Deck 14: Developing Leadership Skills

Question 1

Which of the following was NOT a suggested guideline for effective training?

A) Use concrete examples, diagrams, and mnemonics in explanations.
B) Relate training objectives to the person's interests and career ambitions.
C) Begin with complex material that requires trainees to stay focused.
D) Allow ample opportunity for active practice with relevant feedback.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which is an example of a formal training activity?

A) workshop at a training center
B) coaching by the manager's boss
C) mentoring by someone higher in the organization
D) special assignment that involves new skills

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which was NOT found in most studies on leadership training in organizations?

A) Training is usually focused on improving skills rather than on changing personality traits or values.
B) Most organizations systematically assess their leadership training activities to ensure they are cost effective.
C) Training is usually focused more on skills needed for the current job than on skills needed for a future job.
D) Organizations prefer to send managers to workshops or external short courses rather than to degree programs.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which statement about self-development activities is NOT true?

A) They are carried out by individuals on their own initiative.
B) They include reading books and viewing videos.
C) They are usually conducted by training professionals.
D) They extend beyond the workplace.

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT a recommended guideline for self-development of leadership skills?

A) Seek relevant feedback from other people.
B) Look for easy answers to developmental needs.
C) Increase self monitoring of behavior.
D) Develop a personal vision of career objectives.

Question 6

Which of the following statements about learning from feedback is LEAST likely to be true for top executives?

A) The realization that they have made it to the top causes executives to become less defensive and more open to feedback.
B) Top executives tend to become isolated from most people except other executives who cannot provide much useful feedback.
C) Most executives receive much praise but little constructive criticism from their subordinates.
D) Feelings of confidence and superiority cause many executives to ignore or discount negative feedback.

Question 7

Which two types of benefits were identified as likely outcomes of mentoring for the person who is being mentored?

A) psycho-social benefits and transcendence
B) career facilitation and self awareness
C) career facilitation and psycho-social benefits
D) self awareness and psycho-social benefits

Question 8

Training programs to enhance leadership skills are ________.

A) seldom used for effective managers
B) used mostly for department supervisors
C) used mostly for top executives in large organizations
D) widely used for managers in organizations

Question 9

Which approach for leadership development is used MOST often by organizations?

A) behavior feedback workshops
B) formal training programs
C) formal mentoring programs
D) special assignments

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT likely to be an advantage of executive coaching over formal training courses?

A) expense
B) confidentiality
C) effectiveness
D) flexibility

Question 11

Which developmental method is MOST useful for helping managers to understand their inner feelings and values?

A) mentoring programs
B) developmental assignments
C) personal growth programs
D) multisource feedback workshops

Question 12

A recent survey of more than 2,500 human resource and business leaders in 94 countries reveals that accelerating, deepening, and broadening leadership development across organizational levels is viewed as a top priority, with ________ percent of respondents reporting this need as "important" or "urgent."

A) 50
B) 75
C) 86
D) 99

Question 13

In most behavior feedback workshops for management development, the primary source of information about a manager's behavior is ________.

A) other managers in the workshop who fill out a checklist
B) observers who record the person's behavior during a simulation
C) observation of a videotape taken of the manager doing regular work
D) questionnaires filled out by people with whom the manager works

Question 14

Which of the following was NOT recommended in the design of effective training?

A) Provide clear and specific learning objectives.
B) Sequence content from complex to simple ideas.
C) Allow an opportunity to practice learned skills.
D) Provide specific feedback about progress.

Question 15

________ is/are usually embedded within operational job assignments.

A) Formal training
B) Developmental activities
C) Self-development activities
D) University coursework

Question 16

Which of the following was NOT recommended for an integrated approach to management development in companies?

A) Align development with succession planning.
B) Use currently popular training programs.
C) Use mutually consistent developmental activities.
D) Strengthen cultural values for personal development.

Question 17

The research on consequences of mentoring indicates that ________.

A) benefits occur only for the person receiving mentoring
B) benefits occur only for the person providing mentoring
C) both the mentor and the person receiving mentoring get benefits from it
D) neither the mentor nor the person receiving mentoring get much benefit from it

Question 18

Research at CCL indicates that the LEAST amount of learning occurred for managers who had ________.

A) assignments for which they were already well prepared
B) challenges they had to face alone without much help
C) opportunities to make mistakes and understand the reasons for them
D) diverse experiences with different types of challenges

Question 19

Which developmental method provides the MOST varied and intensive feedback to managers about their traits, skills, and behavior?

A) mentoring programs
B) multisource feedback workshops
C) business game simulations
D) developmental assessment centers

Question 20

Research on the way managers acquire leadership skills finds that ________.

A) formal training is integrated effectively with developmental activities
B) classroom training results in more learning than special assignments
C) decisions about job assignments consider developmental objectives
D) learning from experience is an important source of leadership skills

Question 21

Which is a desirable feature for a training program?

A) general learning objectives
B) single delivery method
C) simple content only
D) relevant, timely feedback

Question 22

Obstacles to learning from experience ________ higher levels of management.

A) are greatest at
B) disappear at
C) are lowest at
D) don't begin until

Question 23

A challenging situation involves ________.

A) routine problems to solve
B) simple obstacles to overcome
C) risky decisions to make
D) mundane tasks to perform

Question 24

Research found that learning from experience is affected by all of the following EXCEPT the ________.

A) educational background of the manager
B) variety of tasks and assignments
C) quality of feedback
D) amount of challenge in assignments

Question 25

The pattern of selecting mostly "fast-track" managers for a leadership training program is ________.

A) being replaced by a series of opportunities available to any manager in the organization
B) replacing the series of opportunities available to any manager in the organization
C) being eliminated in favor of programs that occur only once or twice in a manager's career
D) replacing programs that occur at appropriate points in all managers' careers

Question 26

Experiencing failure may NOT result in beneficial learning and change unless a person ________.

A) refuses responsibility for it
B) increases the stress level
C) finds ways to overcome individual limitations
D) denies a failure occurred

Question 27

Useful feedback about a manager's behavior ________.

A) is seldom provided within operational assignments
B) is usually provided within operational assignments
C) always results in learning
D) is disruptive to self-analysis in a management job

Question 28

________ can be used to help managers interpret their experiences and learn new skills.

A) Coaching and mentoring
B) Special assignments
C) Emulating competent bosses
D) Modeling incompetent superiors

Question 29

Most leadership training programs ________.

A) are designed to increase specific skills and behaviors relevant for managerial advancement
B) are aimed at top executives
C) are not geared toward lower- and middle-level managers
D) emphasize skills needed in one's current position rather than those needed for promotion

Question 30

The research at CCL found that challenge was greatest in jobs that required a manager to ________.

A) maintain the status quo
B) be responsible for low-visibility problems
C) handle external pressure
D) receive ample guidance from superiors

Question 31

Managers can learn what NOT to do from ________.

A) coaching and mentoring
B) emulating behavior modeled by incompetent bosses
C) observing superiors who engage in unethical behaviors
D) special assignments

Question 32

Trainees should have ample opportunity to practice the skills they are learning ________ the training.

A) before
B) during but not after
C) after but not during
D) both during and after

Question 33

The primary purpose of ________ is to assess the strengths and developmental needs of individual managers.

A) developmental assessment centers
B) mentoring
C) multi-source feedback programs
D) special assignments

Question 34

A variety of challenges can also be designed into ________.

A) multisource feedback
B) simulations
C) self-development
D) mentoring

Question 35

Rotating managers among positions in different functional subunits of the organization ________.

A) can help provide them with a variety of job challenges
B) reinforces their tendency to interpret and handle new problems in the same way
C) denies them early experience with a wide range of problems
D) allows them to reuse the same leadership behavior and skills

Question 36

Leadership training ________.

A) does not include workshops that last only a few hours
B) programs must last for at least a year
C) must be undertaken at the individual's own expense
D) may be offered at universities on a part-time basis

Question 37

Leader training is more likely to be successful if designed and conducted in a way that is consistent with ________.

A) the latest buzz in popular opinion
B) findings in research on learning processes and training techniques
C) training utilized by the most successful companies in other industries
D) whatever methods an organization has traditionally used

Question 38

The research at CCL found that managers who experienced adversity and failure earlier in their careers were ________ likely to develop and advance to a higher level than managers who experienced only a series of early successes.

A) less
B) equally
C) more
D) half as

Question 39

Success in attaining a high position of power and prestige ________.

A) tends to decrease executives' self-confidence about their style of management
B) may progress to a feeling of superiority in top executives
C) makes executives more likely to heed criticism from those who are less successful
D) causes people to be more likely to criticize the executive

Question 40

People who ________ are less likely to accept responsibility for failure or to use feedback to improve their skills and future performance.

A) do not believe that most events are predetermined by uncontrollable external forces
B) do not have a high internal locus of control orientation
C) have a high internal locus of control orientation
D) believe that they can control their own destiny with their actions

Question 41

Feedback is likely to be more accurate when the rating questionnaire tracks behaviors that are ________.

A) meaningful
B) hard to observe
C) confidential
D) misunderstood

Question 42

Research on conditions likely to increase the effectiveness of mentoring suggests that informal mentoring is usually ________.

A) more successful than a formal mentoring program
B) less successful than a formal mentoring program
C) just as successful than a formal mentoring program
D) not at all successful

Question 43

360-degree feedback programs ________.

A) differ from multi-rater feedback programs in several key ways
B) are no longer in wide use today
C) are used only in small organizations
D) assume that managers lack knowledge about their skills

Question 44

A variety of studies suggest that women are ________ given challenging, high-visibility assignments.

A) just as likely as men to be
B) less likely than men to be
C) more likely than as men to be
D) never

Question 45

Executive coaching ________.

A) is usually given to middle managers
B) may be provided on a weekly or biweekly basis
C) must be requested by the employee who wants coaching
D) provides a permanent, "on-call" coach

Question 46

In ________, managerial traits and skills are measured with methods such as interviews, aptitude test, personality tests, situational tests, a short biographical essay, a speaking exercise, and a writing exercise.

A) 360-degree feedback
B) special assignments
C) mentoring
D) developmental assessment centers

Question 47

Which developmental assignment would be MOST likely to require taking a temporary leave from one's job?

A) serving as the department representative on a cross-functional team
B) chairing a special task force to plan a major change or deal with a serious operational problem
C) serving in a temporary liaison position in another organization
D) developing and conducting a training program for the organizational unit

Question 48

Which of the following is a relationship in which a more experienced manager helps a less experienced protégé?

A) executive coaching
B) personal growth programs
C) mentoring
D) special assignments

Question 49

In a feedback program, managers receive information about their skills or behavior from standardized questionnaires filled out by other people, including all of the following EXCEPT ________.

A) subordinates
B) peers
C) superiors
D) family

Question 50

The assessment center process typically takes ________.

A) 1 to 2 weeks
B) 2 to 3 days
C) 3 to 4 hours
D) 50-75 minutes

Question 51

Ratings are more likely to be accurate if ________.

A) the feedback is used for developmental purposes
B) the feedback is part of the formal performance appraisal process
C) respondents understand how the results will be used
D) the purpose of the survey is kept confidential

Question 52

Protégés were more likely to initiate mentoring relationships and get more mentoring if they had ________.

A) low emotional stability
B) high self-monitoring
C) external locus of control orientation
D) short tenure in the organization

Question 53

Use of an internal executive coach offers which advantage?

A) wider experience
B) greater objectivity
C) easy availability
D) more confidentiality

Question 54

An executive coach is usually employed for a period of time ranging from a few ________ to a few ________.

A) hours; days
B) days; weeks
C) weeks; months
D) months; years

Question 55

Assessment centers ________.

A) were subsequently found to be useful for developing managers
B) do not involve any data collection
C) were initially used only for promotion decisions
D) were never used to make selection choices

Question 56

A study by Dragoni and colleagues (2014a) found that time spent in global work experiences was ________ related to competency in strategic thinking, ________ for leaders who were exposed to a country culture different from that of their home country.

A) negatively; more so
B) negatively; less so
C) positively; more so
D) positively; less so

Question 57

Compared to feedback workshops, developmental assessment centers use ________ procedures and a ________ set of measures to increase self-understanding, identify strengths and weaknesses, and assess developmental needs.

A) more intensive; more comprehensive
B) more intensive; less comprehensive
C) less intensive; more comprehensive
D) less intensive; less comprehensive

Question 58

A field experiment found that ________ was more effective for changing the behavior of bank managers than ________.

A) giving them a feedback report to read; a feedback workshop with a facilitator
B) a feedback workshop with a facilitator; giving them a feedback report to read
C) giving them a feedback report to read; a one-on-one meeting with a manager
D) a summary of the feedback; giving them a feedback report to read

Question 59

Which of the following is NOT a way that has been identified to enhance the effects of feedback?

A) offering skills training
B) using only one feedback cycle
C) providing individual coaching to managers following the feedback workshop
D) holding a meeting with the raters to discuss their feedback

Question 60

Managing a new project or start-up operation, and assuming responsibility for some administrative activities previously handled by the person's boss are examples of which of the following?

A) multisource feedback workshops
B) developmental assessment centers
C) special assignments
D) personal growth programs

Question 61

The research on learning from experience indicates it is affected by 3 factors: amount of challenge, difficulty of tasks or assignments, and immediacy of feedback.

Question 62

Interpersonal skills and problem-solving skills ________ in a simulation.

A) are learned automatically by participants
B) cannot be learned
C) are attainable with extensive preparation
D) are not the focus

Question 63

Coaching and mentoring can be used in conjunction with special assignments to help managers interpret their experiences and learn new skills.

Question 64

A large-scale simulation typically involves one ________.

A) hypothetical organization
B) real-world industry
C) actual organization
D) hypothetical and one actual organization

Question 65

The set of individual attributes that accelerate leader development have been called ________.

A) self-development
B) return on development investment
C) learning climate
D) developmental readiness

Question 66

The effectiveness of training programs, developmental experiences, and self-help activities depends primarily on the intelligence and motivation of the individual being developed.

Question 67

The amount of management training and development that occurs in an organization depends in part on prevailing attitudes and values about development, sometimes referred to as ________.

A) developmental readiness
B) support by the boss
C) learning climate
D) return on development investment

Question 68

An important exercise near the end of most personal growth programs is to develop and present to the group a(n) ________.

A) list of the essential people that his or her organization should retain
B) personal vision for one's future
C) appeal for why he or she should be one of three people saved from a sinking ship
D) catalog of one's accomplishments

Question 69

Formal training programs provide most of the skill needed for effective leadership by managers.

Question 70

Use of an external executive coach offers which advantage?

A) wider experience
B) easy availability
C) more knowledge of the culture
D) better understanding of core competencies

Question 71

Business games and simulations can be very useful for leadership development.

Question 72

Leadership development is more likely to be successful when top executives have ________ that takes into account related responsibilities and strategic decisions such as selection and appraisal criteria, succession planning, management systems, and competitive strategy.

A) a systems perspective
B) a learning climate
C) multisource feedback
D) simulation training

Question 73

________ are designed to improve self-awareness and overcome inner barriers to psychological growth and development of leadership competencies.

A) Multisource feedback workshops
B) Special assignments
C) Developmental assessment centers
D) Personal growth programs

Question 74

The most sophisticated ________ are based on a systems model of the complex causal relationships among important variables for a particular type of company and industry.

A) simulations
B) multisource feedback workshops
C) mentoring relationships
D) special assignments

Question 75

Large-scale business games and simulations emphasize interpersonal skills much more than cognitive skills or decision making.

Question 76

A basic assumption of multisource feedback programs is that most managers lack accurate knowledge about their skills and behavior, and the feedback can be used to improve it.

Question 77

Serving as a department representative on a cross-functional team is an example of a developmental assignment.

Question 78

The primary purpose of executive coaching is to prevent leaders from making any mistakes.

Question 79

One key assumption of ________ is that many people have lost touch with their inner feelings and values.

A) developmental assessment centers
B) special assignments
C) personal growth programs
D) multisource feedback workshops

Question 80

Experiencing success in handling difficult challenges greatly facilitates leadership development.