On September 19th, 2014, Americans witnessed a clear example of adaptive leadership in a press conference held by Roger Goodell, the commissioner of the National Football League (NFL). He demonstrated his strong skills as a leader and as an individual in a position of power when he responded to several domestic violence issues that were portrayed negatively by the media. One allegation in particular involved star football player, Ray Rice. Americans were outraged in reaction to the media’s portrayal of Ray Rice’s domestic violence allegations and strongly suggested Goodell resign (Sanchez, 2014). The added pressure from the questionable future existence of the NFL made the first press conference’s success crucial. While Goodell displayed several characteristics of adaptive leadership, he expressed awareness of his vulnerabilities as a leader as well. One way to evaluate an adaptive leader is to observe how an individual navigates ambiguous environments with unforeseen challenges as well as an individual’s ability to take risks (ROTC eBooks, 2014). Roger Goodell displayed this characteristic of adaptive leadership when Ray Rice’s domestic violence dispute was initiated, three weeks prior to his second press …show more content…
Roger Goodell should adopt characteristics of transformational leadership. This theory supports that effective leaders appeal to morals and values to inspire others to follow (ROTC eBooks, 2014). By doing so, subordinates and others involved would be more open-minded, with more motivation and a better understanding of Goodell’s overall goals. Utilizing transformational leadership, he could have inspired the players to make better decisions, which would strengthen the integrity of the organization as a whole. This theory would have enabled him to be proactive rather than