Questions and Answers of The Leadership Experience

Think about the class for which you are reading this text as a system. How might making changes without whole-systems thinking cause problems for students?
What are some pressures you face as a student that challenge your ability to do the right thing? Do you expect to face more or fewer pressures as a leader? Discuss what some of these pressures might
If most adults are at a conventional level of moral development, what does this mean for their potential for moral leadership?
How might understanding the difference between “fear” and “F.E.A.R.,” as described in the chapter, make you a better leader? Can you name an example from your own life of “false evidence
One finding is that when leaders are under stress so that fear and risk increase, they tend to revert to an authoritarian, command-and-control style. As a leader, how might you find the courage to
If you were in a position as a student similar to Mike McQueary at Pennsylvania State University, what do you think you would do? Why?
Why is it so hard for people to change their assumptions? What are some specific reasons why leaders need to be aware of their mental models?
What does it mean to be a whole leader as described in the chapter? Can you give an example from your experience? Discuss.
How do you feel about developing the emotional qualities of yourself and other people in the organization as a way to be an effective leader? Discuss.
Hallmark Cards discovered that its mid- and upper-level managers were primarily thinking types, but top executives displayed primarily feeling preferences. Why do you think this might be?
How can a leader use an understanding of brain dominance to improve the functioning of the organization?
Do you believe understanding your preferences according to the whole brain model can help you be a better leader? Discuss.
From Leader’s Self-Insight 4.3, identify four or five values (instrumental or end values) that could be a source of conflict between leaders and followers. Explain.
Leaders in many of today’s organizations use the results of personality testing to make hiring and promotion decisions. Discuss some of the pros and cons of this approach.
What might be some reasons the dimension of “openness to experience” correlates so strongly with historians’ ratings of the greatest U.S. presidents but has been less strongly associated with
The chapter suggests that one way to work effectively with different personalities is to treat everyone with respect. How might a leader deal with a subordinate who is perpetually rude, insensitive,
A survey found that 79 percent of CEOs surveyed fall into the category of being “highly optimistic,” whereas a much lower percentage of chief financial officers were rated as highly optimistic.
Do you agree that self-awareness is essential for being a good leader? Can you think of some specific negative consequences that might result from a leader not having self-awareness?
Consider the situational characteristics of group cohesiveness, organizational formalization, and physical separation. How might each of these substitute for or neutralize task-oriented or
Do you think leaders should decide on a participative style based on the most efficient way to reach the decision? Should leaders sometimes let people participate for other reasons?
If you were a first-level supervisor of a team of telemarketers, how would you go about assessing the development level of your subordinates? Do you think most leaders can easily shift their
Compare Fiedler’s contingency model with the path–goal theory. What are the similarities and differences? Which do you prefer?
Consider the leadership position of the managing partner in a law firm. What task, subordinate, and organizational factors might serve as substitutes for leadership in this situation?
Do you think leadership style is fixed and unchangeable, or can leaders be flexible and adaptable with respect to style? Why?
Consider Fiedler’s theory as illustrated in Exhibit 3.4. How often do you think very favorable, intermediate, or very unfavorable situations occur to leaders in real life? Discuss.
Pick three traits from the list in Exhibit 2.1 that you think would be most valuable for a leader in an operational role. Pick three that you think would be most valuable for a leader in a
Why is an entrepreneurial leader important to an organization? How is this role different from other leader roles?
Why would subordinates under a democratic leader perform better in the leader’s absence than would subordinates under an autocratic leader?
Does it make sense to you that a leader should develop an individualized relationship with each follower? Explain advantages and disadvantages to this approach.
The vertical dyad linkage model suggests that followers respond individually to the leader. If this is so, what advice would you give leaders about displaying people-oriented versus task-oriented
Would you feel most comfortable using a “consideration” or an “initiating-structure” leadership style? Discuss the reasons for your answer.
Suggest some personal traits of leaders you have known. What traits do you believe are most valuable? Why?
Why is it important for leaders to know their strengths? Do you think leaders should spend equal time learning about their weak points?
Why is leadership considered both an art and a science?
What personal capacities should a person develop to be a good leader versus those developed to be a good manager?
“Leadership is more concerned with people than is management.” Do you agree? Discuss.
Discuss some recent events and societal changes that might have contributed to a shift “from hero to humble.” Do you agree or disagree that humility is important for good leadership?
Why do you think there are so few people who succeed at both management and leadership? Is it reasonable to believe someone can be good at both? Discuss.
Describe the best leader you have known. How did this leader acquire his or her capability?
Of the elements in the leadership definition as illustrated in Exhibit 1.1, which is the easiest for you? Which is hardest? Explain.
What do you consider your own strengths and weaknesses for leadership? Discuss your answer with another student.
Look through recent magazines and newspapers and identify one leader who seems to illustrate the “leader-as-hero” mindset and one who seems more typical of the humble Level 5 leader described in

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