CMM Leadership & Ethical Decision-Making 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A council member asks a city manager to delay releasing a public records request until after an upcoming election. What is the most ethical response?
- Comply with the delay to maintain a good relationship with the council
- Release the records according to legal timelines regardless of political timing
- Consult with the city attorney and then release on the legal deadline (Correct answer)
- Ask the requestor to voluntarily withdraw and resubmit after the election
Correct answer: Consult with the city attorney and then release on the legal deadline
The manager should consult legal counsel to confirm obligations and then fulfill the records request on the statutory deadline, insulating the decision in law.
Question 2: Which leadership style is generally most effective when a municipality faces a sudden crisis requiring immediate, coordinated action?
- Laissez-faire leadership
- Servant leadership
- Directive (authoritative) leadership (Correct answer)
- Democratic/participative leadership
Correct answer: Directive (authoritative) leadership
Directive leadership provides clear commands and rapid decision-making needed to stabilize a crisis before shifting to collaborative approaches.
Question 3: The ICMA Code of Ethics requires members to report to the organization's governing body any interference with professional duties by elected officials. This obligation best reflects which ethical principle?
- Transparency
- Personal integrity
- Accountability to the governing body (Correct answer)
- Independence of the profession
Correct answer: Accountability to the governing body
Reporting interference upholds accountability to the governing body so elected officials can self-correct before professional integrity is compromised.
Question 4: A department director consistently undermines decisions made by the city manager in public meetings. The best first step for the manager is to:
- Issue a formal written reprimand immediately
- Speak privately with the director to address the behavior directly (Correct answer)
- Raise the issue at the next full staff meeting to set norms
- Transfer the director to a less visible role
Correct answer: Speak privately with the director to address the behavior directly
A private, direct conversation allows the manager to address behavior without public embarrassment while giving the director a chance to correct course.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes 'adaptive leadership' in a municipal context?
- Following established policies and precedents in every situation
- Encouraging staff to experiment, learn, and adjust as complex problems evolve (Correct answer)
- Delegating all decision-making to department heads
- Adopting the leadership style of the previous city manager
Correct answer: Encouraging staff to experiment, learn, and adjust as complex problems evolve
Adaptive leadership mobilizes people to tackle complex challenges that require new learning, experimentation, and systemic change rather than technical fixes.
Question 6: A city manager discovers that a long-time vendor has been overbilling the city by a small amount over several years. The most appropriate course of action is to:
- Accept credit on future invoices and consider the matter closed
- Report the finding to the governing body and initiate formal recovery procedures (Correct answer)
- Allow the department director to quietly negotiate a refund without council involvement
- Terminate the vendor contract without further investigation
Correct answer: Report the finding to the governing body and initiate formal recovery procedures
Public funds require transparent handling; the governing body must be informed and formal recovery processes protect the city legally.
Question 7: Which of the following is a core tenet of servant leadership as applied to municipal management?
- The manager makes all significant decisions to protect staff from accountability
- The manager prioritizes the growth and well-being of staff so they better serve the community (Correct answer)
- The manager avoids conflict by deferring all difficult decisions to elected officials
- The manager focuses primarily on achieving budget efficiency over employee satisfaction
Correct answer: The manager prioritizes the growth and well-being of staff so they better serve the community
Servant leadership holds that empowering and developing employees is the primary means by which the organization achieves its mission of community service.
CMM Leadership & Ethical Decision-Making 2
A council member asks a city manager to delay releasing a public records request until after an upcoming election.
What is the most ethical response?