Leadership
A supervisor notices that employees have several good ideas for improving productivity. The supervisor asks everyone for input before making a decision. Which leadership style is being demonstrated?
A. Autocratic
B. Democratic
C. Laissez-faire
D. Transactional
During a group project, one member notices that the discussion is off-topic and redirects everyone toward the objective. Which role is this person performing?
A. Facilitator
B. Recorder
C. Timekeeper
D. Observer
An employee spends extra time learning a skill because mastering it brings personal satisfaction. What type of motivation is this?
A. Extrinsic
B. External pressure
C. Intrinsic
D. Punishment avoidance
During a disagreement, an employee repeats another person's concern to confirm understanding before responding. Which skill is demonstrated?
A. Assertive dominance
B. Passive communication
C. Conflict avoidance
D. Active listening
A newly formed team is polite, uncertain about responsibilities, and looking to the leader for direction. Which stage of team development is occurring?
A. Performing
B. Forming
C. Norming
D. Adjourning
A restaurant manager normally allows employees to make decisions independently. During a kitchen fire, the manager immediately gives direct orders. What explains this change?
A. The manager has stopped trusting employees.
B. Democratic leadership is always ineffective.
C. Employees should never make decisions.
D. Effective leaders adapt their style to the situation.
Your team finishes a project on time, but several important details are incorrect. Which team responsibility was most likely neglected?
A. Scheduling breaks
B. Recording attendance
C. Assigning a spokesperson
D. Checking work for accuracy and quality
A company offers employees a $200 bonus for reaching their monthly productivity goals. This is an example of:
A. Extrinsic motivation
B. Intrinsic motivation
C. Emotional intelligence
D. Collaborative leadership
Which statement demonstrates the MOST professional way to address a teammate who repeatedly interrupts?
A. "You never let anyone talk."
B. "I have trouble finishing my ideas when I'm interrupted. Could I finish my point?"
C. "Everyone knows you're disrespectful."
D. "I'll stop participating until you change."
Team members begin challenging leadership decisions, disagreeing about responsibilities, and competing for influence. Which stage are they experiencing?
A. Storming
B. Norming
C. Performing
D. Adjourning
A new employee repeatedly makes mistakes because the supervisor provides little guidance. Which leadership adjustment would be most effective?
A. Provide structured coaching and gradually increase independence.
B. Allow the employee to continue without assistance.
C. Remove all responsibilities permanently.
D. Criticize the employee publicly.
Two members of a team have the same strengths, but neither is willing to complete an unpopular assignment. What should the team leader do first?
A. Assign it to the quietest member.
B. Ignore the assignment.
C. Clarify responsibilities and distribute the workload fairly.
D. Complete every remaining task personally.
A talented employee begins losing interest because their job offers no opportunities to learn or advance. Which response would BEST address the issue?
A. Increase monitoring without explaining why.
B. Ignore the employee until performance declines.
C. Assign only repetitive tasks.
D. Provide meaningful growth opportunities and appropriate challenges.
Two employees disagree about how to complete a project. Both have reasonable arguments, but the discussion is becoming personal. What should the leader do FIRST?
A. Separate personal criticism from the issue and identify shared goals.
B. Publicly blame whichever employee spoke last.
C. Immediately cancel the project.
D. Let the disagreement continue until someone gives up.
After resolving disagreements, team members establish clear roles, agree on expectations, and begin trusting one another. What stage has the team entered?
A. Forming
B. Storming
C. Adjourning
D. Norming
A team leader consistently gives the easiest assignments to friends, even though other employees are more qualified. What is the greatest leadership problem?
A. Poor time management
B. Excessive collaboration
C. Favoritism that damages fairness and trust
D. Too much employee independence
A team completes its research but realizes that no one documented important decisions. Which process would have prevented this problem?
A. Allowing only the leader to speak
B. Assigning a recorder to document decisions and action items
C. Eliminating team meetings
D. Having everyone complete unrelated tasks
A manager rewards only the employee with the highest individual sales. Soon, employees stop sharing information that could help the team. What is the most likely explanation?
A. The employees have become intrinsically motivated.
B. The incentive unintentionally encourages competition over collaboration.
C. Team goals are no longer necessary.
D. Recognition always reduces performance.
A team member consistently misses deadlines but explains that instructions keep changing. Which response demonstrates both accountability and effective communication?
A. Accuse the employee of making excuses.
B. Ignore missed deadlines because instructions changed.
C. Review expectations, clarify changes, and agree on specific next steps.
D. Remove the employee without investigating the issue.
A team consistently meets its goals, solves most problems independently, and adapts quickly when challenges arise. Which stage is BEST represented?
A. Storming
B. Forming
C. Performing
D. Norming
A company is missing deadlines. One employee needs more training, another is highly experienced, and a third lacks motivation. Which leadership strategy is MOST effective?
A. Give everyone identical instructions and consequences.
B. Adjust coaching, independence, and support based on individual needs.
C. Replace the entire team immediately.
D. Allow the team to solve every problem without supervision.
You are leading a four-person team with 20 minutes remaining. One member is skilled at organizing, one communicates well, one works quickly, and one is detail-oriented. What is the BEST approach?
A. Match responsibilities to strengths while setting shared deadlines and checkpoints.
B. Assign all important work to the fastest member.
C. Allow everyone to choose tasks without coordinating.
D. Give the same task to all four members.
A team has missed three deadlines and feels discouraged. Which strategy is most likely to rebuild lasting motivation?
A. Threaten punishment for every mistake.
B. Promise rewards without changing the workflow.
C. Set achievable milestones, recognize improvement, and address barriers.
D. Compare struggling employees publicly with top performers.
A team meeting becomes tense. One employee stops speaking after being interrupted several times, and the group makes a decision without their input. What is the BEST leadership response?
A. End the meeting and make all decisions privately.
B. Ask the quiet employee to submit a complaint afterward.
C. Continue because the majority has already spoken.
D. Reestablish respectful discussion rules and invite the excluded employee's perspective before finalizing.
A successful project has ended. The leader organizes a meeting to celebrate accomplishments, evaluate lessons learned, and prepare members for future assignments. Which stage is occurring, and why is it important?
A. Norming, because the team is establishing responsibilities.
B. Adjourning, because the team is closing its work and reflecting on outcomes.
C. Storming, because the leader is creating disagreement.
D. Performing, because the team is beginning its most productive period.