CPM Leading People 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A public manager notices that a high-performing employee has become disengaged after being passed over for promotion. Which leadership approach is MOST appropriate?
- Ignore the behavior and focus on the team's overall output
- Schedule a one-on-one meeting to understand the employee's perspective and career goals (Correct answer)
- Reassign the employee to a less visible role
- Issue a formal performance warning to address the drop in engagement
Correct answer: Schedule a one-on-one meeting to understand the employee's perspective and career goals
Engaging in a direct, empathetic conversation allows the manager to understand root causes and collaboratively develop a path forward.
Question 2: Which leadership theory emphasizes adapting one's style based on the readiness and competence level of followers?
- Transformational leadership
- Servant leadership
- Situational leadership (Correct answer)
- Transactional leadership
Correct answer: Situational leadership
Situational leadership, developed by Hersey and Blanchard, prescribes matching leadership style to the development level of each follower.
Question 3: A team in a public agency is resistant to a new state-mandated policy. The BEST first step for the manager is to:
- Enforce compliance immediately and document all refusals
- Explain the rationale behind the policy and invite questions (Correct answer)
- Delay implementation until resistance subsides
- Report resistant employees to HR
Correct answer: Explain the rationale behind the policy and invite questions
Transparent communication about the 'why' behind change reduces resistance and builds trust in the leadership process.
Question 4: In the context of public sector leadership, psychological safety in a team MOST directly refers to:
- Physical security measures in the workplace
- Employees feeling safe to speak up, take risks, and admit mistakes without fear of punishment (Correct answer)
- Mandatory employee assistance programs
- Confidential HR complaint channels
Correct answer: Employees feeling safe to speak up, take risks, and admit mistakes without fear of punishment
Psychological safety, as defined by Amy Edmondson, is a shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking.
Question 5: A manager who uses rewards and penalties to motivate employees is BEST described as using which leadership style?
- Transformational
- Servant
- Laissez-faire
- Transactional (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Transactional
Transactional leadership relies on contingent reward and management-by-exception to drive performance.
Question 6: Which of the following BEST describes the role of a public manager practicing servant leadership?
- Prioritizing organizational hierarchy and formal authority
- Focusing primarily on achieving measurable outcomes and KPIs
- Placing the needs of employees and the community ahead of personal power (Correct answer)
- Delegating all decisions to subordinates without guidance
Correct answer: Placing the needs of employees and the community ahead of personal power
Servant leadership, articulated by Robert Greenleaf, centers on serving others first to build empowered, capable teams.
Question 7: A CPM candidate is leading a cross-functional team with members from different departments. The MOST effective approach to build cohesion is to:
- Let each department maintain its own separate goals and processes
- Establish a shared mission, clear roles, and agreed-upon team norms (Correct answer)
- Appoint the most senior member as the informal team leader
- Avoid discussing conflicts to preserve harmony
Correct answer: Establish a shared mission, clear roles, and agreed-upon team norms
Shared purpose and defined roles reduce ambiguity and align diverse team members toward common objectives.
CPM Leading People 2
A public manager notices that a high-performing employee has become disengaged after being passed over for promotion.
Which leadership approach is MOST appropriate?