Summary-Adversity Quotient

Some Impressionistic Take away
from the Book of Paul G.Stoltz
Adversity Quotient
( Turning Obstacles into Opportunities )
Ramki
ramaddster@gmail.com

About the Author
 Dr. Paul Stoltz is the originator of Adversity Quotient ( AQ) and the world’s leading
expert on the subject.
 He founded PEAK Learning in 1987 and now works with top leaders and thinkers
worldwide within a broad range of organizations ranging from startups to NGOs to
the Fortune 100.
 Stoltz serves as a global-level resource for YPO, Young President’s Organization,
working with top leaders in dozens of countries, across all industries.
 As Director of the Global Resilience Project, Dr. Stoltz oversees research in 17
countries. His partners include top thinkers at Yale University, Stanford University,
and more than a dozen universities overseas.
 Hailed by Executive Excellence as “one of the 100 most influential thinkers of our
time,” Dr. Stoltz is a member of Stanford University’s Distinguished Leaders Lecture
Series. He was also selected as the Millennial Thinker for Singapore and the “Guru
of the Year” in Hong Kong. He serves as a frequent resource for the world’s top
media — CNN, CNBC, Business News Network, NBC Nightly News, Public
Broadcast Service, and the Oprah Winfrey Show.
 Dr. Stoltz brought AQ to the world through his internationally acclaimed bestselling
book, Adversity Quotient: Turning Obstacles into Opportunities, which has been
published in nine languages. He also wrote Adversity Quotient @ Work and The
Invincible Investor..

Prelude- 1/2
 What does it take to succeed in life? Why do some entrepreneurs
succeed no matter what obstacles are thrown in their path, while
others surrender and see their dreams crushed by adversity?
 Why do some people —given equivalent assets & opportunities —
overcome adversity and soar to new heights, while others just give
up?
 In the final analysis, what accounts for this discrepancy?
 According to internationally renowned business consultant Paul
Stoltz, it all comes down to a person's Adversity Quotient, or AQ.
 More significant than IQ, education, or social skills, your AQ
measures your ability to prevail in the face of adversity —and the
good news is that AQ can be increased dramatically and quickly.
 In this groundbreaking, results-oriented new book, Dr. Stoltz shows
you how to assess your own AQ, while giving you the tools you
need to permanently boost your ability to survive and succeed.

Prelude- 2/2
 Adversity Quotient details self-defeating traps that people fall into when
encountering sudden changes, failures, and losses of every kind.
 How to identify the telltale traits that characterize The Quitter, The
Camper, and The Climber and, through a carefully designed
questionnaire, find out which best describes your mindset.
 Our reaction to adversity affects your overall physical and emotional
health, and —most importantly —you'll learn to apply scientifically
grounded techniques for permanently strengthening how you respond to
and deal with adversity.
 Turn unexpected changes and losses into opportunities for greater success
 Break the cycle of automatic reactions of helplessness and depression
 Reduce time spent on self-blame, and dramatically increase the speed of
recovery from setbacks
 Raise the productive and creative capacity of your organization during times
of stress and struggle.
 An indispensable tool for business leaders, managers, professionals,
educators, students, and parents, Adversity Quotient will change the way you
understand, meet, and respond to all of life's most difficult challenges.

Life Leadership
A holistic approach to Life Leadership requires :
 Intellectual Quotient (IQ)
 Life-long learning is widely regarded as the increase in the
intellectual level – IQ – of everyone wishing to improve one’s
mind, professional expertise, and position in life. IQ contributes
significantly to the personal “wisdom” one attains throughout the
maturing process.
 “To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go
on creating oneself endlessly.” Continuing education is a never-
ending process in raising one’s intellectual level, i.e. IQ.
 Emotional Quotient (EQ)
 EQ is associated with better performance in nine different areas
of leadership and management. Goleman’s research clearly
shows that EQ is the sine qua non – absolute requirement – of
leadership.
 Measure of a person's adequacy in such areas as self-
awareness, empathy, and dealing sensitively with other people.

Life Leadership
 Spiritual Quotient (SQ)
 “The ability to behave with wisdom and compassion, while
maintaining inner and outer peace, regardless of the situation.”
Wisdom and compassion being the pillars of SQ.
 Deepening the Self-Awareness
 Clarifying Life’s purpose
 Taking personal responsibility
 Adversity Quotient ( AQ)
 AQ is about how you respond to life, especially the tough stuff. It
is a gauge or measure of how you respond and deal with
everything, from everyday hassles to the big adversities that life
can spring on you. It is also an established Science, Theory &
approach for becoming measurably more resilient. The more
resilient you are, the more effectively and constructively you
respond to life’s difficulties, and the more fulfilling life becomes.

IQ = Intelligence Quotient - Capability
EQ = Emotional Quotient - Will
SQ= Spiritual Quotient – Purpose
AQ = Adversity Quotient
Response to Adversity

When things do not go the way you
want them to.
What is Adversity

Answer out loud: Are things becoming…
 Predictable or Uncertain?
 Organized or Chaotic?
 Faster or Slower?
 Easier or Tougher?
 Simpler or More complex?
 More or less demanding?

What is AQ
 AQ is about how you respond to life, especially the
tough stuff
 A gauge or measure of how you respond & deal
with everything, from everyday hassles to the big
adversities that life can spring on you
 An established science, theory, and approach for
becoming measurably more resilient.
 The more resilient you are, the more effectively &
constructively you respond to….

Success depends on AQ
 AQ tells us how well we withstand adversity and our
ability to surmount it .
 AQ predicts who will overcome adversity and who
will be crushed.
 AQ predicts who will exceed expectations of their
performance & potential and who will fall short.
 AQ predicts who gives up and who prevails.

3 Forms of AQ
 AQ new conceptual framework for understanding &
enhancing all facets of success.
 AQ is a measure of how we respond to adversity.
 AQ is scientifically grounded set of tools for
improving how we respond to adversity.
 Combination of these 3 elements –
 New knowledge,
 The measure
 Practical Tools
See the next slide…..

AQ
New Theory of Effectiveness
AQ Definition

Beyond the Individual
 Beyond the individual for Effectiveness
 Teams
 Relationships
 Families
 Organizations
 Communities
 Cultures
 Societies

AQ Predicts
 Performance & Motivation
 Empowerment & Creativity
 Productivity & Learning
 Energy & Hope
 Happiness, Vitality & joy
 Emotional & Physical Health
 Persistence & Resilience
 Improvement over time
 Attitude
 Longevity
 Respond to change

The Role of AQ in Leading Self & Others
 Leadership begins with an inward Journey.
 It is more than the capacity to just lead.
 New knowledge for surviving & thriving adversity.
 Responsibility of the Leaders to make sure the team have
the capacity to follow through challenging times.
 Accountability & Responsibility
 Why people avoid responsibilities for solving the
challenges & for their actions
 How do we instill this sense of ownership in the team

Ted Kaczynski
 High I Q , Stand out smart from other youths
 Entered Harvard at the age of 16 & graduated at 20.
 Completed Masters & Ph.D. in Maths from Michigan and started
teaching the premier Maths department in University of California
–Berkeley.
 The closest he came was teaching – a meaningful contribution.
 Quit teaching profession in two years.
 Never developed his social skills or EQ.
 He virtually invisible in the school- no socializing or developing
bond with people.
 Had a special talent on avoiding people relationships .
 In college he earned a nickname “ The Hermit of Harvard”
 Demonstrated great ingenuity creating and planting bombs .
 Rather than contributing to the betterment of the society , he
used his intelligence to kill 3 people & injure 22.
 IQ clearly falls short as a Predictor of Success.

Intelligence –Redefined
 Daniel Goleman- Book Emotional Intelligence
 In addition to IQ , We have an EQ
 EQ remains a hypothetical measure
 It reflects your ability to
 Empathize with others,
 Postpone gratification,
 Control your impulses,
 Be self-aware, persist and
 Interact effectively.
 He says EQ is more important than IQ
 Without EQ people will fall short of their potential despite
their valuable skills.

AQ- The Global Predictor of Success
 Some people possess high IQ and all aspects of EQ
 They fall short of their potential .
 Neither IQ nor EQ appear to determine their success – both they play a role.
 Why do some people persist while others- perhaps equally brilliant & well-adjusted
– fall short and still other quit .
 AW answers these questions

Never measure the height of the mountain , until you have reached
the top. Then you will see how low it was.. Dag Hammarskjold
Ascend Mt. Everest

The Mountain –Ascending towards Success
 Humans are born with a core drive to Ascend
 Ascend in the broader sense – Moving your purpose in life forward no
matter what you goals are.
 Ascent can be Gaining market share, Getting better grades, Improving
relationships, Becoming better in what you d, Raising stellar children,
Growing closer to God etc.
 Successful people share the profound urge to strive, to make progress,
to achieve their goals and fulfill their dreams.
 This phenomena is not only for people , it is also for organizations
 Every work team & organization tries to move forward & upward.
 Total quality programs
 Growth initiatives
 Re-engineering
 Restructuring
 Tapping the power of diverse workforce
 Reducing cycle time
 Eliminating waste – Frugality
 Enhancing innovation

Quitters
Campers
Climbers
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

CLIMBERS
Have a strong faith in
something bigger than
themselves
 Life long Ascent Climbers
 Regardless of background, advantages or
disadvantages , misfortune or good
fortune they continue to ascent.
 They are Energizer
 They possibility thinkers
 Never allow their age, gender, race,
physical or mental disability or any other
obstacle to get in the way of the Ascent.

Climber’s Lifestyle
 Live life fully.
 Feel deep sense of purpose & passion for what they do.
 Know how to experience joy & see them as gift.
 They will never forget the power of journey over the
destination.
 They know rewards come in the form of long-term benefits
& small steps now can lead to sizable advances to the
climb later.
 They embrace the challenges they face.
 Strong faith bigger than themselves.
 Faith that somehow things can & will be done despite the
negativism of others who have determined that a certain
route is impossible.
 Persistent, Tenacious & Resilient.
 Word “Quit” is not in their vocabulary.

Climber’s at Work
 They embrace challenges , live with a sense of purpose &
urgency.
 Self-Motivated, highly driven & strive to get the utmost out of life.
 They are catalysts of action .
 Tend make things happen.
 Strong kinship with Kaizan or Continuous improvement.
 They do not settle for title or position alone.
 Constantly seek new ways to grow and contribute.
 Work with vision, inspirational & great leaders

Climber’s Relationships
 Not afraid to explore the boundless frontier of potential
that exists between two people.
 Welcome meaningful commitments with potential climbing
partners.
 Recognize the power & rewards of a true marriage of
souls.
 Embrace the raw risk that ultimate vulnerability
represents.
 They experience the lowest of lows and enjoy the highest
of the highs .
 Their relationship will not be easy and pain free all the
time.
 But commitment to advance , to move forward , higher
transcends the challenges & fears that inevitably arise.

Climber’s Response to Change
Whenever change is introduced
 20% of the people will jump on board – no matter what it
is.
 60% kind of hang back, playing the game of wait & see.
 Remaining 20% reject the change out of hand, regardless
of what it can offer.
 Climbers are the one who embrace change & drive positive
change.
 Thrive on the challenge change represents & welcome the
opportunity to move forward and up in any endeavor.
 You can count on climbers on change management .
 Climbers thrive on change /transformation

Climber’s Language
Language filled with Possibilities- What can be done & how to
do it ?
Language
Do right
Do your best
Don’t flinch
What can we do to make it happen?
There is always a way
The question is not if, but how ?
Just because it has not been done, does not mean it can’t
Lead or follow or get out of the way
Let us do it
The time is act now
Climbers drive towards results
Their language reflects their direction

Lou Holtz- Man who creates the capacity to win
 He is Notre Dame football coaching legend.
 He has not tolerance for excuses & inaction.
 He was a social misfit & had miserably poor childhood.
 He feared public speaking , use to skip classes on days of oral
presentation.
 One day he learned the power of setting goals.
 He set 107 goals which includes
 Dining with President of USA.
 Rafting in the Snake River.
 Meeting the Pope.
 Skydiving
 Coaching Notre Dame
 Winning Coach of the year
 Winning National championship .
 He has accomplished 98 of his 107 goals.
 He has earned fame as a Human who creates the capacity to win
& talks about what can be, not why it can’t be .

Climber’s Contributions
 Climbers contribute the most.
 They come very close to fulfilling their potential which continues
to grow through their lives.
 They enlarge their capacity to contribute through a lifetime of
learning and improvements.
 In the highly competitive world, a team of climbers can virtually
blow away a whole organization of campers.
 Smaller but more agile , focused and determined companies
eat the market share of big giants.
 Climbers
 Will take the risks,
 Withstand the challenges,
 Overcome the fear,
 Maintain their vision,
 Take the lead &
 Tough it out until the challenge is finished.

Climber’s Capacity for Adversity
 Not strangers to adversity.
 Their lives have been about facing & overcoming an endless
stream of adversity.
 They continue to Ascent irrespective of the intensity of the
adversity.
 It is akin to swimming upstream.
 It demands unending energy, sacrifice & dedication.
 Climbers come from disadvantaged backgrounds or
platforms submerged in adversity.
 They understand adversity is part of life – avoiding adversity
is avoiding life.

Regardless of background,
advantages, good fortune,
misfortune….
They continue to climb….!

Only Climbers Live
Life to the Full !!

They recognize that even
small steps pay dividends

 They go only so far –“ this is far I can go”( want to go )
 Weary of the climb
 Only achieve partial success
 They live compromised lives
 They fall short of their true ability
 They dedicate energy & resources to maintain the
status quo
CAMPERS

Sometimes…..
 They grow weary
 They have doubts
 They feel lonely and bruised
 They question their struggle

Camper’s Lifestyle
 Lead compromised life – difference is in the degree.
 Weary of the climb – “ This is good enough”
 Unaware of the price they pay.
 Contented –trade-off between sacrificing “ What could
be in order to hang onto the illusion of keeping What is.
 Refocuses energy on filling their tents with materials.
 Comfortable where they are !
 Campers often forego progress and comfortable with
comforts they have earned through partial ascent.
 Campers are satis-ficers.
 Satisfied with Sufficing , rather than striving.
 Strongly motivated by comfort & fear.

Camper’s at Work
 They show some initiative, some drive & put forth some effort.
 Will work hard on anything that helps them better secure what
they already have.
 Do what is required.
 Will not knowingly risk being fired for their performance.
 They fall short of their true abilities.
 Does enough to stay safely employed.
 Baseline of satisfactory performance
 Shows moderate creativity
 Takes some calculated risks , but play safe
 Minimal threat
 Thinking out of box is a question .
 Campers staying in place leads to Atrophy.
 Because of Atrophy – they lose the ability to climb .
 Leads to gradual decrease in performance

Camper’s Relationships
 Campers sacrifice their individual potential , even in
relationships.
 They are comfortable dealing with other campers.
 Campers learn to pick satisfaction at the price of
fulfillment.
 Their marriages are likely to reflect the years of playing
safe- little room for discomfort & risk of growing the
relationship into increasingly new & more enriching
dimensions.
 They will only so far , and in so doing lose much.
 They are “ Satisfactory Underperformers”

Camper’s Response to Change
 Motivated by fear & comfort.
 Has limited capacity for change/ transformation-
Especially big ones.
 They may support some modification.
 Overtime passively or actively resist bigger transitions
 Want to preserve hard fought comforts & the predictability
of the world.
 They uninspired participants in significant change.
 They do not want to rock the foundation.
 At worst , they will actively undermine the organization’s
success, recognizing the genuine threat to their hard
earned status quo.
 Change at time forces campers to rediscover the lost joy
of climbing.

Camper’s Language
There will be roots of compromise in their Language
Language
This is good enough
What is minimum needed to do the job
This is as far as we need to go
Things could be worse
Remember when … ?
It is not worth it
In my younger days …
Campers rationalizes why the climb is not worth & why it
should be avoided

Camper’s Contributions
 Campers do not breathe the rarefied air of ultimate
achievement & contribution.
 They do not reach their full potential.
 The same is said for their contribution also.
 Campers stop short in learning, growing & achieving.

Camper’s Capacity for Adversity
 Campers may have weathered considerable adversity to
earn their position on the mountain.
 It is risk vs. rewards which makes them to abandon the
climb.
 They have limited adversity threshold.
 They will find powerful reasons to give up the climbing.
 They believe after certain number of years or effort, life
should be free of adversity.
 Price of the climb is significant, but so are the rewards.

 There are plenty of
people who choose to
opt out, cop out, back
out & drop out.
 They abandon the climb.
 Refuse the opportunity
the mountain presents
 Blame circumstances for
their lot in life
 Ignore their full potential
 Are bitter & disappointed
 Do just enough to get by
 Take no risks
 Are resentful of those
who ascend QUITTERS

Quitter’s Lifestyle
 Lead compromised life
 Have abandoned their dream
 Takes flatter & easier path.
 As life wears on , they suffer far greater pain than that
which they attempted to avoid by not climbing.
 Looks back on a life poorly lived
 They are often bitter, depressed and emotionally numb.
 They strike out the world with mad and frustration
 Resentful of those Ascend.
 Heavily into substance abuse.

Quitter’s at Work
 Quitters do just enough to get by.
 Little ambition, minimal drive, Sub-par quality.
 Take few risks , rarely creative.
 Minimal investment in the work.
 Dead weight of the organization.
 Avoids any big challenges, transformation or change

Quitter’s Relationships
 Quitters are not necessarily lonely people.
 They have little difficulty finding others who are more than
happy to share wasted time or to commiserate about the
claim that could have been.
 Together they nurture helplessness or build cynicism about “
The system” and the world.
 Shy away from deep challenges of true commitments.
 Filled with acquaintance which are built upon shared
resentment.
 They lose out in the richest areas of growth & fulfilment- deep,
meaningful relationships.

Quitter’s Response to Change
 Whenever change is introduced
 20% of the people will jump on board – no matter what it
is.
 60% kind of hang back, playing the game of wait & see.
 Remaining 20% reject the change out of hand,
regardless of what it can offer.
 The 20% are the quitters.
 They react to change with the classic fight response .
 They either resist change or sabotage any chance of its
success , or they will avoid it and actively steer clear.

Quitter’s Language
 Their language are adroit at using the language of
limitations.
 Quick in finding ways things cannot work.
 They use words like
 Can’t , Won’t, Impossible
 We have always done this way
 Who cares , It is worth it
 Well I tried , It is not fair
 This is stupid
 Here we go again
 I am too old
 I could if I wanted to
 Excuse oriented

Quitter’s Contributions
 They lack vision & faith in the future.
 They see little reason to invest time, money and heartache
required to improve themselves.
 They deliver little & minimal contributions.
 Contributions shrink as time passes.
 They experience anguish of a life unlived or they may be
numb to the possibilities that once existed.
 They are found in our walks of life.
 All quitters deserve to be harshly judged.
 To transform them hold them accountable for decisions
 Help them realize and recognize they have the power to
Choose not to quit.

Quitter’s Capacity for Adversity
 Quitters have little or no capacity.
 That is why they quit.
 Quitters are not predestined to always see the mountain
from afar.
 With help Quitters can be brought back and their core drive
to Ascend re-ignited.

Adversity Dilemma
NumberofClimbers
High
Low
Low HighAdversity
 The worst the weather , the fewer climbers remain to take the challenge.
 The more difficult the situation the fewer people there are who are
capable or willing to resolve it.

AQ as the Determining Variable in Hope & Control
Hope&Perceivedinflunce
High
Low
Low HighAdversity
 The relationship between Hope ( Belief it will work out) , helplessness ( the
belief that what one does will not matter) .
 AQ is the determining variable in whether one remains hopeful and in
control through

The Tree of Success
Performance
 Visible to other
 They are the leaves
 Assessed , Evaluated
 Leaves must grow on branches
Talent & Desire
 First branch- Resume Factor.
 Defines –Skills, competencies,
experience, knowledge
 What you know
 Capable of doing.
 Synthesis of knowledge & ability
as talent.
 Desire
 Motivation, Enthusiasm
 Passion , drive, Ambition
Intelligence, Health , Character
 7 forms of intelligence
 Linguistic, Kinesthetic
 Spatial, Logical-
mathematical
 Musical, Interpersonal
 Intrapersonal
Leaves
BranchesThe Trunk
Root

The Tree of Success
Intelligence, Health , Character
 Health
 Emotional Health
 Physical Health
 Character
 Fairness, Justice
 Honesty, Prudence
 Kindness, Courage,
 Generosity
Leaves
BranchesThe Trunk
Genetics
 Influence of genetic heritage
 Behavior
Upbringing
 Influences the intelligence
 Formation of health habits
 Character development
 Skill, desire & performance
Faith
 Deep & abiding faith in
something greater than self
 Essential element of survival
 Spiritual health
 Hope, action, morality
Root

3 Levels of Adversity
 Profound shift in wealth
 Pervasive sense of
uncertainty
 Dramatic rise in crime
 Heightened sense of
anxiety
 Environmental destruction
 Redefinition of the home
 Moral crisis
 Loss of faith in institutionsConstant change is here to stay
 Regular paycheck
 Long term employment
 Social security
 Pension
What will happen today ?
 Reengineering
 Restructuring
 Right sizing
 Down Sizing
 Revitalizing
 Decentralizing
You are the one who carries
around the accumulated burden
of all 3 levels
Level at which you can make
difference

4 Dangerous Forks
 As adversity increases , the trail to top become more
challenging .
 There are more added weights and burden
 Avalanche of change & transformation,
 Fear,
 Global competition,
 Failed attempts
 Incessant winds of time
 Any deviation is an irretrievable loss of time, life &
opportunity.
As the trail becomes more challenging, more and more
people abandon the ascent.
Likely people opt for one of 4 dangerous forks in trail.

Forks
The Climber-
Turned-
Camper
Option
Fork 1
The
Technology
–as-God-
Option
The Pump-
Up Option
Fork 2 Fork 3 Fork 4
Helpless-
Hopeless
Option

Psychoneuroimmunology
AQ
Neurophysiology Cognitive Phycology
The Science of AQ
We respond to
adversity in sub-
conscious, consistent
patterns- if
unchecked, these
patterns remain
stable over one’s
entire life
Direct link between
how one responds to
adversity & mental
& physical health
Brain is ideally
equipped to form
habits-- Habits can
be instantly
interrupted &
changed

1. Cognitive Psychology-Barrier to Empowerment
Learned Helpnesses & Empowerment are mutually
exclusive. They cannot coexist
 Learned helplessness explains why people give up.
 Learned helplessness is the barrier to empowerment.
 People can be immunized against helplessness.
 Those immunized never give up.
 The upsurge in depression is caused by an epidemic of
learned helplessness.
 Optimists respond differently to adversity than do
pessimists.
 Optimists sell more, perform better, persist longer, and
live longer than pessimists.
 Males, females are taught differently and , as result
tend to respond differently to adversity.
 People can be taught to improve how they respond
to adversity.
Empowerment
( High AQ)
Learned
Helplessness
(Low AQ)

Role of AQ in Life
 Competitiveness
 Productivity
 Creativity
 Motivation
 Risk taking
 Improvement
 Persistence
 Learning
 Embracing change

2. The New science of Health
 Why some people seem to weather major surgery better than others.
 Why some people remain robust into old age while others of similar
genetic heritage, become ill and frail when much younger.
 How does brain activity affect the likelihood that one will contract
cancer, diabetes, or other major diseases ?
 What effects specific patterns of thought or emotion have upon your
health.
 From various researchers in Psychoneuroimmunology
 There is a direct link between how you respond to adversity & your
mental and physical health.
 Control is essential to health and longevity.
 How one responds to Adversity influences immune functions,
recovery from surgery, and vulnerability to life-threatening disease.
 A weak pattern of response to adversity can cause depression

The more you do something, the more automatic and subconscious it
becomes. The habit changes immediately & becomes strengthened
overtime
3. The Science of Brain

3. The Science of Brain
As you do or think repeatedly , your
brain adapts by creating denser and
more efficient neuropathways in
your brain

4
The Adversity Response
Profile

This is not a test. This tool is simply meant to give you
new insights into an important aspect of how you think
and function
Your first response is your best. Don’t waste time trying
to second guess this tool or your response
There are 30 events listed . Complete the questions for each event as
follows
 Vividly imagine each event as if it is happening now, even if it seems
unrealistic.
 For both of the questions following each event, Circle a number 1 through
5 that represents your respons.

1. Your coworkers are not receptive to your ideas – The reason my coworkers are
not receptive to my ideas is something over which I have :
No control 1 2 3 4 5 Complete control C-
The reason my coworkers are not receptive to my ideas is something that
completely has to do with :
Me 1 2 3 4 5 Other people or factor - Or-
2. People are unresponsive to your presentation at a meeting : The reason people
are unresponsive to my presentation is something that:
Relates to all aspects of my life - 1 2 3 4 5 - Just relates to this
situation R-
The reason people are unresponsive to my presentation will :
Always exist 1 2 3 4 5 Never exist again - E-
30 Events List

3. You make a lot of money from a major investment – The reason I am making a lot
of money is something that :
Relates to all aspects of my life 1 2 3 4 5 Just relates to this
situation R+
The reason I am making a lot of money will:
Always exist 1 2 3 4 5 Never exist again E+
4. You and your loved ones seem to be drifting further and further apart -The reason
we seem to be drifting further apart is something that :
Relates to all aspects of my life - 1 2 3 4 - Just relates to this situation- R-
The reason we seem to be drifting further apart will :
Always exist 1 2 3 4 5 Never exist again - E-
30 Events List

5. Someone you respect calls you for advice – The reason this person called me for
advice is something that :
Relates to all aspects of my life 1 2 3 4 5 Just relates to this situation R+
The reason this person called me for advice is something that :
6. You have heated argument with your spouse ( significant other)- The reason we
have heated argument is something over which I have :
The outcome of this event is something for which I feel :
Not at all responsible 1 2 3 4 5 Completely responsible Ow-
30 Events List

7. You are required to relocate in order to keep your job – The reason I am required
to relocate is something that :
Relates to all aspects of my life 1 2 3 4 5 Just relates to this situation R-
The reason I am required to relocate will :
Always exist 1 2 3 4 5 Never exist again E-
8. A valued friend doesn’t call on your birthday - The reason my friend didn’t call me
is something over which I have :
The reason my friend didn’t call me is something that completely has to do with:
30 Events List

9. A close friend becomes seriously ill – The reason my friend is seriously ill is
something over which I have :
The outcome of this event is something over which I feel :
10. You are invited to an important event - The reason I am being invited is
something which I have :
No control 1 2 3 4 5 Complete control C+
The reason I being invited is something that completely has to do with :
Me 1 2 3 4 5 Other people or factor - Or+
30 Events List

11. You are turn down for an important assignment – The reason I being turned
down for this assignment is something that :
The reason I being turned down for this assignment will :
12. You receive some negative feedback from a valued coworker –The reason I am
receiving negative feedback is something that :
The reason I am receiving negative feedback will :
30 Events List

13. You receive a pay increase – The reason I am receiving pay increase is
The reason I am receiving a pay increase is something that completely has to do
with:
Me 1 2 3 4 5 Other people or factor - Or+
14. Someone closed to you is diagnosed with Cancer–The reason he or she has
cancer is something that :
The reason he or she has cancer will :
30 Events List

15. Your latest investment strategy backfires -The reason my strategy is backfiring is
something that :
The reason my strategy is backfiring is something that :
16. You miss your flight -The reason I missed my flight is something over which I
have :
The reason I missed my flight is something that completely has to do with :
30 Events List

17. You are selected for an important project -The reason I am being selected for this
project is something over which I have :
The outcome of this event is something for which I feel:
Not at all responsible 1 2 3 4 5 Completely responsible Ow+
18. The project you are in charge fails – The reason the project is failing is
something over which I have:
The outcome of this event is something over which I feel:
30 Events List

19. Your employer offers you a 30% pay cut to keep your job -The reason I am
asked to take a pay cut is something over which I have :
The reason I am asked to take the pay cut is something that completely has to do
with:
Me 1 2 3 4 5 Other people or factor Or-
20. You receive an unexpected gift on your birthday – The reason I received this gift
is something that :
Relates to all aspects of my life 1 2 3 4 5 Just relates to this situation R +
The reason I received this gift will :
30 Events List

21. Your car breaks down in the way to an appointment -The reason my car broke
down is something that :
The reason my car broke down will :
22. You doctor calls to tell you that your cholesterol level is too high-the reason my
cholesterol level is too high is something that :
Relates to all aspects of my life 1 2 3 4 5 Just relates to this situation R -
The reason my cholesterol level is too high will :
30 Events List

23. You are chosen to lead a major project -The reason I am being chosen is
The reason I am being chosen is something that completely has to do with:
Me 1 2 3 4 5 Other people or factor Or+
24. You place several phone calls to a friend, and not one of them is returned –The
reason my friend did not return my call is something that :
Relates to all aspects of my life 1 2 3 4 5 Just relates to this situation R -
The reason my friend did not return my call will :
30 Events List

25. You are publicly praised for your work-The reason I am being praised is
something that :
The reason I am being praised will :
26. At your physical exam, your doctor cautions you on your health-The reason my
doctor is cautioning me is something over which I have:
The out come of this event is something for which I feel :
30 Events List

27. Someone you respect pays you a compliment– The reason I was paid a
compliment is something over which I have :
Not at all responsible 1 2 3 4 5 Completely responsible Ow+
28. You receive an unfavorable performance appraisal - The reason I am receiving
this appraisal is something over which I have :
30 Events List

29. You do not receive a much-anticipated promotion-The reason I did not receive a
promotion is something over which I have :
The reason I did not receive a promotion is something that completely has to do
with:
Me 1 2 3 4 5 Other people or factor Or-
30. You elected by your peers to head an important committee - The reason I am
being elected is something that :
The reason I am being elected will :
30 Events List

Scoring
You will notice a small C, Or, Ow, R or E next to each question
where you circled a response. Some have pluses, others have
minuses. Since we are most concerned with your responses
to the adversity, you will only be scoring those answers with
minus signs next to them. These are adverse events, and only
these are listed in order on the work-sheet provided on the
next slide .
1. The worksheet provided , insert your response in the blanks
next to the number for each event.
2. Follow the sequential instructions on the worksheet to
calculate your CO2RE dimensions and your overall AQ.

 Vertically total your Or and Ow
score.
 Insert them in the boxes.
 Add your Or and Ow totals to get
your O2 score.
 Insert in the O2 box.
 Separately calculate your C, R
and E totals be adding the
numbers in each column.
 Insert them in the appropriate
boxes.
 Going left to right, add your C,
O2, R and E totals together to get
your overall AQ.
 Insert in the triangle below:
Scoring

5
Interpreting your AQ & your
power to Ascend

Low AQ
0-59
Moderate AQ
95-134
High AQ
166-200
The AQ Continuum

 To what extent can you influence the situation?
 How much control do you perceive you have?
 Those with higher AQs perceive they have
significantly more control and influence in adverse
situations than do those with lower AQs.
 Even in situations that appear overwhelming or out
of their hands, those with higher AQs find some facet
of the situation they can influence.
 Those with lower AQs respond as if they have little
or no control and often give up.
C=Control

 To what extent do you hold yourself responsible for
improving this situation?
 To what extent are you accountable to play some
role in making it better?
 Accountability is the backbone of action. Those with
higher AQs hold themselves accountable for dealing
with situations regardless of their cause.
 Those with lower AQs deflect accountability and
most often feel victimized and helpless. give up.
O=Ownership

 How far does the fallout of this situation reach into
other areas of your work or life?
 To what extent does the adversity extend beyond the
situation at hand?
 Keeping the fallout under control and limiting the
reach of adversity is essential for efficient and
effective problem solving.
 Those with higher AQs keep setbacks and
challenges in their place, not letting them infest the
healthy areas of their work and lives.
 Those with lower AQs tend to catastrophize, allowing
a setback in one area to bleed into other, unrelated
areas and become destructive. up.
R=Reach

 How long will the adversity endure?
 Seeing beyond even enormous difficulties is an
essential skill for maintaining hope.
 Those with higher AQs have the uncanny ability to
see past the most interminable difficulties and
maintain hope and optimism.
 Those with lower AQs see adversity as dragging on
indefinitely, if not permanently. up.
E=Endurance

Leading Self & others through Adversity
 The first step toward improving your or someone else’s adversity quotient
is to Listen to your adversity response.
 Recognize adversity when it is striking.
 The one that stuck with me the most was the analogy of the “new car
purchase”.
 When you get a new car all of a sudden you notice all of the other cars on
the road that are the same make and model as yours.
 Those cars were there in the past, but you never noticed them because
you were not looking for them.
 The simple act of purchasing a new car has made you look out for them.
 Similarly we can attune our senses to detect when adversity is striking and
focus on adjusting our response to those adversities
 The key is to recognize, but not dwell on the problems we face. When you
begin looking out for adversity you will begin noticing it everywhere and
will be much better able to deal with it.

 Once we have Listened to our adversity response, we need to move
on to the second step –Exploring all origins of the adversity and your
ownership of the result.
 At this point in the process you have to ask yourself three questions.
 What are the possible origins of this adversity?
 Given the origins, what part of this was my fault?
 What specifically could I have done better?
 These three questions will help you identify the causes of the current
adversity and then help you address it by helping you take ownership
of the crisis.
 It is important that you make sure you focus on the possible rather
than likely origins.
 This will help you not apportion undue blame to yourself and will help
you move forward towards dealing with the adversity.

 Thirdly we need to Analyze the evidence.
 What evidence is there that this adversity will affect the rest of
our life?
 What evidence is there that this adversity will last a long time?
 What evidence is there that we have no control over this
adversity?
 This step is important because it gets us to realize how little
evidence there actually is that this adversity will be far-reaching
and long lasting.
 It is important that the responses to these questions are logical
and unemotional.
 This will help prevent us from catastrophizing the situation and
limit the adversity to the area of our life that it actually affects.

 Finally and probably most importantly, to raise our AQ we
need to Do something.
 To do this we need to work out what it is that needs doing.
 Begin by asking yourselves these questions:
What information do I need?
What can I do to get some control over this situation?
What can I do to limit the reach of this adversity?
What can I do to limit the duration of this adversity? Then
get out and act.

Adversity Quotient
- 10 tips to improve your AQ

10 tips to improve your AQ
1. Be a Detective. As difficult situations arise, immediately
pinpoint at least one facet of the situation you can influence, if
not control.
2. Be a Lawyer. Silently or vocally question people who say,
“Well, there’s nothing we can do about it.” Find specific ways
to prove them wrong. Prove your case with real evidence.
3. Be a Judge. If you feel you lack control over a given situation,
try to be impartial in your assessment. Base your judgment
only on facts.
4. Be a Pioneer. Be the first to take ownership of difficult
situations, whether or hot you were the cause. Pick your
moment and step into the wilderness of responsibility by
declaring your accountability and intended action.

5. Be an Opportunist. Ask yourself what will definitely happen
as a result of a given situation within the next 24 to 48 hours.
Pick those outcomes for which you feel most compelled to
take ownership and action.
6. Be a Firefighter. When adversity strikes, immediately contain
the blaze by acting with urgency to prevent it from affecting
other areas of your life. Hose down emotional bushfires as
they pop up.
7. Be a Surgeon. As difficulties arise, prevent them from
bleeding into other areas of your business, relationships, and
life by surgically clamping the damaged artery and operating
on or even removing damaged tissue.

8. Be a Visionary. No matter how severe a setback may be,
imagine life after it has passed. Force yourself to rise above and
see beyond the adversity. Paint a mental picture of how life is
different now that adversity is history.
9. Be an Accountant. Create a balance sheet, indicating on one
side the likely result of adversity over which you have no control,
feel no ownership, and which is far-reaching and long-lasting. On
the other side, put the implications of adversity over which you
feel a certain amount of control, strong ownership, and which you
see as limited and short-lived. Apply your analysis to the situation
at hand or as difficulties arise.
10.Be a Catalyst. Take even the smallest constructive action to
regain control, to take ownership, or to limit the reach or
endurance of the adversity, and you will immediately begin to see
it shrink.

Mail your comments to
ramaddster@gmail.com

Summary-Adversity Quotient

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