Deck 3: Skills for Developing Yourself As a Leader

Question 1

Leadership practitioners can enhance the learning value of their experiences by taking a 10 percent stretch.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

New leaders should minimize their personal interactions with direct reports during their first two months on the job.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

When new leaders meet with their entire teams the first day on the job,these initial meetings tend to have more interactive dialogue than one-way communication.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

In the context of the perceptions quadrant of the GAPS analysis,a great way of obtaining information is through performance reviews or 360-degree feedback instruments.

Question 5

Leaders who state that they have an open-door policy have clearly invited feedback and are open to discussing things.

Question 6

The first step in building technical competence is to determine how one's job contributes to the overall success of his or her organization.

Question 7

Research indicates that technical expertise plays only a small role in supervisors' performance appraisal ratings of subordinates.

Question 8

The phrase "influence without authority" reflects the idea that few people are required to influence others in the workplace.

Question 9

Practicing a Theory Y attitude guarantees that you will always get along with your coworkers.

Question 10

Having a high level of technical competence is important because many leaders,particularly first-line supervisors,often spend considerable time training followers.

Question 11

The first way to transfer learning to new environments is to continually update one's development plan.

Question 12

The last phase in development planning concerns ongoing development.

Question 13

Keeping a journal is likely to increase the likelihood that leaders will be able to look at an event from a different perspective.

Question 14

The goals and standards quadrants of the GAPS analysis are focused on the present.

Question 15

The first phase of development planning involves periodically reviewing the plan,reflecting on learning,and modifying or updating the plan as appropriate.

Question 16

The last step in a GAPS analysis is to write a journal that includes specialized knowledge or a number of skills that have helped one succeed in one's current and previous jobs.

Question 17

Research has shown that some executives are derailed because they are unable or unwilling to adapt to superiors with leadership styles different from their own.

Question 18

The onboarding road map is focused on internal hires-those within an organization.

Question 19

New hires should check with their bosses to see if they can get copies of budget information.

Question 20

Individuals with high levels of technical competence are unlikely to belong to a leader's in-group.

Question 21

Which of the following leadership styles are supervisors most likely to use when interacting with subordinates with poor technical skills?

A)a close,directive leadership style
B)a friendly,supportive leadership style
C)a participative leadership style
D)an achievement-oriented leadership style

Question 22

Which of the following is one of the best ways to establish and maintain good peer relationships?

A)adopt the norms of the group
B)acknowledge common interests and goals
C)practice a theory z attitude to gain perspective
D)take control of problems that peers are unable to solve

Question 23

Which of the following statements is true of individuals with high levels of technical competence?

A)They are highly likely to be members of their leaders' out-groups.
B)They are highly likely to be delegated tasks.
C)They are highly unlikely to be asked to participate in decisions.
D)They are highly unlikely to wield more influence in their groups than their leaders.

Question 24

In the context of the new leader onboarding road map,which of the following steps most likely involves gathering benchmarking information from other organizations,meeting with key external customers and suppliers,and if appropriate,meeting with the former team leader?

A)the first day
B)the third month
C)the first two weeks
D)the first two months

Question 25

Why do followers most likely need to have a high level of technical competence?

A)Technical competence decreases the pressure to belong to a leader's in-group.
B)Technical expertise enables a follower to implement a relevant development plan.
C)Technical competence increases a follower's channel power and situational control.
D)Technical expertise plays a key role in supervisors' performance appraisal ratings of subordinates.

Question 26

In the context of the first day on the job,identify a true statement about the first meeting of the new leaders with their new bosses.

A)The meeting should happen in a small conference room.
B)The meeting should avoid discussing the boss's view of team strengths and weaknesses.
C)The meeting should end by arranging a follow-up meeting to review progress.
D)The meeting should usually last for two to three hours.

Question 27

Which of the following is the first step while conducting a GAPS analysis?

A)to identify the standards one's boss or one's organization has for one's career objectives
B)to obtain information about one's strengths and development needs by asking others for feedback
C)to write a journal that includes specialized knowledge or a number of skills that have helped one succeed in one's previous jobs
D)to clearly identify what one wants to do or where one wants to go with one's career over the next year or so

Question 28

Which of the following statements is true of a gaps-of-the-GAPS analysis?

A)It builds in reflection time so that people can periodically review progress.
B)It helps leadership practitioners identify high-priority development needs.
C)It states career objectives indicating where one wants to be in one's career a year or so in the future.
D)It clearly spells out what leaders need to do to meet their development needs.

Question 29

During the first two weeks on the job,a new leader should schedule one-on-one meetings with peers.Which of the following issues should be discussed with peers?

A)the objectives and challenges of peers
B)the best ways to communicate with shareholders
C)the way issues are raised and decisions are made on their boss's team
D)their peers' opinions on former employees and leaders of the organization

Question 30

Technical competence is especially important for first-line supervisors because they

A)need to stimulate followers to engage in a 10 percent stretching.
B)spend considerable time training their followers.
C)are frequently promoted to executive positions.
D)are required to provide 360-degree feedback.

Question 31

Which of the following is most likely an outcome of regularly practicing a 10 percent stretch?

A)strengthening essential technical skills
B)engaging in more effective two-way communication
C)decreasing apprehensions about doing something new or different
D)providing encouragement to followers who are struggling

Question 32

Task forces that are formed to work on key change initiatives should be staffed by stars because

A)this will minimize the need to outsource tasks.
B)this will ensure that key players earn promotions.
C)this will establish an effective and reasonable time schedule.
D)this will improve the odds of good recommendations being made.

Question 33

Which of the following statements is true about building effective relationships with superiors?

A)Followers should think of their own and their superior's success as interdependent.
B)Followers should be evaluated on the basis of their own success rather than on their team's success.
C)Followers should take the blame solely on themselves for their teams' failures.
D)Followers should play politics and distort information to make superiors look good,if required.

Question 34

Which of the following is most likely a benefit of keeping a journal?

A)providing information for key followers
B)quantifying important strategic decisions
C)considering actions in a subjective way
D)documenting ideas for future speeches

Question 35

Which of the following statements is true of leaders with high levels of technical competence?

A)They are unable to reduce the level of role ambiguity and conflict in their groups.
B)Followers are generally more satisfied with them rather than leaders with average levels of technical competence.
C)They are highly unlikely to have satisfied and happy followers.
D)Managers are usually more likely to have them as members of their out-groups than leaders with average levels of technical competence.

Question 36

In the context of the new leader onboarding road map,which of the following statements is true of new leaders in the first two weeks?

A)They should avoid meeting individuals who were once part of the team but have taken positions in other parts of the organization.
B)They should avoid meeting their team's stars to stay ahead of potential biases or conflicts.
C)They should schedule one-on-one meetings with all their peers in peers' offices.
D)They should try to maximize their personal interactions with direct reports.

Question 37

When a team has fewer than 15 people,what should new leaders do during the first two weeks?

A)meet individually with everyone on the team
B)schedule half-day one-on-one sessions with every team member
C)identify major areas of improvement and restructure the whole group
D)organize gatherings to learn personal information about team members

Question 38

When building a development plan,one's career objective comes directly from

A)the goals quadrant of the GAPS analysis.
B)the abilities quadrant of the GAPS analysis.
C)one's gaps-of-the-GAPS analysis.
D)a force field analysis.

Question 39

What is the fastest way to alter the culture and norms of a team?

A)change the people in the team
B)revise the organizational mission
C)modify the corporate strategy
D)implement new team rules

Question 40

Which statement is most likely true about followers having a good working relationship with their superiors?

A)Followers accomplish less work when they have a good working relationship with their superiors.
B)Superiors and followers with good relationships tend to experience less conflict.
C)Followers who have good relationships with their superiors advance quickly in their careers.
D)Superiors give fewer performance appraisals to followers with whom they have good relationships.