Leadership vs. Management
Which role focuses on inspiring vision and motivating people to follow?
A leader
What does "self awareness" mean in the context of teamwork?
Self-awareness means understanding your own emotions, strengths, weaknesses, values, and how your behavior affects others on the team.
Give one observable behavior that shows someone is active listening.
What does "accountability" mean on a team?
Accountability means each team member takes responsibility for their assigned tasks and the team's outcomes, and follows through on commitments.
In public speaking, what is one purpose of an introduction?
To capture attention and present the topic and purpose to the audience knows what to expect
Name two activities that are more typical of a manager than a leader?
Two of the following:
1. planning and scheduling tasks
2. monitoring budgets or deadlines
3. assigning work
4. enforcing policies
Give one method a student can use to discover a personal strength.
One method: take a strengths inventory, ask for peer feedback, or reflect on past successes to identify patterns.
Name two nonverbal behaviors that can help build trust during a conversation.
Steady eye contact and open body language
Why are clear roles important for shared goals? Provide one reason.
Clean roles prevent overlap and confusion, so work is efficient and everyone knows who to ask for specific information or decisions.
Name two ways a speaker can build credibility with an audience.
1. Cite reliable sources or personal experience related to the topic
2. Demonstrate preparedness through clear structure and confident energy
Explain one way leaders and managers can complement each other on a team project.
Example: a leader sets the long-term direction and motivates the team; a manager creates the project plan and assigns tasks so the leader's vision gets implemented
How can knowing your strengths improve your role on a team?
Knowing your strengths lets you choose roles that match them (e.g., organizer, presenter, researcher), so the team uses skills more effectively and the member contributes confidently
What is a constructive way to give feedback to a teammate who is not meeting expectations?
Constructive feedback using "I" language.
Provide two specific actions a team can take to build trust among members.
1. Deliver on commitments consistently
2. Provide honest, respectful feedback
3. Recognize others' contributions
Identify the three-part structure of a short speech and give a one-sentence purpose for each part.
1. Introduction: states topic and grabs attention
2. Body: presents main points and supporting evidence
3. Conclusion: summarizes key ideas and provides and clear closing or call to action
Provide a short example showing when management skills would be more important than leadership skills.
Example: During a product rollout that has a fixed deadline, management skills (creating a timeline, assigning tasks, tracking progress) are more important to meet the deadline than vision-setting.
Describe a short plan for developing a personal weakness into a strength.
Three-step plan:
1. Identify the specific weakness and set a measurable goal
2. Practice targeted activities or take a short course
3. Seek feedback and adjust until progress is evident
Describe an example of a communication issue that could cause misunderstanding in a group and one step to resolve it.
Example: Team members send unclear messages in chat, causing duplicated work. Resolution step: hold a short meeting to clarify responsibilities and agree on one shared document with labeled sections
Explain how shared goals help reduce conflicts. Give one example.
Shared goals align priorities so members work toward the same outcome, reducing conflict over task choices. Example: In a class project, agreeing that the goal is "a clear, 10-minute presentation that teaches the class" helps members prioritize practice and visuals rather than arguing over who leads.
Describe two delivery techniques that improve audience engagement during a presentation.
1. Vary vocal pace and volume to maintain interest
2. Use purposeful eye contact and gestures to connect with the audience
3. Pausing for emphasis
4. Moving with intention
5. Using visual aids appropriately
Compare and contrast the long-term focus of leadership with the short-term focus of management.
Leaders focus on long-term vision, culture, and inspiring change; managers focus on short-term execution, processes, and maintaining systems.
Explain how over-relying on a single strength can become a team problem and give one way to prevent that.
Over-relying on one strength (e.g. always taking charge) can stifle others' contributions and create imbalance. Prevent this by rotating roles, soliciting input, and pairing complementary strengths on tasks.
Student A interrupts often. What are two sentences Student B could say to manage the conversation respectfully and keep it productive?
1. "I'd like to finish my thought. Can I share this point, then I'll make room for your comment?"
2. " I appreciate your input; please hold on one moment while I complete this idea, then we can discuss both views."
A team project failed because no one took responsibility for the final check. Create a short accountability checklist the team could use next time.
1. Was the assigned task finished on time and agreed to standards?
2. Did the member provide regular updates and acknowledge issues promptly?
3. Did the member check work for errors and accept feedback?
A student has strong content, but shaky delivery (nervous voice, little eye contact). Create a practice plan to improve delivery for the next presentation.
1. Rehearse out loud with timed runs focusing on steady breathing and slower pace; record one run to review
2. Practice eye contact by delivering to classmates or a small group and asking for feedback on connection and clarity
3. Do short drills for vocal strength (projection and articulation) and run-throughs with the full side/visual setup to reduce technical surprises