CPL Leadership Development & Team Management 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A program leader is onboarding a new team member who has high skill but low motivation. According to Situational Leadership, which style is most appropriate?
- S1 – Directing
- S2 – Coaching
- S3 – Supporting (Correct answer)
- S4 – Delegating
Correct answer: S3 – Supporting
S3 (Supporting) is appropriate for individuals with high competence but low confidence or commitment, focusing on encouragement.
Question 2: Which of the following BEST describes 'servant leadership' in a program context?
- The leader prioritizes organizational goals above team needs
- The leader focuses on removing barriers and supporting team members' success (Correct answer)
- The leader delegates all authority to team members
- The leader uses positional power to enforce compliance
Correct answer: The leader focuses on removing barriers and supporting team members' success
Servant leadership, coined by Robert Greenleaf, centers on supporting and empowering others to do their best work.
Question 3: A program leader wants to build a high-trust team culture. Which behavior has the GREATEST impact on trust?
- Hosting frequent social events
- Consistently following through on commitments (Correct answer)
- Implementing strict performance metrics
- Rotating team leadership roles weekly
Correct answer: Consistently following through on commitments
Trust is most reliably built through consistent, reliable follow-through—doing what you say you will do.
Question 4: Which team development stage in Tuckman's model is characterized by open conflict and power struggles?
- Forming
- Storming (Correct answer)
- Norming
- Performing
Correct answer: Storming
In the Storming stage, team members challenge each other and the leader as they compete for roles and negotiate norms.
Question 5: A CPL is leading a cross-functional team with members from different departments. The MOST effective way to align the team is to:
- Assign tasks based solely on departmental hierarchy
- Establish a shared purpose and common goals at the outset (Correct answer)
- Allow each department to set its own independent objectives
- Rotate leadership among departmental representatives weekly
Correct answer: Establish a shared purpose and common goals at the outset
A unified shared purpose gives cross-functional teams a common direction that supersedes departmental loyalties.
Question 6: In emotional intelligence (EQ) frameworks, which competency involves understanding how your emotions affect others?
- Self-awareness
- Social awareness
- Self-regulation
- Relationship management (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Relationship management
Relationship management uses emotional insight to influence, inspire, and manage others effectively, including understanding impact on them.
Question 7: Which delegation strategy is MOST appropriate when assigning a high-stakes task to a capable but inexperienced team member?
- Fully delegate with no follow-up to build confidence
- Delegate with clear checkpoints and available support (Correct answer)
- Retain the task yourself to ensure quality
- Assign the task to the most experienced member instead
Correct answer: Delegate with clear checkpoints and available support
Delegating with checkpoints balances development opportunity with risk management for high-stakes assignments.
CPL Leadership Development & Team Management 3
A program leader is onboarding a new team member who has high skill but low motivation.
According to Situational Leadership, which style is most appropriate?