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 have two critical tasks the first day on the job: to meet their new boss and new team. Which of the following topics is something that should not be discussed with the new boss?

A)Sharing plans for the day and the next several weeks.
B)Identifying the team's key objectives, metrics, and important projects.
C)Your assessment of the team's strengths and weaknesses.
D)The boss's view of team's strengths and weaknesses.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

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

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Having a good or bad supervisor is a product of luck on the part of followers.

Question 5

The first phase of development planning is periodically reviewing the plan, reflecting on, learning, and modifying.

Question 6

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

Question 7

Practicing a Theory Y attitude will guarantee you will always get along with coworkers.

Question 8

"Meet your entire team" is an activity that should take place within the first two weeks according to the new leader onboarding roadmap.

Question 9

Keeping a journal will increase the likelihood that leaders will be able to look at events from a different perspective.

Question 10

During the first two weeks new leaders will want to have one-on-one meetings with their direct reports. Which of the following is a topic that should be discussed in that meeting?

A)What can the team do better?
B)What advice do team members have for the new leader, and what can the new leader do to help team members?
C)Who are the "stars" a level or two down in the organization?
D)All of these are topics that should be discussed in that meeting.

Question 11

"Influence without authority" reflects the idea that less people are finding their jobs require them to influence others.

Question 12

Individuals with high levels of technical competence are not likely to be a member of a leader's in-group.

Question 13

During the third month, leaders of large teams should have second separate meetings with direct reports that are held off site. Which of the following is not one of the key issues that should be discussed with the direct reports during that meeting?

A)Creating a team scorecard.
B)Their perspectives on what the new leader's team does well and could do better.
C)Establishing an operating rhythm.
D)Establishing task forces to work on key change initiatives.

Question 14

New leaders should meet one-on-one with direct reports during the first two weeks if the team is

A)larger than 15 people.
B)fewer than 15 people.
C)larger than 20 people.
D)fewer than 25 people.

Question 15

According to the new leader onboarding roadmap, within the first two weeks leaders should

A)obtain external perspectives.
B)establish culture.
C)meet team members.
D)complete sub-team analysis.

Question 16

Step one in the GAPS analysis concerns abilities and strengths one has for their career objectives.

Question 17

When you are a new hire, it is a good idea to ask your boss for copies of budget information.

Question 18

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

Question 19

Individuals can become experts in their field by watching others and asking questions.

Question 20

Leaders should assume that feedback is invited when they have an open-door policy.

Question 21

Which of the following statements is not accurate concerning the development planning process according to research completed by Peterson and Hicks?

A)There are four phases in the development planning process.
B)The last phase in development planning is transferring learning to new environments.
C)In the identifying development needs phase, leaders identify career goals, assess their abilities in light of career goals, seek feedback about how their behaviors are affecting others, and review the organizational standards pertaining to their career goals.
D)All of these statements are accurate.

Question 22

List and briefly describe the five ways outlined in the text that leadership practitioners can enhance the learning value of their experiences.

Question 23

Explain how the third month of a new leader's tenure differs from the first two months according to the new leader's onboarding roadmap.

Question 24

Which of the following are reasons followers need to have a high level of technical competence?

A)Individuals with high levels of technical competence may be more likely to be a member of a leader's in-group.
B)Research has shown that technical expertise plays a key role in supervisors' performance appraisal ratings of subordinates.
C)Followers with high levels of technical competence have a lot of expert power and at times can wield more influence in their groups than the leader does.
D)All of these are accurate reasons.

Question 25

Name and describe the five phase in the development planning process as described by Peterson and Hicks.

Question 26

Which of the following would not be a good way to establish and maintain good peer relationships?

A)Understanding their tasks, problems, and rewards.
B)Jump into situations they are having a difficult time with and help them solve the problem.
C)Practice a Theory Y attitude.
D)All of these are ways to establish a good peer relationship.

Question 27

List and describe the three reasons why followers need to have a high level of technical competence.

Question 28

Which of the following is not one of the advantages to having a good working relationship with superiors?

A)Followers are often less satisfied with their supervisors and receive lower performance appraisal ratings when superior-follower relationships are poor.
B)Research shows that followers with a good relationship will generally advance faster in their career.
C)Superiors and followers sharing the same values, approaches, and attitudes will experience less conflict, provide higher levels of mutual support, and be more satisfied with superior-follower relationships than superiors and followers having poor working relationships.
D)All of these are advantages.

Question 29

Name and explain the two ways followers can do to better understand their superior's world.

Question 30

Which of the following is not something a subordinate should do to better understand their superior's world?

A)Create opportunities to meet with their superior's boss to get a handle on how they interact.
B)Try to get a handle on their superior's personal and organizational objectives.
C)Realize that superiors are not supermen or superwomen; superiors do not have all the answers, and they have both strengths and weaknesses.
D)Keep superiors informed about various activities in the work group or new developments or opportunities in the field.

Question 31

According to the new leader's onboarding roadmap, new leaders should hold off-premise meetings with their direct reports during their third month of tenure if their team is large. Discuss the four major issues that should be covered in these off-premise meetings.

Question 32

List and describe three of the reasons why it benefits leaders to have high levels of technical competence.

Question 33

Which of the following is not a reason that technical competence is important for leaders?

A)Leaders who have a high level of technical competence may be able to stimulate followers to think about problems and issues in new ways.
B)Leaders with technical competence do not have to spend as much time training their followers.
C)Technical competence has been found to be consistently related to managerial promotion rates.
D)All of these are accurate reasons.

Question 34

Briefly describe the first 90 days as a leader as was illustrated in the new leader onboarding roadmap.

Question 35

Which of the following statements concerning GAPS analysis is accurate?

A)There are a total of four steps in a GAPS analysis.
B)The first step in a GAPS analysis is to clearly identify what you want to do or where you want to go with your career over the next year or so.
C)The last step in a GAPS analysis concerns the standards your boss or the organization has for your career objectives.
D)All of these statements are accurate.

Question 36

The text offers three practical suggestions for improving technical competence. Name and discuss the ways described in the text to improve your technical competence.: The first step in building technical competence is to determine how one's job contributes to the overall success of the organization. By taking this step, individuals can better determine what technical knowledge and which behaviors are most strongly related to job and organizational success. Next, people should evaluate their current level of technical skills by seeking verbal feedback from peers and superiors, reviewing past performance appraisal results, or reviewing objective performance data (such as test scores, team statistics, or the number of products rejected for poor quality). These actions will help individuals get a better handle on their own strengths and weaknesses, and in turn can help people be certain that any formal education or training program they pursue is best suited to meet their needs.: Becoming an expert in one's primary field is often the springboard for further developmental opportunities. There are a number of ways in which individuals can become experts in their field, and these include enrolling in formal education and training programs, watching others, asking questions, and teaching others. Attending pertinent education and training courses is one way to acquire technical skills, and many companies often pay the tuition and fees associated with these courses. Another way to increase expertise in one's field is by being a keen observer of human behavior. Individuals can learn a lot by observing how others handle work coordination problems, achieve production goals, discipline team members, or help team members with poor skills develop. However, merely observing how others do things is not nearly as effective as observing and reflecting about how others do things. One method of reflection is trying to explain others' behaviors in terms of the concepts or theories described in this book. Observers should look for concepts that cast light on both variations and regularities in how others act and think about why a person might have acted a certain way. Additionally, observers can develop by trying to think of as many different criteria as possible for evaluating another person's actions.It is also important to ask questions. Because everyone makes inferences regarding the motives, expectations, values, or rationale underlying another person's actions, it is vital to ask questions and seek information likely to verify the accuracy of one's inferences. By asking questions, observers can better understand why team practices are conducted in a particular way, what work procedures have been implemented in the past, or what really caused someone to quit a volunteer organization. Finally, perhaps nothing can help a person become a technical expert more than having to teach someone else about the equipment, procedures, strategies, problems, resources, and contacts associated with a job, club, sport, or activity. Teachers must thoroughly understand a job or position to effectively teach someone else. By seeking opportunities to teach others, individuals enhance their own technical expertise as well as that of others.: Individuals can improve their technical competence by seeking opportunities to broaden their experiences. Just as a person should try to play a variety of positions to better appreciate the contributions of other team members, so should a person try to perform the tasks associated with the other positions in his or her work group to better appreciate how the work contributes to organizational success. Similarly, people should visit other parts of the organization to understand its whole operation. Moreover, by working on team projects, people get to interact with members of other work units and often can develop new skills. Additionally, volunteering to support school, political, or community activities is another way to increase one's organization and planning, public speaking, fund-raising, and public relations skills, all of which may be important aspects of technical competence for certain jobs.

Question 37

Describe what activities a new leader's first day should entail. Also discuss what should occur during each of these activities according to the new leader onboarding roadmap.

Question 38

Which of the following is not a way to learn from your leadership experience?

A)Keep a journal of daily leadership events.
B)Hold regular meetings with your boss to review your behavior.
C)Have a development plan.
D)Take a 10% stretch.

Question 39

Which of the following is not an example of behaviors that could be considered a "10% stretch"?

A)Using a motivational practice that has been very successful in the past.
B)Conversing informally with everyone in the office at least once each day.
C)Being more assertive or quieter than usual in a meeting.
D)Seeking an opportunity to be chair of a committee.

Question 40

Which of the following is not one of the seven specific steps for creating a high-impact development plans?

A)Reflect with a partner.
B)Set up regular meetings with your superior.
C)Develop criteria for success.
D)Include stretch assignments.

Question 41

Name and explain two of the ideas mentioned in the text concerning how to establish and maintain good peer relationships.

Question 42

Name and describe in detail the specific steps for creating a high-impact development plan.

Question 43

Name and describe in detail the specific steps for conducting a GAPS analysis.