Case 3.1
Challenge and causes:
Complete the Elder Care Research Project, produce the pamphlets by the deadline without
going overbudget, and restore the morale of the research team. The Elder Care Research project
is requiring 20% to 30% more working hours than originally thought and Dr. Wood’s poor
leadership behaviors have weakened the resolve of the team to complete the project.
Evident:
Dr. Wood has a team of 11 researchers consisting of 2 PhD’s, 4 MA’s, and 5 BA’s with
different backgrounds and skills. The project is overbudget. Dr. Wood can find money to
complete the project. Dr. Wood is a highly skilled researcher. Dr. Wood has a consistently
negative attitude about the project when interacting with his research team.
Paradox:
As people succeed, they tend to develop an inflated sense of self, or a heightened ego. Dr.
Wood’s success has contributed to his self-centered focus, he needs to set aside his ego in favor
of developing his team’s skills and address their weakening resolve.
Q1. After reading the case and assessing Dr. Wood’s leadership skills as well as his relationship
to the members of the Elder Care Project Team according to the Three-Skills Approach, I have
determined that Dr. Wood’s leadership skills stand out as a combination of the technical and
conceptual skill approaches (Northouse, 2019). Furthermore, the individual attributes that Dr.
Wood has projected have primarily been the general and crystallized cognitive abilities where
Dr. Wood possesses a “leader’s acquisition of complex solving skills” and the acquired
