Leadership

Question 1

Leadership and Navigation definition

Answer 1

• The knowledge, skills and abilities needed to navigate the organization and accomplish HR goals
• To create a compelling vision and mission for HR that aligns with the strategic direction and culture of the organization
• To lead and promote organizational change
• To manage the implementation and execution of HR initiatives, and promote the role of HR as a key business partner

Question 2

How does Leadership and Navigation help in HR

Answer 2

Enables HR professionals to keep the organization focused on its goals, to use talent in the organization fully by generating greater collaboration among employees, and fostering continuous growth, and help the organization to overcome obstacles.

Question 3

Coercive leadership approach defined

Answer 3

The leader imposes a vision or solution on the team and demands that the team follow this directive

Question 4

Coercive leadership suitablity

Answer 4

• Effective during crises when immediate and clear action is required
• Ineffective at other times when it can damage employees’ sense of ownership in their work and motivation

Question 5

Authoritative leadership approach defined

Answer 5

The leader proposes a bold vision or solution and invites the team to join this challenge

Question 6

Authoritative leadership suitability

Answer 6

• Effective at times when there is no clear path forward and when the proposal is compelling and captures the team’s imagination. Team members have a clear goal and understand their roles in the effort. They are encouraged to contribute their own ideas and take risks
• Ineffective when the leader has no real expertise

Question 7

Affiliative leadership approach defined

Answer 7

The leader creates strong relationships with and inside the team, encouraging feedback.

The team members are motivated by loyalty

Question 8

affiliative leadership suitability

Answer 8

• effective at times but especially when a leader has inherited a dysfunctional and dispirited team that needs to be transformed. Leader must have strong relationship building and management skills
• ineffective when used alone. For example, opportunities to correct or improve performance may not be taken because the affiliative leader fears damaging a relationship

Question 9

Democratic leadership approach defined

Answer 9

the leader invites followers to collaborate and commits to acting by consensus

Question 10

Democratic leadership suitability

Answer 10

• effective when the leader does not have a clear vision or anticipates strong resistance to change. Team members must be competent; leaders must have strong communication skills.
• Ineffective when time is short, since building consensus takes time and multiple meetings

Question 11

Pacesetting leadership approach defined

Answer 11

the leader sets a model for high performance standards and challenges followers to meet these expectations

Question 12

Pacesetting leadership approach suitability

Answer 12

• effective when teams are composed of highly competent and internally motivated employees.
• Ineffective when expectations and the pace of work become excessive and employees become tired and discouraged.

In the leaders attempt to set high goals, he or she may focus exclusively on the task and not give enough time to activities that motivate team members, such as feedback, relationship building, and rewards

Question 13

coaching leadership approach suitability

Answer 13

• effective when Leaders are highly skilled in strategic management, communication, and motivation and when they can manage their time to include coaching as a primary activity. Team members must also be receptive to coaching
• Ineffective when employees resist changing their performance

Question 14

coaching leadership approach defined

Answer 14

the leader focuses on developing the team members’ skills, believing that success comes from aligning the organizations goals with employees’ personal and professional goals

Question 15

trait leadership theory

Answer 15

• leaders possess certain innate characteristics that followers do not possess (and probably cannot acquire), such as physical characteristics (Strength, stamina) and personality traits (decisiveness, integrity). Sometimes referred to as the “great man” theory
• it equates these characteristics and leadership but without evidence
• it may discourage leader development by implying that the ability to lead cannot be acquired with study and practice

Question 16

behavioral leadership theory

Answer 16

leaders influence group members through certain behaviors

Question 17

Blake-Mouton Theory

Answer 17

• leadership involves managing:
  
  • tasks (work that must be done to attain goals)
  • employees (relationships based on social and emotional needs)
• Five types of managers, only one of which (team leader) is considered a leader:
  
  • country club managers (low task, high relationship) create a source atmosphere and trust individuals to accomplish goals, avoiding punitive actions so as not to jeopardize relationships.
  • Impoverished managers (low task, low relationship) use a “delegate and disappear” management style. They detach themselves, often creating power struggles.
  • Authoritarian managers (high task, low relationship) expect people to do whatever they are told without question and tended not to foster collaboration
  • middle-of-the-road managers (midpoint on both task and relationship) get the work done but are not considered leaders
  • team leaders (high task, high relationship) lead by positive example, foster a team environment, and encourage individual and team development

Question 18

situational leadership theories

Answer 18

building and behavioral theories, situational theories propose that leaders can flex their behaviors to meet the needs of unique situations, employing both task or directive behaviors and relationship or supportive behaviors with employees

Question 19

Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership theory

Answer 19

• leaders adapt their behaviors to meet the evolving needs of team members. Like Blake-Mouton, the behaviors involve tasks and relationships
• as team members grow in skill and experience, leaders supply the appropriate behavior:
  
  1. telling when the employee is not yet motivated or competent
  2. selling when the increasingly competent employee still needs focus and motivation (why are we doing this)
  3. participating when competent workers can be included in problem solving and coached on higher skills
  4. delegating when very competent team members can benefit from greater levels of autonomy and self-direction

Question 20

Fiedler’s Contingency leadership theory

Answer 20

• leaders change the situation to make it more “favorable,” more likely to produce good outcomes
• “situation favorable illness” occurs when:
  
  • leader-member relationships are strong
  • task structure and requirements are clear
  • the leader can exert the necessary power to reach the group’s goal
• Unfavorable situations must be changed to improve the group (and leader) effectiveness. This can include:
  
  • improving relations between the leader and the team (building trust)
  • changing aspects of the task ( breaking a project down into more manageable pieces, providing more resources for the team).
  • Increasing or decreasing the leaders exercise of power ( to increase team involvement in and ownership of ideas, to decrease harmful conflict or resistance to change)

Question 21

Path-Goal leadership theory

Answer 21

this theory emphasizes the leader’s role in coaching and developing followers’ competencies. The leader performs the behavior needed to help employees stay on track towards their goals. This involves addressing different types of employee needs:

• directive – help the employee understand the task and its goal
• supportive – try to fulfill employees relationship needs
• achievement – motivated by setting challenging goals
• participative – provide more control over work and leverage group expertise through participative decision-making

Question 22

emergent leadership theory

Answer 22

leaders are not appointed but emerge from the group, which chooses the leader based on interactions