Understanding Adaptability Quotient: Part 2

Following our exploration of Ability in my previous blog about the Adaptability Quotient (AQ), it’s time to venture into another dimension: Character.

What is Character?

According to the AQ, character delves into the core elements of your personality to determine your preferences, approaches, and unique style in navigating change. Here’s what makes this framework so refreshing: unlike conventional personality models that treat traits as fixed, AQ believes that character traits can evolve through learning, experiences, and shifting contexts.

Recognizing your AQ Character enables you to better communicate and progress more clearly toward your goals. These dimensions incorporate research from two of the Big Five personality traits (Extraversion and Emotional Range, alongside Hope, Motivation Style, and Thinking Style) – all specifically focused on work and change.

The Unsung Heroes of AQ Character

While my last blog highlighted the lesser-appreciated “unlearning” and “mental flexibility” components of Ability, the Character dimension introduces its own set of underappreciated superstars: emotional range and hope.

Emotional Range

Emotional Range is derived from the concept of ‘neuroticism’ (though significantly less judgmental in name!) and measures one’s predisposition to psychological stress. It examines how individuals experience emotions resulting from situations in their environment, particularly in the workplace.

Traditionally, high neuroticism has been viewed as a predictor of depression, anxiety, and strong reactions to uncertainty. But in the AQ framework, Emotional Range is scored on a scale between “Reactive” and “Collected.” Importantly, neither end is inherently “good” or “bad.”

Think of it this way: sometimes a swift emotional reaction is exactly what’s needed (like when your colleague accidentally deletes the presentation five minutes before the client meeting). Other times, a more collected approach serves better (like when said colleague is having a complete meltdown about deleting said presentation).

Understanding your natural tendencies on the emotion spectrum is helpful during times of significant change and uncertainty. It’s not about changing who you are; it’s about knowing when your natural response serves you well and when it might need some conscious modulation.

Hope

Hope isn’t a domain I’ve seen featured in many leadership development circles, but I am thrilled to see it recognized here. It’s like the quiet, unassuming team member who turns out to be your MVP during a crisis.

In the AQ framework, hope is a measurable psychological state; the mindset to pursue goals and the ability to create alternative paths when challenged. Rooted in positive psychology, hope consists of agency (goal-directed energy) and pathways (planning to meet goals).

Hope emphasizes generating strategies to overcome obstacles. It’s not just about believing things will work out, it’s about believing in your capacity to make things work out. (Less “the universe will provide” and more “I have multiple backup plans if the universe happens to be ignoring me.”) In the AQ model, hope emerges as a powerful dimension associated with positivity, while negatively correlated with negative emotions and burnout. It’s your psychological insurance policy against the inevitable setbacks of change.

It strikes me that a key finding from the Global Leadership Report published by the World Governments Summit 2025 and Gallup that I wrote about in another recent blog is:

“Hope is the primary need of followers around the world. Over half (56%) of all attributes linked to influential leaders in daily life speak to the theme of hope — far outdistancing the next most important need of trust (33%).”

How it Works at Work

When you know your natural tendencies in all of the dimensions of Character, you can:

– Anticipate your likely reactions to different types of change

– Communicate your needs more effectively to teammates during transitions

– Recognize when a situation calls for leaning into your natural tendencies

– Build balanced teams of different Character profiles

Want to Learn More?

If you’re intrigued by how these dimensions might be showing up in your professional life, I’m excited to share that I’m newly certified to work with both individuals and organizations on AQ assessments. I’d love to talk about how this knowledge can unlock what might be hiding in plain sight for you.