Adversity Quotient

Praise for Adversity Quotient.

"With AQ, Paul Stoltz has done something remarkable: He synthesizes some of the most important information on how we influence our own future and then offers a profound set of observations which teaches us how to thrive in a fast-changing world!"-Joel Barker, President, Infinity, LTD, author of Paradigm Shift.

"Adversity Quotient will show that you have more control over events than you think. The key is changing your beliefs. Believe it or not, that can usually be done in One Minute." -Ken Blanchard, co-author, The One Minute Manager.

"Paul Stoltz's AQ explains why some people, teams, organizations, and societies fail or quit, and how others in the situation persevere and succeed. With this book, anyone or or organization can learn to reroute their AQ and hardwire their brain for success." -Daniel Burrus, author, Technotrends.

"AQ is one of the more important concepts of our time. Paul Stoltz's book provides the direction and tools necessary for putting this idea into practice. It is a must read for anyone interested in personal mastery, leadership effectiveness and/or organizational productivity." -Jim Ericson, Program Director, The Masters Forum.Warum halten manche Menschen in ständig veränderlichen Situationen durch, wo andere längst aufgegeben haben? Wie schaffen es Athleten, sich von Niederlagen zu erholen? Warum sind manche Teams enorm leistungsfähig, warum erzielen manche Verkäufer extrem hohe Verkaufszahlen? Auf der Grundlage bahnbrechender Erkenntnisse der Immunologie, Physiologie und Psychologie stellt der Autor sein Konzept des AQ (Adversity Quotient) vor, mit dessen Hilfe sich Antworten auf die gestellten Fragen erhalten lassen.

PART ONE THRIVING IN THE AGE OF ADVERSITY

CHAPTER 1 A New View of Success 3

The Ascent—Redefining Success 5

The Fundamental Question of Human Effectiveness 5

What Is AQ? 6

The Mountain—Ascending toward Success 13

The Adversity Dilemma 27

The Tree of Success 29

Adversity Quotient 34

CHAPTER 2 The Age of Adversity 37

Three Levels of Adversity 38

How Did It Get So Bad? 44

Four Dangerous Forks in the Trail to the Top 46

A Safer Path 52

CHAPTER 3 The Science of AQ 53

The Three Building Blocks of Your AQ 53

PART TWO MEASURING AND UNDERSTANDING YOUR AQ

CHAPTER 4 The Adversity Response Profile™: Measuring Your AQ and Your Ability to Climb 87

Validity and Reliability 88

The Adversity Response Profile (ARP) Quick Take™ 88

CHAPTER 5 Interpreting Your Adversity Quotient and Your Power to Ascend 101

The AQ Continuum 104

Interpreting Your Overall AQ 104

The CO2RE Dimensions of Your AQ 106

Graphing Your CO2RE 125

Life in the Middle: A Moderate CO2RE Profile 137

Personalizing Your Profile 139

Your AQ and Taking Action 140

PART THREE IMPROVING AQ IN YOURSELF, OTHERS, AND YOUR ORGANIZATION

CHAPTER 6 LEAD: Improving Your AQ and Your Ability to Ascend 145

Hands-On Proof 147

Where Do These Skills Come From? 149

How and Why LEAD Works 151

Climbing Skills 153

Applying the LEAD Sequence 180

LEADing Yourself through Major Setbacks 183

The Overhang 185

CHAPTER 7 STOP! Catastrophizing 187

Wildfire in the Mind 189

Stoppers! and LEAD 199

CHAPTER 8 Improving Others’ AQs and Their Ability to Ascend 201

LEADing a Friend 202

The Guts of LEADing Others 209

Rethinking the Role of LEADer 213

LEADing a Colleague 214

The Teflon Kid: LEADing Your Child toward Accountability 222

The Hidden Benefits of LEADing Others 227

CHAPTER 9 The High AQ Organization: Creating the Climbing Culture 231

The Right Time for AQ 235

AQ and Change 235

Challenges You Face as a Leader 238

Organizational AQ 240

The Role of AQ in Any Organization’s Success 245

Roadblocks to Creating a High AQ

Organization 253

Life after the Seminar: What Goes Wrong? 259

The Climbing Organization 263

AQ at Work 274

CHAPTER 10 The Climber’s Habit 277

Why Most Learning Goes Down the Tubes: Howell’s Five Levels of Competence 278

Two Factors That Influence Your Success 281

What You Can Expect 281

Strengthen the Climber 283

AQ and the Greater Good 283

Appendix 289

Notes 301

Bibliography 307

Acknowledgments 319

Index 323

"Why do some people prevail where others despair? The differencelies in their 'adversity quotients.' An adversity quotient is ameasure of how well someone handles bad news, said Paul Stoltz, whocoined the term."--Seattle Post-Intelligencer,August 21, 1998

"Many (employers) in the work force are looking to the newlydesignated AQ, or adversity quotient...to get the results theywant..."--Washington Post

No. 7 on the Denver Post Business List, September 27, 1998.

"Paul Stoltz has done something remarkable: He synthesizes some ofthe most important information on how we influence our future andthen offers a profound set of observations which teach us how tothrive in a fast-changing world."--Joel Barker, President,Infinity, LTD, Author of Paradigm Shift PAUL G. STOLTZ, PhD, is President of PEAK Learning Incorporated and holds a doctorate in organizational communication and development. His many corporate clients have included Deloitte & Touche LLP, Motorola, Abbott Labs, US West, etc. In great demand as a keynote speaker and consultant on such topics as leadership, performance, successful selling, and overcoming adversity, Dr. Stoltz also conducts AQ seminars and workshops for thousands of people each year. Adversity Quotient Turning Obstacles into Opportunities 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 and 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 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. Drawing on recent advances in psychoneuroimmunology, neurophysiology, and cognitive psychology, hundreds of studies and the reports of over 7,500 people who have taken his seminar, Dr. Stoltz provides proven techniques for becoming more productive, creative, and competitive while navigating today’s turbulent environment of change, threats, and setbacks. More than just a motivational book, Adversity Quotient details self-defeating traps that people fall into when encountering sudden changes, failures, and losses of every kind. You’ll learn 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. You’ll discover how your 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. Dr. Stoltz can help you:

• 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. 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 and 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. Drawing on recent advances in psychoneuroimmunology, neurophysiology, and cognitive psychology, hundreds of studies and the reports of over 7,500 people who have taken his seminar, Dr. Stoltz provides proven techniques for becoming more productive, creative, and competitive while navigating today's turbulent environment of change, threats, and setbacks.

More than just a motivational book, Adversity Quotient details self-defeating traps that people fall into when encountering sudden changes, failures, and losses of every kind. You'll learn 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. You'll discover how your 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. Dr. Stoltz can help you:

• 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.

Praise for Adversity Quotient

"With AQ, Paul Stoltz has done something remarkable: He synthesizes some of the most important information on how we influence our own future and then offers a profound set of observations which teach us how to thrive in a fast-changing world!" —Joel Barker, President, Infinity, Ltd. author of Paradigms

"Adversity Quotient will show that you have more control over events than you think. The key is changing your beliefs. Believe it or not, that can usually be done in One Minute." —Ken Blanchard, coauthor, The One Minute Manager.

"Paul Stoltz's AQ explains why some people, teams, organizations, and societies fail or quit, and how others in the situation persevere and succeed. With this book, anyone or any organization can learn to reroute their AQ and hardwire their brain for success." —Daniel Burrus, author, Technotrends

"AQ is one of the more important concepts of our time. Paul Stoltz's book provides the direction and tools necessary for putting this idea into practice. It is a must read for anyone interested in personal mastery, leadership effectiveness, and/or organizational productivity." —Jim Ericson, Program Director, The Masters Forum.