Deck 9: Understanding Leadership

Question 1

Management is about allocating resources, increasing efficiencies, dealing with budgets and numbers, and optimising processes and structures, whereas leadership is about providing vision and inspiration to produce positive change.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The innovative, visionary approach that Steve Jobs brought with him when he returned to Apple in 1996 was the driving force behind the company becoming the global mega-success it is today. Such an approach means Jobs' leadership could be best described as:

A) transitional.
B) transpositional.
C) transnational.
D) transformational.
E) transcontinental.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

According to the task-readiness approach, if employees are highly competent and willing to take on tasks and make decisions, the most appropriate style to manage them would be one with a mix of:

A) high directive/low relationship behaviour.
B) high directive/high relationship behaviour.
C) high relationship/low directive behaviour.
D) low relationship/low directive behaviour.
E) None of these responses are correct.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Eleanor's leadership style is to involve as many of her staff as possible in the decision-making process and to invite contributions and suggestions from all of her team members. Her leadership style is best described as:

A) autocratic.
B) democratic.
C) laissez-faire.
D) persuasive.
E) None of these responses are correct.

Question 5

Which approach would be considered to be the optimal choice in order to become a successful leader?

A) The contingency approach
B) The path-goal leadership approach
C) The task-readiness approach
D) Any leadership style may be appropriate, so long as it is chosen at the right time and in the right place
E) An autocratic style, because leaders will always know more than their employees

Question 6

Rather than looking at what leaders are, such as resilient or determined, the behavioural approach sees leadership as a set of behaviours, and looks at what effective leaders do.

Question 7

What would a manager with an employee-centred style of leadership be least likely to do in relation to the level of freedom they provide their employees in decision-making and the degree of freedom in their work roles?

A) Explain what is to be done, and why.
B) Present the required end result, invite suggestions and make the final decision.
C) Announce what is to be done.
D) Permit employees to function within defined limits.
E) Outline the situation, and then decide jointly with the group.

Question 8

Which of the following statements about the Theory X and Theory Y mindsets is true?

A) Leaders with a Theory X mindset believe that workers are inherently motivated and work primarily to obtain fulfilment and build self-esteem.
B) Leaders with a Theory Y mindset believe that people do not want to work, and only do so as a source of income.
C) Leaders with a Theory Y mindset are likely to continually coerce workers, direct their efforts, keep tight controls on them and threaten punishment to keep them in line.
D) Leaders with a Theory X mindset believe that workers have an inherent dislike of work, and work only because they have to.
E) Leaders with a Theory Y mindset believe that workers do not seek challenges, avoid responsibility and lack commitment to the objectives of their team or organisation.

Question 9

A team of top medical researchers conducting specialist research in multiple research laboratories would be most effectively managed using:

A) an autocratic style of leadership.
B) a democratic style of leadership.
C) a laissez-faire style of leadership.
D) a persuasive style of leadership.
E) any style of leadership, since one would be no more appropriate than any other.

Question 10

A leader-manager with mental toughness, who pushes on when the going gets tough, would be best described as having:

A) drive.
B) focus.
C) resolve.
D) control.
E) stubbornness.

Question 11

According to the 'managerial grid' leadership model, which is the only style of leadership that is unlikely to work in any situation?

A) Country-club leadership
B) Team leadership
C) Middle-of-the-road leadership
D) Task leadership
E) Impoverished leadership

Question 12

Which of the following traits is not specifically associated with the trait approach to leadership?

A) Initiative
B) Intelligence
C) Self-assurance
D) Emotional intelligence
E) Self-esteem

Question 13

Which of the following traits would be least likely to be associated with empathetic leadership?

A) Integrity
B) Selflessness
C) Loyalty
D) Narcissism
E) Responsibility

Question 14

For transactional leadership to work, a leader needs to:

A) make clear what they expect from the people who report to them.
B) make clear the rewards their employees will receive when they reach their goals.
C) provide the resources employees need to achieve their goals.
D) monitor employees' performance, identify performance gaps and coach employees as necessary.
E) All of these responses are correct.

Question 15

A strong moral compass and an ethical approach is what enables all charismatic leaders to inspire and encourage people to follow and believe in them.

Question 16

Which of the following statements best describes what makes an effective leader-manager?

A) They tell their staff what to do and make sure they do it.
B) They tell their staff what to do, but allow them to decide how they will go about doing it.
C) They provide their staff with guidance about what to do.
D) They provide their staff with clear, precise goals, and then instruct them what to do to ensure that they achieve them.
E) They articulate the organisation's vision to their staff, but leave it to staff to set targets and break down these visions into goals.

Question 17

Which of the following statements is true of narcissistic leaders?

A) They are excellent coaches.
B) They are excellent mentors.
C) They are excellent facilitators of group learning.
D) They encourage criticism and free thinking.
E) They prefer to indoctrinate.

Question 18

In which situational approach to leadership would a manager place the greatest emphasis on the consideration of employees, the task and the leader when deciding which management style to apply?

A) Contingency
B) Elements of leadership
C) Task-readiness
D) Transactional
E) None of these responses are correct.

Question 19

Leaders are born rather than made. Because of this, no one can learn to become a better leader.

Question 20

A manager whose performance in managing a team reveals that there are few grievances, high retention levels and high levels and quality of output within the team. According to Likert's model, this manager would be likely to be:

A) high in consideration.
B) low in consideration.
C) high in structure.
D) low in structure.
E) high or low in structure, but low in consideration.

Question 21

According to an Australian government study, Australian leaders show little care and empathy for their employees and place as low priorities good working relationships and the commitment to building employees' self-esteem.

Question 22

Which one of the following is something a successful leader should do that a manager may be less likely to do?

A) Give purpose and meaning to employees in relation to their work
B) Work to established organisational procedures
C) Organise people
D) Work within organisational boundaries
E) Adhere to direction

Question 23

Understanding how new innovations in technology can assist an organisation to become more productive is an example of:

A) sensemaking.
B) visioning.
C) inventing.
D) relating.
E) dreaming.

Question 24

Which of the following statements best describes what is known as 'authentic leadership'?

A) Homogenous leadership that follows established hierarchical lines of control
B) Behaving ethically and with integrity, and managing stress well enough to lead under pressure
C) Placing the organisation first, and leading and managing in a manner which places productivity and profits ahead of all other considerations
D) Leader-managers striving to be more knowledgeable than their employees, and so taking on all decision-making responsibility
E) None of these responses are correct.

Question 25

It is important that leader-managers understand and respond to the changing nature of the Australian economy because:

A) service and knowledge workers do not respond well to firmness and inflexibility.
B) leadership based on authority, dominance and power does not work, whereas leadership based on influence and persuasiveness does.
C) leading and managing today is about communicating principles, not setting rules.
D) leading and managing today is about being a guide, not a teller, and being a facilitator of high productivity.
E) All of these responses are correct.

Question 26

Ideally, when you take up a leadership role you should:

A) try to impress your team.
B) for an initial period, at least, make all decisions, so as to demonstrate that you are a strong leader.
C) avoid providing feedback to your team, so as not to put them off-side.
D) get to know your team members' strengths and weaknesses, so you can help them to perform their roles to their optimal ability.
E) be heavily results-focused, so that employees know that results are the only measure of success that counts.

Question 27

Although there are many aspects to being a successful leader, perhaps the most important, which is at the core of being a leader, is to:

A) act like a leader by being distant and autocratic.
B) build up knowledge of what a successful leader needs to do.
C) make decisions that will demonstrate that you are a leader.
D) think like a leader.
E) None of these responses are correct.

Question 28

In which of the following areas do today's leader-managers need to be adept in order to be successful?

A) Sensemaking
B) Visioning
C) Inventing
D) Relating
E) All of these responses are correct.

Question 29

Australian workers are considered to be some of the most resilient in the world, and therefore desire predominantly negative feedback to let them know the areas in which they need to improve.

Question 30

To successfully lead and manage organisations in Australia in the 21st century, it is important that leader-managers understand and respond appropriately to the fact that Australia is:

A) moving towards becoming an industrial economy.
B) consolidating its position as an industrial economy.
C) no longer an industrial economy, but is now a completely service-based economy.
D) moving away from being an industrial economy and towards being a predominantly knowledge- and service-based economy.
E) moving away from knowledge- and service-based industries.