Deck 13: Creating Vision and Strategic Direction

Question 1

A leader who is all action and little vision is actually uninvolved.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Vision focuses on the current reality and maintaining the status quo.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Which of the following statements is true of an organization's vision?

A) It is the property of a leader.
B) It cannot be realistically achieved.
C) It is a phenomenon that is readily attainable.
D) It is a view that everyone involved can believe in.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following statements is true of strategic thinkers?

A) They avoid signs of change that could hurt their organization.
B) They examine problems or opportunities from many perspectives.
C) They retain their own and others' assumptions and mental models.
D) They accept an answer rather than looking for patterns in what they see and hear.

Question 5

Strategic leaders react to environmental changes rather than studying the events that have already taken place and acting based on their anticipation of what the future might be like.

Question 6

A powerful vision frees people from the mundane by providing them with a challenge that requires them to give their best.

Question 7

Mission statements tend to grow and change in the face of changing technologies, economic conditions, or other environmental shifts.

Question 8

Which of the following statements is true of strategic leadership?

A) It involves the strength to be based in the future that is substantially different from the status quo but is concerned with the current reality.
B) It intends to establish an environment where leaders see things the same way or make the same choices.
C) It involves the ability to work with others to initiate changes that will create a competitive advantage for the organization in the future.
D) It involves the ability to maintain the status quo rather than bringing change.

Question 9

A leader using the approach of excellence focuses on finding or creating something new.

Question 10

Strategy execution is the most important as well as the most difficult part of strategic management.

Question 11

Which of the following is a difference between strategies and execution?

A) Strategies specify what we do right now, whereas execution provides direction for translating a vision into action.
B) Strategies do not come naturally, whereas execution comes naturally.
C) Strategies are more important than execution in strategic leadership.
D) Strategies are intentions, whereas execution is through the basic organizational architecture that makes things happen.

Question 12

An effective vision:

A) is the property of the leader.
B) sets a standard of excellence and integrity.
C) is always focused on the past.
D) happens naturally.

Question 13

To be a(n) _____, one dreams big and transforms those dreams into significant strategic action, either through one's own activities or by hiring other leaders who can effectively execute the vision and strategy.

A) dreamer
B) uninvolved leader
C) doer
D) effective leader

Question 14

Focusing on core competencies and attaining synergy help companies create value for their customers.

Question 15

A powerful vision:

A) is the organization's core broad purpose and reason for existence.
B) persists in the face of changing technologies, economic conditions, or other environmental shifts.
C) serves as an opportunity to people to go where they have gone before.
D) provides a measure by which employees can gauge their contributions to the organization.

Question 16

A vision is what the organization "stands for" in a larger sense, whereas a mission is ambitious desire for the future.

Question 17

To improve strategic leadership, leaders can:

A) accept an answer rather than looking for patterns in what they see and hear.
B) ignore buy-in among employees and other stakeholders who may have conflicting views and interests.
C) identify weak points in the necessary skills required for thinking strategically and work toward correcting them.
D) stick to their own and others' mental models and assumptions as challenging them can cause a sense of disorientation.

Question 18

Leaders accept the easy answer rather than looking for patterns in what they see and hear.

Question 19

Which of the following statements is true of vision?

A) It needs to be the property of the leader alone.
B) It needs to transcend the bottom line to provide employees with a sense of meaning and purpose.
C) It needs to serve as an opportunity to allow people to penetrate places where they have gone before.
D) It needs to allow people to remain in their comfort zones.

Question 20

Identify the correct statement regarding strategic leadership.

A) It is responsible for the relationship of the external environment to choices about vision, mission, strategy, and their execution.
B) It is a form of leadership that comes naturally to individuals.
C) It reacts to environmental changes, rather than studying the events that have already taken place and acting based on their anticipation of what the future might be like.
D) It is the most important as well as the most difficult part of strategy execution.

Question 21

Companies with heroism as the basis of noble purpose often:

A) reflect almost an obsession with winning.
B) emphasize serving others.
C) experience the joy of an entrepreneurial spirit.
D) inspire others to find or create something new.

Question 22

Identify the true statement regarding visions.

A) Visions are always communicated using a single channel.
B) Many visions tend to be the properties of leaders alone.
C) Visions fail to be emotional appeals to fundamental human needs.
D) Many visions fail to adequately involve employees.

Question 23

In companies with excellence as a guiding purpose, _____.

A) managers and employees are treated as valuable resources.
B) excellence is defined by the customers rather than by work.
C) strength and aggressiveness determine the purpose of the organization.
D) discovery for its own sake can serve as a noble purpose.

Question 24

Victoria heads an electronics corporation. She expects each employee to perform to his or her best and be successful. She wants to achieve production with zero quality control issues. Victoria uses the _____ approach to frame a noble purpose for her organization.

A) discovery
B) excellence
C) altruism
D) heroism

Question 25

Samuel heads a company that manufactures cell phones. He places emphasis on innovation and creation of new products and features rather than imitation of competitors' products. This instance shows that Samuel uses the _____ approach to frame the purpose of his organization.

A) excellence
B) discovery
C) altruism
D) heroism

Question 26

Which of the following statements is true of strategy?

A) Strategy cannot be shifted by leaders.
B) Strategy defines the company's core values and reason for being, and it provides a basis for creating the vision.
C) Strategy involves making decisions every day based on what the organization wants to do and be.
D) Strategy is developed by leaders by reacting to environmental changes.

Question 27

An effective mission statement:

A) does not describe products or services.
B) is an ambitious desire for the future.
C) does not persist in the face of changing technologies and economic conditions.
D) captures people's idealistic motivations for why the organization exists.

Question 28

Identify the correct statement regarding a mission.

A) It is an ambitious desire for the future.
B) It serves as the glue that holds the organization together in times of change.
C) It cannot work together with the vision of a company.
D) It tends to grow and change in the face of changing technologies and environmental shifts.

Question 29

The basis of action for the purpose of altruism is to:

A) win almost every competition.
B) increase personal happiness.
C) be the best always.
D) find or create something new.

Question 30

Which of the following is an example of activities that have a low strategic impact but which are relatively easy to execute?

A) Mergers and acquisitions of business
B) Difficult changes with little or no potential for payoff
C) Major changes with potential for payoff
D) Incremental improvements in products

Question 31

If the company's purpose is _____, its purpose is based on being strong, aggressive, and effective.

A) altruism
B) heroism
C) excellence
D) discovery

Question 32

A good vision brings out the best in people by:

A) giving them an opportunity to go where they have gone before.
B) letting them be part of something bigger than themselves.
C) being the property of the leader.
D) persisting in the face of changing technologies or economic conditions.

Question 33

_____ can be defined as the general plan of action that describes resource allocation and other activities for dealing with the environment and helping the organization attain its goals and achieve the vision.

A) A noble purpose
B) Mission
C) Strategy
D) A core value

Question 34

A leader should explain what a new strategic direction means to each person because:

A) employees should often be reminded about company strengths.
B) followers are often thinking about the big picture.
C) people are often fearful of change.
D) leaders cannot anticipate people's fears and questions.

Question 35

In an organization, when every person understands and embraces a vision _____.

A) everyone works in different directions
B) the organization becomes self-adapting
C) the vision can persist in the face of changing environmental shifts
D) everyone is given an opportunity to go where they have gone before

Question 36

The purpose of _____ inspires people to see the adventure in their work and experience the joy of a pioneering or entrepreneurial spirit.

A) altruism
B) heroism
C) excellence
D) discovery

Question 37

A change that both produces a high strategic impact and is easy to execute would be:

A) a particular choice that has a slow strategic impact in the initial stage.
B) an actual behavior within the organization that reflects the desired direction.
C) an execution of a strategy which is the easiest part of strategic management.
D) a leader's first choice for putting strategy into action.

Question 38

Freddie is the head of operations of Ambassador Inc. He wants to cocreate a vision for his organization. Which of the following steps should Freddie perform?

A) Ensure that the vision is the property of the leader.
B) Get something down in writing, but make sure people know it is a draft that needs feedback.
C) Restrain writing from the heart, remembering that vision is not an emotional appeal to human needs.
D) Communicate using a single channel to emphasize that the vision is focused on a single purpose.

Question 39

Which of the following statements is true of mission?

A) It is an ambitious desire for the future.
B) It tends to grow and change in the face of environmental shifts.
C) It defines the company's core values and reason for being.
D) It cannot work together with a company's vision.

Question 40

Diane heads an event management company called Venus Inc. The company encourages an innovative and creative approach to work. Diane plans to cocreate a vision. Which of the following steps should she apply to implement her plan?

A) Diane should make a vision that can be the property of the leader.
B) Diane should create the final vision statement without several drafts.
C) Diane should target a vision for a desired future.
D) Diane should communicate the vision using a single channel.

Question 41

A leader who is a(n) _____  may effectively inspire others with a vision, yet he or she is weak on executing strategic action.

Question 42

Briefly explain the principle of self-reference.

Question 43

List the techniques that can help leaders effectively implement strategy.

Question 44

Explain the four possibilities of leadership in providing direction.

Question 45

_____ can be defined as the combination of benefits received and costs paid by the customer.

Question 46

"To improve lives by providing library access to everyone in the community" is an example of a  _____.

A) mechanism
B) strategy
C) mission
D) vision

Question 47

_____ integrates knowledge of the environment, vision, and mission with the company's core competence in such a way as to attain synergy and create value for customers.

Question 48

The mission is made up of two critical parts: the core values and the _____.

Question 49

An organization's _____ is something that the organization does extremely well in comparison to competitors.

Question 50

List the necessary skills that can be developed by leaders for thinking strategically and navigating uncertainty.

Question 51

A(n) _____ is an organization's core broad purpose and reason for existence.

Question 52

Describe the four themes that are common to powerful, effective visions.

Question 53

_____ means that each element in a system will serve the goals of the whole system when the elements are imprinted with an understanding of the whole.

Question 54

_____ means that leaders use specific mechanisms, techniques, or tools for directing organizational resources to accomplish strategic goals.

Question 55

Briefly describe strategic leadership.

Question 56

A(n) _____ is an attractive, ideal future that is credible yet not readily attainable.

Question 57

_____ occurs when organizational parts interact to produce a joint effect that is greater than the sum of the parts acting alone.

Question 58

Briefly explain the features of an organization's mission.

Question 59

Briefly describe how vision works in a number of important ways.

Question 60

Which of the following has to be translated into specific goals, objectives, and plans so that employees can move toward the desired future?

A) Strategy
B) Vision
C) Mission
D) Mechanism

Question 61

Ivan wants to identify his company's core competence so he can develop successful strategies. His company hires highly qualified people to provide computer repairs for its customers. Every repair worker goes to customer sites with as much equipment as possible to quickly complete repairs. Unlike other computer repair companies in town, Ivan guarantees same-day repair. If repairs can't be completed on the same day, Ivan's company will probably lose that dissatisfied customer's business. What is Ivan's company's core competence?

A) Hiring workers
B) Acquiring new clients
C) Providing computer repairs
D) Providing same-day service

Question 62

Melanie has developed a strategy to achieve the company's goals. Regardless of how good this is for the company, she can't get the employees to buy in to make the strategy successful. What should Melanie do?

A) Order workers to perform.
B) Tell workers when the changes will be made.
C) Tell employees what isn't changing.
D) Pay cooperative employees a bonus.

Question 63

"The increase of knowledge" is an example of a _____.

A) mission.
B) vision.
C) mechanism.
D) strategy.