate¨ Hurricanes¨ Paleoclimate¨ Teleconnections¨ The warning system (human behavior)

Climate Change: A Classic Leadership Challenge?¨ Two pathways:

– Technical/technological solutions – Adaptive Change

¨ Technological solutions– Develop and implement technical fixes, e.g., scrubbers for coal

fired plants, alternative energy vehicles, non-fossil fuel energy sources (wind, solar, geothermal, nuclear)

¨ Adaptation involves modifying behavior to changing circumstances and norms (research, technology, human behavior, proper role of government)– Adaptive work is needed when

• Deeply held beliefs are challenged• Legitimate yet competing views emerge

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/detail/-/books/0674518586/reader/2/103-6911329-5636617

A Classic Leadership Challenge¨ Adaptive work consists of

– The learning required to address conflicts in the values people hold, or to diminish the gap between the values they stand for and the reality they face

¨ Adaptive work requires a change in values, beliefs, or behavior

¨ It does not mean passively “giving in” to the circumstances or compromising moral stands

¨ It does require that one clarify what matters most in balance with trade-offs– People want clean air but also the economic benefits

of heavy industry

Applying Leadership¨ Step 1: Get on the balcony and see the big picture,

from all sides¨ Step 2: Identify the challenge: technical fix or

adaptive¨ Step 3: Sequence and pace the work, regulating

distress and providing direction/orientation¨ Step 4: Ask tough questions and challenge traditional

thinking – expose contradictions¨ Step 5: Give the work back to the people involved; get

advice from those on the front lines. This is part of the buy-in

¨ Step 6: Protect the voices of everyone and provide cover to all sides