Questions and Answers of Experience Leadership

Explain the power of situational variables to substitute for or neutralize the need for leadership.
Use the Vroom–Jago model to identify the correct amount of follower participation in specific decisions.
Explain the path–goal theory of leadership.
Apply Fiedler’s contingency model to key relationships among leader style, situational favorability, and group task performance.
Apply Hersey and Blanchard’s situational theory of leader style to the level of follower readiness.
Describe how leadership is often contingent on people and situations.
Describe some key leader traits for handling a crisis.
Explain how the theory of individualized leadership has broadened the understanding of relationships between leaders and followers.
Recognize autocratic versus democratic leadership behavior and the distinction between taskoriented and people-oriented leader behavior.
Identify your own traits that you can transform into strengths and bring to various leadership roles.
Outline some personal traits and characteristics that are associated with effective leaders.
Discover how to use this textbook to learn the most about leadership.
Identify the primary reasons for leadership derailment and the new paradigm skills that can help you avoid it.
Explain how leadership has evolved and how historical approaches apply to the practice of leadership today.
Summarize the fundamental differences between leadership and management.
Describe the five fundamental transformations facing today’s leaders and organizations.
Explain the full meaning of leadership and see the leadership potential in yourself and others.
Would you expect that changing the culture at Forest would be easily accomplished now that a new CEO is committed to change? Why or why not?
Why are idea champions considered to be essential to innovation? Do you think these people would be more important in a large organization or a small one?Discuss.
What are some ways leaders can overcome resistance to change?
What advice would you give a leader who wants to increase innovation in her department?
Do you think creative individuals and creative organizations have characteristics in common? Discuss.
Which of the everyday change strategies (Exhibit 15.3) would you be most comfortable using and why? What are some situations when a passive, private strategy such as creative self-expression might be
Of the eight stages of planned change, which one do you think leaders are most likely to skip? Why?
How would you describe the culture of Forest International as it relates to internal integration and external adaptation?
What is meant by the idea that culture helps a group or organization solve the problem of internal integration?
If a leader directs her health care company to reward hospital managers strictly on hospital profits, is the leader being ethically responsible? Discuss.
In which of the four types of culture (adaptability, achievement, clan, bureaucratic)might you expect to find the greatest emphasis on ethical issues? Why?
Compare and contrast the achievement culture with the clan culture. What are some possible disadvantages of having a strong clan culture? A strong achievement culture?
What is a culture gap? What are some techniques leaders might use to influence and change cultural values when necessary?
Describe the culture for an organization you are familiar with. Identify the physical artifacts and discuss what underlying values and assumptions these suggest. What did you learn?
If a new top leader is hired for a corporation, and performance improves, to what extent do you think the new top leader was responsible compared to other factors?To what extent do you think a new
What is the difference between mission and vision? Can you give an example of each?
If you worked for a company like Apple or Google that has a strong vision for the future, how would that affect you compared to working for a company that did not have a vision?
Lord Acton, a British historian of the late 19th century, said that “power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely,” suggesting that a person’s sense of morality lessens as his or
Which of the seven influence tactics would you be most comfortable with as leader of a study group? Of a work team? Discuss.
How does control over information give power to a person? Have you ever used control over information to influence a decision with friends or co-workers? Explain.
Do you think impression management is an appropriate political approach for a business leader? Discuss. Can you name some ways in which you have personally used this tactic?
What types and sources of power would be available to a leader of a student government organization? To a head nurse in a small hospital?
Do you agree that politics is a natural and healthy part of organizational life? Discuss.
Why is charismatic leadership considered to have potentially negative consequences?Think of two or three current social, political, or business leaders that you would consider to be charismatic. To
What do you consider the most important difference between transformational leadership and transactional leadership? Between transformational and charismatic leadership?How is transformational
What recommendations would you make to Northern’s leaders to help them move toward successfully managing diversity issues?
How would you lead a group of people who are different from you?
Why do you think the glass ceiling persists in organizations?
What is interactive leadership, and why might this approach be increasingly important in the twenty-first century?
How might diversity within the organization ultimately lead to better problem solving and greater creativity?
How might a leader’s role and responsibility change as a company becomes more diverse? Explain.
Was the research program a group or a team? If a team, what type of team was it(functional, cross-functional, self-directed)? Explain.
Discuss the relationship between team cohesiveness and performance.
What are the stages of team development? How can a team leader best facilitate the team at each stage?
Which is more important to team effectiveness—the task-specialist role or the socioemotional role? Discuss.
Describe the three levels of interdependence and explain how they affect team leadership.
Why might a person need to go through significant personal changes to be an effective team leader? What are some of the changes required?
Why do you think organizations are increasingly using virtual and global teams?Would you like to be a member or leader of a virtual global team? Why or why not?
Discuss the differences between a cross-functional team and a self-directed team.
Think about a recent crisis, such as the shootings at Virginia Tech University or the detection of radiation on British Airways planes, and discuss how you think leaders handled crisis communication.
Why is storytelling such a powerful means of communication for a leader? Can you give examples from your own experience of leaders who have used metaphor and story? What was the effect on followers?
If you were to communicate symbolically with your team to create a sense of trust and team work, what would you do?
Why is management by wandering around (MBWA) considered effective communication?
If you were to evaluate an organization based on the degree of open communication climate, what things would you look for? Discuss.
How do you think leadership communication differs from conventional management communication?
If you were a leader at a company like Blackmer/Dover, discussed on page 242 of the chapter, what motivational techniques might you use to improve cooperation and teamwork?
Discuss whether you believe it is a leader’s responsibility to help people find meaning in their work. How might leaders do this for employees at a fast-food restaurant?How about for employees who
Do you agree that hygiene factors, as defined in Herzberg’s two-factor theory, cannot provide increased satisfaction and motivation? Discuss.
What are the advantages of an organization with empowered employees? Why might some individuals not want to be empowered?
Why is it important for leaders to have a basic understanding of equity theory? Can you see ways in which some of today’s popular compensation trends, such as gainsharing or pay for performance,
What are the features of the reinforcement and expectancy theories that make them seem like carrot-and-stick methods for motivation? Why do they often work in organizations?
What is the carrot-and-stick approach? Do you think that it should be minimized in organizations? Why?
What do you see as the leader’s role in motivating others in an organization?
What is the relationship among needs, rewards, and motivation?
Describe the kinds of needs that people bring to an organization. How might a person’s values and attitudes, as described in Chapter 4, influence the needs he or she brings to work?
If you were Garrow’s boss and Mitchell came to see you, what would you say?
If you were Mitchell, what would you do now?
How would you evaluate Mitchell as a follower? Evaluate his courage and style.
Is the will to leave a job the ultimate courage of a follower, compared to the will to participate in transformation? Which would be hardest for you?
How might the characteristics of effective followership contribute to building community?Discuss.
What do the traits followers want in leaders and in other followers tell us about the roles of each? Discuss.
Describe the strategy for managing up that you most prefer. Explain.
Do you think you would respond better to feedback that is presented using elements of storytelling rather than with a traditional performance review format? Discuss.How might using story and metaphor
Which of the five demands on effective followers do you feel is most important?Least important? How does a follower derive the courage and power to be effective?Discuss.
Do you think self-management leadership should be considered a leadership style?Why or why not?
Compare the alienated follower with the passive follower. Can you give an example of each? How would you respond to each if you were a leader?
Do you have the courage to take a moral stand that your peers and even authority figures will disagree with? Why?
If you find yourself avoiding a situation or activity, what can you do to find the courage to move forward? Explain.
Do you feel that the difference between authoritarian leadership and stewardship should be interpreted as a moral difference? Discuss.
If you were in a position similar to Raoul Wallenberg (page 170), what do you think you would do? Why?
Do you think it is appropriate for a leader to spend time developing a team’s emotional intelligence? Why or why not?
Have you ever experienced love and/or fear from leaders at work? How did you respond?
Consider fear and love as potential motivators. Which is the best source of motivation for soldiers during a war? For members of a new product development team?For top executives at a media
What are some specific reasons leaders need to be aware of their mental models?
Do you agree that people have a capacity for developing their minds and hearts beyond current competency? Can you give an example? Discuss.
Do you believe a leader’s success in a particular leadership role would be influenced more by personality characteristics or by the leader’s thinking and decision-making style? Discuss. What type
Why do you think thinking and judging are the two characteristics from the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator that seem to be most strongly associated with effective leadership?
How do a person’s attitudes and assumptions about human nature in general affect his or her leadership approach? How might a leader’s attitudes about him or herself alter or reinforce this
If you were in Osborne’s position, describe how you would evaluate the situation and handle the problem.
How would you describe Osborne’s current leadership style? Based on the path–goal theory, which style do you think he might most effectively use to turn things around with Larry Gibson?
Why had Ken Osborne’s department been so successful even though he has provided little leadership over the past two years?
If you were a first-level supervisor of a team of telemarketers, how would you go about asessing the readiness level of your subordinates? Do you think most leaders are able to easily shift their
Do you think leadership style is fixed and unchangeable or flexible and adaptable?Why?

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