CLM Leadership Development & Coaching 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which coaching approach focuses on helping leaders discover solutions through powerful questioning rather than providing advice?
- Directive coaching
- Co-active coaching (Correct answer)
- Prescriptive mentoring
- Evaluative feedback
Correct answer: Co-active coaching
Co-active coaching is built on the belief that clients are naturally creative and resourceful, using questions to draw out their own answers.
Question 2: A leader avoids confronting a poor-performing team member to maintain harmony. This behavior is best described as:
- Situational leadership
- Conflict avoidance (Correct answer)
- Delegative style
- Supportive coaching
Correct answer: Conflict avoidance
Conflict avoidance occurs when a leader sidesteps necessary difficult conversations to preserve short-term comfort at the expense of team performance.
Question 3: The 70-20-10 model of leadership development suggests that most learning comes from:
- Formal training programs
- On-the-job experience (Correct answer)
- Mentoring relationships
- Classroom instruction
Correct answer: On-the-job experience
The 70-20-10 model holds that 70% of leadership development happens through challenging work experiences, 20% from others, and 10% from formal education.
Question 4: When a coaching client sets a goal but repeatedly fails to follow through, the mentor should first explore:
- Setting stricter deadlines
- Underlying values and intrinsic motivation (Correct answer)
- External rewards and incentives
- Reducing the scope of the goal
Correct answer: Underlying values and intrinsic motivation
Persistent inaction often signals a disconnect between stated goals and the client's core values or intrinsic motivation.
Question 5: Which leadership development technique involves observing a leader in action and providing structured, real-time feedback?
- Job shadowing
- Behavioral coaching (Correct answer)
- Peer mentoring
- Action learning
Correct answer: Behavioral coaching
Behavioral coaching involves watching a leader perform and offering immediate, structured feedback tied to specific observable behaviors.
Question 6: A developmental mentor differs from a performance coach primarily because the mentor:
- Sets specific KPIs for the mentee
- Focuses on long-term career growth and personal development (Correct answer)
- Evaluates the mentee's annual performance
- Assigns remedial training tasks
Correct answer: Focuses on long-term career growth and personal development
A developmental mentor concentrates on the mentee's broader career trajectory and personal growth, not short-term performance metrics.
Question 7: Which stage of group development, according to Tuckman, is when a leader-coach should focus most intensely on team cohesion and role clarity?
- Forming
- Storming (Correct answer)
- Norming
- Performing
Correct answer: Storming
During the Storming stage, conflict and ambiguity peak, making it the critical moment for a leader-coach to address roles, expectations, and interpersonal tensions.
CLM Leadership Development & Coaching 2
Which coaching approach focuses on helping leaders discover solutions through powerful questioning rather than providing advice?