CME Leadership Principles & Styles 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A manager consistently asks employees for input before making decisions, shares reasoning behind choices, and adjusts plans based on team feedback. This behavior best exemplifies which leadership principle?
- Autocratic control
- Participative leadership (Correct answer)
- Laissez-faire delegation
- Transactional exchange
Correct answer: Participative leadership
Participative (democratic) leadership involves actively soliciting team input and incorporating feedback into decision-making.
Question 2: Robert Greenleaf's servant leadership model primarily emphasizes that a leader's first obligation is to:
- Maximize shareholder value
- Serve the needs of followers and help them grow (Correct answer)
- Establish clear authority hierarchies
- Drive competitive advantage through innovation
Correct answer: Serve the needs of followers and help them grow
Greenleaf's servant leadership centers on the leader prioritizing the growth, well-being, and needs of their followers above personal or organizational gain.
Question 3: Which leadership theory proposes that effective leadership depends on matching the leader's style to the maturity level of the followers?
- Path-Goal Theory
- Fiedler's Contingency Model
- Situational Leadership Theory (Correct answer)
- Leader-Member Exchange Theory
Correct answer: Situational Leadership Theory
Situational Leadership Theory (Hersey and Blanchard) prescribes varying leadership style based on follower readiness and maturity.
Question 4: A CEO inspires employees by articulating a compelling vision of the future and appealing to their ideals rather than offering incentives. This is characteristic of:
- Transactional leadership
- Transformational leadership (Correct answer)
- Coercive leadership
- Bureaucratic leadership
Correct answer: Transformational leadership
Transformational leaders motivate through vision, inspiration, and appealing to higher ideals rather than reward-punishment exchanges.
Question 5: In Fiedler's Contingency Model, the Least Preferred Coworker (LPC) scale is used to measure a leader's:
- Emotional intelligence
- Task versus relationship orientation (Correct answer)
- Decision-making speed
- Tolerance for ambiguity
Correct answer: Task versus relationship orientation
A high LPC score indicates a relationship-oriented leader, while a low LPC score indicates a task-oriented leader.
Question 6: An executive uses different leadership approaches with different team members based on their individual competence and commitment levels. This practice aligns most closely with:
- Authentic leadership
- Transactional leadership
- Situational leadership (Correct answer)
- Charismatic leadership
Correct answer: Situational leadership
Situational leadership prescribes tailoring leadership style (directing, coaching, supporting, delegating) to each individual's development level.
Question 7: Which leadership concept describes the quality of genuine, value-driven leadership where leaders act in accordance with their true selves, beliefs, and values?
- Transactional leadership
- Charismatic leadership
- Authentic leadership (Correct answer)
- Pacesetting leadership
Correct answer: Authentic leadership
Authentic leadership emphasizes self-awareness, transparency, and acting consistently with one's genuine values and beliefs.
CME Leadership Principles & Styles 2
A manager consistently asks employees for input before making decisions, shares reasoning behind choices, and adjusts plans based on team feedback.
This behavior best exemplifies which leadership principle?