Leadership case studies solution.pdf

Chapter 2 Case 2.1 Choosing a New Director of Research 1. Based on the information provided about the trait approach in Tables 2.1 and 2.2, if you were Sandra, who would you select? The two tables are a little confusing. I see some overlapping and each candidate has a characteristic on this list. I would choose Thomas because he was been with the company for 10 years and honesty and integrity goes along way with a company. 2. In what ways is the trait approach helpful in this type of selection? The trait approach is helpful because it helps you narrow down what candidates have the most characteristic traits on the list to make the best choice. 3. In what ways are the weaknesses of the trait approach highlighted in this case? The trait approach chart is a weakness because it’s a broad sense of traits and most candidates have these traits.

Case 2.2 A Remarkable Turnaround 1. How would you describe Carol’s leadership traits? Carols leadership traits were very strong. She took over her husband’s business without much knowledge and made it more successful than it had in the past. She was devoted to the company and the employees. 2. How big a part did Carol’s trait play in the expansion of the company? Carol was so driven that her traits played a huge role in the expansion of the company. If it wasn’t for her the company would have went under. 3. Would Carol be a leader in other business contexts? Yes, she seems like a person who sets her mind to something, she succeeds.

Case 2.3 Recruiting for the Bank 1. Based on ideas described in the trait approach, do you think Pat is looking for the right characteristics in the people he hires? I think he is looking for the right characteristics but there is always more characteristic that can be reviewed in the candidates. Also, people can look great on paper but still not make a great fit. 2. Could it be that the retention problem raised by upper management is unrelated to Pat’s recruitment criteria? Yes, Upper management sees everything that is going wrong but not always whats right.

3. If you were Pat, would you change your approach to recruiting? No, I think his approach is fine. You can only guess so much on how a person will fit within a company.

Chapter 3 Case 3.1 A Strained Research Team 1. Based on the skills approach, how would you assess Dr. Wood’s leadership and his relationship to the members of the Elder Care Project team? Will the project be successful? I think that Dr. Wood leadership and relationship to the members is fair. His negative comments and negative attitude will wear on the member. I think that the project will be successful, but I also feel the project would be better if the morale was positive. 2. Does Dr. Wood have the skills necessary to be an effective leader of this research team? Yes, I just think he needs to understand the members on his team are doing their best and maybe check his emotions at the door. 3. The skills model describes three important competencies for leaders: problem-solving skills, social judgment skills, ad knowledge. If you were to coach Dr. Wood using this model, what competencies would you address with him? What Changes would you suggest that he make in his leadership? I would address the problem-solving skills and social judgment skills, because he is running over time and budget and is taking these problems out on his team members. I would suggest that he needs to be more positive and praise his team members on their good work to keep every ones spirits high.

Case 3.2 A shift for Lieutenant Colonel Adams 1. Based on the skills model, how would you assess Lt. Col. John Adams’s ability to meet the challenges of the base administration position? I think Lt. Col. John Adams did the best he could with the time constraints. He tried to be as fair as possible as well. He tried to address every possible that arose during this huge quick change. 2. How would you assess his ability to meet the additional tasks he faced regarding the conversion of the base? I think he assessed his ability to his best ability. A base closing and people being relocated or losing their job is a hard task to complete.

3. If you were to coach Adams on how he could improve his leadership, what would you tell him? I would tell him to keep up the good work, but gather a team together and spread out the tasks. Completing this huge project by yourself will most likely result in failure or overlooked issues.

Case 3.3 Andy’s Recipe 1. What accounts for Andy’s success in the restaurant business? “You get business by being what you should be” Andy believes that customers come first and by that he has become successful. He is even profiting more than other restaurants in the area. 2. From a skills perspective, how would you describe the three managers, Kelly, Danielle, and Patrick? What does each of them need to do to improve his or her skills? All of the managers have great aspects but also have a weak aspect. Kelly needs to be better with getting along with the sales people and delivery people, Danielle needs to be better with money, and Patrick needs to work on having compassion for the customers. 3. How would you describe Andy’s competencies? Does Andy’s leadership suggest that one does not need all three skills in order to be effective? No matter what type of leader you are it is always important to have all three skills to be truly successful.

Chapter 4 Case 4.1 A Drill Sergeant at First 1. From the style perspective, how would you describe Mark’s leadership? Marks leadership style is very demanding at first but he has eased up with his employees as time passed. He is all about getting the job done right. 2. How did his style change over time? When he first started he was like a drill sergeant all about the work. As the time went on he started to give his employees responsibility and praised them when they did a good job 3. In general, do you think he is more task oriented or more relationship oriented? I believe he is more task oriented. 4. What score do you think he would get on Blake and Mouton’s grid?

I believe he falls in between Team Management and Authority-Compliance Management.

Case 4.2 Eating Lunch Standing Up 1. According to the style approach, how would you describe Susan’s leadership? Susan’s style approach is very strict. She wants to keep busy and get the work done. 2. Why does her leadership style create such a pronounced reaction from her subordinates? People relate differently to situations. When a manager is all about work and have the job done they seem to separate themselves from social interactions in the workplace. 3. Do you think she should change her style? Yes, she needs to try and be more social and relax a bit. 4. Would she be effective if she changed? I believe that she would still be effective if not more effective if she change he leadership style.

Case 4.3 We are Family 1. Marianne and Betsy do indeed have different leadership styles. What style would you ascribe to Betsy? To Marianne? Betsy’s leadership style is to push people to do their best and keep a work relationship with her employees. Marianne wants to be their friend and coach them through work. 2. Does Betsy need to change her leadership style to improve the situation with Bridget and Suzanna? Does Marianne need to change her style of leadership? Betsy doesn’t need to improve her leadership style, but she does need to get to the bottom of the group of friends that are ganging up against her. I feel if Marianne wasn’t taking the employees side instead of Betsy side then the work would go much more smoothly. 3. How can Marianne and Betsy work together? Marianne and Betsy will be able to work together once they stop using the employees against each other.

Chapter 5 Case 5.1 What Style Do I Use

1. According to the basic assumptions of situational leadership, where would you place the three mangers in regard to levels of development in the SLII model (Figure 5.1) Rick has high directive-high supportive, Beth has high directive-low supportive and Steve has low-directive and high supportive. 2. If you were Bruce, would you act the same toward each of the three mangers? I wouldn’t, each manager has different needs and needs different things. All people are different, Rick feels confident, Beth needs help with learning the plastic business, and Steve need a confidence boost when it comes to stepping up into management. 3. Which conference would be the hardest for you, and which would be the easiest? Why? The hardest would be learning everything that has to do with the company and the easiest would be stepping up into management. I believe this because rattling off information at the drop of a hat is hard to me at times. I enjoys making decisions and working in teams so upper management would be a nice opportunity.

Case 5.2 Why Aren’t They Listening? 1. According to the SLII model (Figure 5.1), what style of leadership is Jim using to run the seminars? Low directive-high supportive At what level are the managers? Low directive-low supportive 2. From a leadership perspective, what is Jim doing wrong? Jim let the leash go too far. He gave his managers to much flex room and the managers took advantage of the situation. 3. What specific changes could Jim implement to improve the seminars? He could make them mandatory, or reward the mangers for coming. If the mangers get a reward for attending the meetings they are more likely to come.

Case 5.3 Getting the Message Across 1. What the problem at WCBA? The students are violating the rules that need to be followed on the air. 2. Using SLII as a basis, would you advise Ann to do differently at the station?

Yes, Instead of just giving each student a handout of the rules she needs to have a seminar or orientation with the new hires to go over the handout in a group. 3. Based on the situation leadership, what creative schemes could Ann use to reduce FCC infractions at WCBA? She could have group activities and play games with the new hires to learn the rules. When people are having fun they tend to learn easier and the information sticks.

Chapter 6 Case 6.1 No Control Over the Student Council 1. How will Tamara do as a president of the student council? I think she will do fine. The student body elected everyone that’s on the council but Tamara is well liked so she will be able to get along and work well with everyone. 2. According to her LPC score, what are her primary needs? Tamara is more relationship motivated. So her needs would be relating to the other students on the board and working well with them. 3. How will these needs affect her ability to develop the new policy for computer fees? I think that she will be worried about how the changes will affect the student body. Starting a new fee for the computers could make some students angry. 4. How can Tamara change the situation to match her management style? I think that she can change her management style to be a more relationship motivated by building relationships with the student council.

6.2 Giving Him a Hard Time 1. According to Figure 6.1, what category does this situation fall into? I believe that the situation falls into the poor category in the contingency model. 2. Will Bill be successful in his efforts to run the holiday program? If he can get the choir and band to work together then he will be successful in the holiday program. If he doesn’t crack down on the meeting requirements and practices then the holiday program will most likely fail. 3. Should the school administration make any changes regarding Bill’s position? Not his position, but the school should make attending the band and choir practices more mandatory so the holiday program can be prepared on time.

6.3 What’s the Best Leader Match? 1. According to contingency theory, which of the two applicants should the new owner choose to head the new management structure? Why? Bill because he has a very high contingency model score. He seems more likely to succeed in the position 2. Could the owner define the new position according to contingency theory in such a way that it would qualify one of the applicants more than the other? I don’t think so. Both candidates have great skills and would make great leaders. 3. Will Universal Drugs benefit by using contingency theory in its decision making regarding its new management structure? I personally don’t understand the contingency theory so I don’t believe that it will make a difference if they use this theory. I understand that the one to change the way they are doing things so a change in how they hire may be a good idea.

Chapter 7 7.1 Three Shifts, Three Supervisors 1. Based on the principles of path-goal theory, describe why Art and Bob appear to be less effective than Carol. The basic principles of path goal theory are derived from expectancy theory suggests that employees will be motivated if they feel competent. If they think their efforts will be rewarded. Also, If the employees find the payoff for their work to be valuable. Bob and Art are good managers but they don’t take the time to help each employee like Carol. 2. How does the leadership of each of the three supervisors affect the motivation of their respective subordinates? Art is very by the book and this causes the employees to get bored and feel like robots. Bob is all about recognizing birthdays and making all the employees like friends. This causes employees to relax and slack off because they feel they can get away from it. And Carol is all about helping everyone who needs it. Her employees do their best to do a great job and he praises them for it. Employees like to feel like they are doing a good job. 3. If you were consulting with Brako about leadership, what changes and recommendations would you make regarding the supervision of Art, Bob, and Carol? I would suggest Bob to loosen up a little bit and stop reminding everyone how to do their job. Art on the other hand needs to be more of a manager instead of a friend. And Carol seems to be a great manager.

7.2 Direction for Some, Support for Others 1. According to path-goal theory, why is Daniel an effective leader? The basic principles of path goal theory are derived from expectancy theory 

Suggests that employees will be motivated if they feel competent



If they think their efforts will be rewarded



If they find the payoff for their work valuable

Daniel does all these and is an effective leader. 2. How does his leadership style affect the motivation of employees at The Copy Center? He acts as a friend and is willing to work with his employees. He also lets them work in a causal relaxed work area. If people are comfortable they tend to be happier and motivated. 3. How do characteristics of the task and the subordinates influence Daniel’s leadership? Daniel is more in the picture when it comes to making copies and more off to the side unless needed for the employees who are making the resumes and working on the computer, Those employees need to focus on what they are doing and can’t have laughing and music going on in the background or their work may have errors. The employees who make copies are doing a mindless job so the music and goofing off doesn’t distract them so Daniel is able to be laid back and join in the fun. 4. One of the principles of path-goal theory is to make the end goal valuable to workers. What could Daniel do to improve subordinate motivation in this area? Daniel could maybe have friendly competition on which employee makes the most copies or the most unique resume or flyer. This would make the employees work for something each day. Everyone enjoys a friendly competition at work.

7.3 Marathon Runners at Different Levels 1. Based on the principles described in path-goal theory, what kind of leadership should David exhibit with each of the three running groups? The first group needs David to make sure that the employees will be motivated if they feel competent. The second group needs to know if their efforts will be rewarded and the third group needs to know if the payoff for their work valuable. 2. What does David have to do to help the runners accomplish their goals? He needs to motivate the runners and answer their questions they have. Mostly he just needs to be there for them and coach them to the finish line. They mostly seem nervous.

3. Are there obstacles that David can remove or help runners to confront? David could have just an information session where all questions and issues are addressed. Running a marathon is a huge deal and if people are nervous or unsure they will ask a ton of questions. He also should have different training sessions according to the runners’ ability. If an experienced runner is sitting next to a beginner asking what type of shoes they need the wear the experienced runner is going to become bored or annoyed and lose interest in the race. 4. In general, how can David motivate each of the three groups? David can motivate each of these groups by tending to the group’s needs. Answer the beginners’ group questions, make a diet plan or reassure the second group that they are doing great. And let the third group train as they have before and come to group sessions as needed.

Chapter 8 8.1 His team Gets the Best Assignments 1. Based on the principles of LMX theory, what observations would you make about Carly’s leadership at Mills, Smith, & Peters? LMX theory makes the leader-member relationship the pivotal concept on the leadership process. She is all about picking favorites with the different teams. I don’t think this is a great leadership style but it is seen all the time 2. Is there an in-group and out-group, and if so, which are they? Yes, Jack is in the in-group and Terri is on the cusp of being in the in-group. Julie and Sarah are in the out-group. Julie is upset about being in the out-group but Sarah and her team doesn’t seem to care and would rather not put in the extra work to try and be in the in-group. 3. In what way is Carly’s relationship with the four groups productive or counterproductive to the overall goals of the agency? I believe that her relationship is both productive and counterproductive. Jack is under her wing and she favors them over everyone else. So they will do whatever is asked of them. The other group relationships with Carly are counterproductive. She is pushing them to the side and they feel as if they are not good enough for her. 4. Do you think Carly should change her approach toward the associate directors? If so, what should she do differently? Yes, she should treat all four groups equally. You can’t pick and choose who you want to buddy up with. The four teams all work for the same company and overall are on the same team as a whole.

8.2 Working Hard at Being Fair 1. Based on the LMX model, how would you describe Jenny’s leadership? According to the LMX theory Jenny tries to be as fair as possible. She doesn’t show favorites with any of her employees and just tries to keep an even playing field. By doing this she may not be fully embracing the relationship she could have with her employees. 2. How do you think the employees at City Mortgage respond to Jenny? I think the employees she her as their boss and respect her, but that’s where it stops. They don’t have a personal relationship with her because she keeps everything about work. 3. If you were asked to follow in Jenny’s footsteps, do you think you could or would want to manage City Mortgage with a similar style? I would not follow in her footsteps. I like to be comfortable with my employees and be able to relate to them as people. I understand that there are boundaries that need to stay within the workplace but I would not want to cut off all personal interaction and relationships with the employees.

8.3 Taking on Additional Responsibilities 1. From an LMX theory point of view, how would you describe Jim’s leadership at the district social security office? According to the LMX theory, Jim leadership follows it pretty well. He has personal relationships with all his employees but still has in-groups and out-groups. He favors employees for what task they do best. 2.Can you identify an in-group and an out-group? Yes, the employees who excel at certain task over others are in the in-group. The employees that are just normal workers or have trouble keeping up are not asked to do extra things. These people are in the out-group. 3. Do you think the trust and respect Jim places in some of his staff are productive or counterproductive? Why? I think it’s productive. You want your best people on the job. If someone excels in a task at work then they should be the person completing the task. This will make the workplace run smoothly.

Chapter 9 Case 9.1: The Vision Failed

1. If you were consulting with the HTE board of directors soon after Harold started making changes, what would you advise them regarding Harold’s leadership from a transformational perspective? I would advise the board that Harold is slowly turning into an ineffective president. Yes, changes are being made, but the employees aren’t being treated properly. Also, although the mission statement of the company is posted throughout the building, people are becoming unsure as to where it is going. There aren’t clear expectations and when Harold tries to explain something, the employees aren’t taking it very well. The employees aren’t feeling valued like they should be and something needs to be done. There are ways to change without degrading the employees. 2. Did Harold have a clear vision for HTE? Was he able to implement it? I don’t think Harold had a clear vision. I feel he had an “idea” but was unsure of how to go about accomplishing it. Perhaps he thinks he was able to implement it, but I don’t think he did. It didn’t turn out the way it was supposed to be and it failed in the end. 3. How effective was Harold as a change agent and social architect for HTE? Harold was not effective as a change agent. I see this in the way the employees acted and felt towards him. I feel there were a lot of negative consequences after changed were made, whether intentional or not. 4. What would you advise Harold to do differently if he had the chance to return as president of HTE? I would tell Harold to really analyze all aspects of the decisions and changes you want to make. Make it a point to have other employees from all levels give their input, this makes them feel included. Pay close attention to your employees’ needs and wants and also how you respond to them.

Case 9.2: An Exploration in Leadership 1. How is this an example of transformational leadership? This is an example of transformational leadership because through Dr. Cook’s experiences and how he treated his students, the overall commitment level and attitude changed drastically. There were less sicknesses, more input and involvement from the students, and it seemed he really listened to his students. 2. Where Dr. Cook’s strengths on a Full Range of Leadership model? I think Dr. Cook utilized the 4 I’s and put him within the top right corner of the graph–> Effective and Active. He influenced his students, he inspired motivation, he provided intellectual stimulation, and he provided individualized consideration to each student.

3. What is the vision Dr. Cook has for the archaeology excavations? Dr. Cook’s vision for his excavations is to provide an excellent growing and learning opportunity and for students to come together and work as a team.

Case 9.3: Her Vision of a Model Research Center 1. What is it about Rachel’s leadership that clearly suggests that she is engaged in transformational leadership? Rachel’s support for women’s concerns is evident in the studies she conducts and this earns her a lot of respect from the women who work with her. She’s adaptable and she is able to take risks with confidence. She seems intelligent and intuitive and I think other women look up to her. 2. In what ways has the growth of ICCR had an impact on Rachel’s leadership? The growth of ICCR has had a tremendous impact on her leadership. The changes of the company have allowed her to change the way she interacts and responds to her employees. This opportunity has given Rachel the freedom to think about new ideas and concepts. She’s a risk taker and it has paid off. 3. Given the problems Rachel is confronting as a result of the growth of the company, what should she do to reestablish herself as a transformational leader at ICCR? I think Rachel should accept the new changes but will need to adapt carefully. Her previous methods worked wonders with her employees, I’m afraid if she strays too much from what she used to be, the women won’t feel the same about her.

Chapter 10 10.1: Anonymous Servant Leaders 1. How do the donors’ behaviors fit into Liden, Wayne, et al.’s (2008) seven characteristics of servant leader behavior? I think the donors’ behaviors fit well according to Liden, Wayne, et al.’s (2008). The donors’ seem to be more concerned about others than themselves and seem to be driven to helping those less fortunate. 2. The effeteness of servant leadership is related to whether followers are open to it. Do you see any aspects of the Kalamazoo Promise that could make it problematic for some people in the Kalamazoo community?

I do see some aspects that could be problematic for some people in the community. I remember reading that some people were upset and concerned about the decreased enrollment in the private schools in the area because of this donation. 3. Based on the model of servant leadership, how would you assess the outcomes of the Kalamazoo Promise? That is, how did the Promise affect follower performance and growth, as well as the organizational performance of the Kalamazoo Public Schools, and what was the impact of the promise on the greater Kalamazoo community? Because of the Promise, I feel the size of the following grew. Even though there were some people who were concerned and weren’t fully supportive of the donation and its effects, the Promise had a good following. The overall impact was positive, in my opinion, in the community. 10.2: Doctor to the Poor 1. Would you characterize Paul Farmer as a servant leader? Explain your answer. I think Paul Farmer is a servant leader. I feel like it was his life’s calling and mission to help others less fortunate such as those in Haiti. He put others first. 2. Putting others first is the essence of servant leadership. In what way did Paul Farmer put others first? Paul put others first by putting himself on the back burner, so to speak. His main focus was the health and well-being of those less fortunate and it was obvious in this case study. 3. Another characteristic of a servant leader is getting followers to serve. Who were Paul’s followers, and how sis they become servants to his vision? Paul’s followers were those that supported his mission and its success. Other followers included those who were treated or could be treated. 4. What role do you think Paul’s childhood had in his development as a servant leader? I think that because Paul was one of those less fortunate at a young age, sleeping in a van, he understood and could relate to those in Haiti. I feel he had a special connection with those people and it really made an impact on his mission.

10.3: Servant Leadership Takes Flight 1. What type of servant leader behaviors did Herb Kelleher exhibit in starting the airline? What about Colleen Barrett?

I think the type of behavior that Herb displayed was Helping Followers Grow and Succeed. I think Colleen exhibited Creating Value for the Community. 2. How do the leaders of Southwest Airlines serve others? What’s others are they serving? The leaders of the airline serve others by providing the best experience possible. I also feel they provide value within the community. They are genuine about the people they serve and they aren’t just in it for the money. 3. Southwest Airlines emphasizes the Golden Rule. What role does the Golden Rule play in servant leadership? IS it always a part of servant leadership? Discuss. I feel the Golden Rule is deeply a part of servant leadership. Basically, treat others the way you want to be treated. I think it puts feelings into perspective. I have always thought of this rule when I’m dealing with a difficult situation and I feel it makes a difference in how people are treated. 4. Based on figure 10.1, describe the outcomes of servant leadership at Southwest Airlines, and how follower receptivity may have influenced those outcomes. I think all outcomes of Figure 10.1 are exhibited in some way in this case. I feel the society is impacted, there is follower growth, and organizational performance has increased.

Chapter 11 Case 11.1 Am I Really a Leader? 1. Learning about one’s self is an essential step in becoming an authentic leader. What role did self-awareness play in Sally Helgesen’s story of leadership? Finding herself just lead Sally into becoming an authentic leader. It wasn’t as if she took a step-by-step process. Through her journey and experiences, she realized her strengths and weaknesses and used those to her advantage to become an authentic leader. 2. How would you describe the authenticity of Sally Helgesen’s leadership? I think Sally’s leadership is very authentic. I think that her travels and life experiences allowed her to become more and more authentic. Sally was knowledgeable and understanding; so much so, that she wrote a book. 3. At the end of the case, Sally Helgesen is described as taking on the “mantle of leadership.” Was this important for her leadership? How is taking on the mantle of leadership related to a leader’s authenticity?

I think this was extremely important in her leadership. I think by taking on something this prominent and difficult, it only proved that Sally was truly authentic. She was involved in her work and wasn’t just on the outside looking in. She got her hands dirty; this brought respect and showed that she cared about her work. Case 11.2 A Leader Under Fire 1. Would you describe Greg Mortenson as an authentic leader? Explain. What a case! I do feel that Greg is still an authentic leader. It’s not like he was paid to improve education is a 3rd-world country. I feel like he wanted to make a difference and an impact. 2. In the chapter, we discussed moral reasoning and transparency as components of authentic leadership. Do you think Greg exhibited these components as part his leadership? It’s hard to tell if Greg exhibited moral reasoning and transparency in this case following the lawsuit and all the media hype. I was surprised he didn’t defend his actions, perhaps the accusations were true. I wanted to find out more information to make this conclusion because from the information presented, it was hard to tell. 3. How was Greg’s response to the allegations against him characteristic of an authentic leader? I think Greg responded by “not fueling the fire”. I think that he, perhaps, took the higher road and didn’t feed into the attention. I think that maybe if Greg would have fought back, it would have escalated further. 4. In the future, how will the investigations of Greg Mortenson affect the authenticity of his leadership? I think the investigation will affect his authenticity. I think that people will think twice about if his actions were from the heart or just to make money. I don’t think Greg will receive the positive feedback he once received before everything escalated. Case 11.3 The Reluctant First Lady 1. How would you describe Betty Ford’s leadership? In what ways could her leadership be described as authentic? Betty Ford was an incredible woman. Her leadership was astounding. Not only facing her struggles, but making them public to help others with the same obstacles was amazing. I do feel she was truly authentic throughout this battle. 2. How did critical life events play a role in the development of her leadership? I think such critical life events pushed Betty into advancing in her leadership. I feel like she took charge of the situation and spun it around to make it positive. She didn’t hide

away in her room and feel sorry for herself. She made her battles public to help other people in the future. 3. Is there a clear moral dimension to Betty Ford’s leadership? In what ways is her leadership about serving the common good? Discuss. Betty’s leadership is serving the common good because she increased awareness for breast cancer and addiction. I think by her story, people were more aware (and less afraid to announce) their own battles. 4. As we discussed in the chapter, self-awareness and transparency are associated with authentic leadership. How does Betty Ford exhibit these qualities? Obviously, Betty Ford’s self-awareness and transparency were astounding in this case. Because of her own struggles, Betty increased her self-awareness which helped to increase others’ self-awareness as well.

Chapter 12 Case 12.1 Can This Virtual Team Work? Which of the 8 characteristic of team excellence are lacking in this team? I think a number of characteristics are missing such as: 

results-driven structure

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unified commitment

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collaborative climate

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external support and recognition

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principled leadership

2. Based on this analysis of team effectiveness, should Jim intervene at this time, or should he just keep monitoring the team? If you think he should take action, at what level? If internal, should his action be task or relational? I think Jim needs to step up. I think he needs to take internal action and figure out a way to get the team to focus on this one project and get it done. There are too many things going on. I think more people need to be brought in to assist. I think the action needs to be task related. 3. What specific leadership functions should Jim implement to improve the team? I think Jim needs to implement all actions listed on page 296. He needs to set a goal, a structure for results, facilitate decision making, train members, and maintain standards. Right now, Jim is just sitting back and letting them figure it out. Case 12.2 They Dominated the Conversation

1. How would you assess the effectiveness of this team? I think the team is only somewhat effective. Sure, they may be making decisions but they aren’t all working together as a team. Mainly, it’s just two people calling the shots. However, the patients are being affected to the point where they feel they aren’t being cared for in the manner they should be. That’s a problem. 2. In monitoring this team, at what level and function do you see the most serious problems? Internal task? Internal relational? External? I think I see the most trouble with the internal relational aspect of the team. Tension is high amongst the team and the patients are starting to feel it too. 3. Would you take action to improve team functioning? If so, how would you intervene? Why? I would definitely take action! I would implement a standard protocol and not allow the “top dogs” to keep making the decisions. I would want everyone’s input and make sure they all function together for the benefit of the patients. 4. What specific leadership skill or skills would you use to improve group functioning? I think there needs to be a specific structure so that the “top dogs” don’t feel they can take over. I would encourage working together instead of independently. Case 12.3 Starts With a Bang, Ends With a Whimper 1. Which characteristics of excellence were lacking in this task force? Missing Characteristics: 

Clear goal

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results-driven structure

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unified commitment

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standards of excellence

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principled leadership

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external support

2. Which characteristics of excellence were evident in this task force? Evident characteristics: 

competent members

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collaborative climate

3. How would you assess Kim as a leader? I think Kim is a weak leader. She didn’t step up and try her best to make this work. She just continued to get frustrated and let her team fall behind and eventually quit.

4. What actions would you take if you were the leader of this task force? I think there needs to be assistance here. Externally, someone needs to present them with a clear goal and a structure to achieve it. Kim must then take charge and delegate. Only then will they reach their goal