Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
Chapter 1: Understanding Leadership
Test Bank
Multiple Choice
1. In leadership literature, more than ______ different definitions of leadership have
been identified.
a. 5
b. 50
c. 100
d. 1,000
2. A leadership approach is ______.
a. a general way of thinking about a phenomenon
b. based in empirical research
c. never changing
d. based in empirical research and never changing
3. So–called “Great Man” theories belong to which of the following leadership
approaches?
a. behavior
b. relational
c. situational
d. trait
4. Which of the following theorist’s work is included in the behavioral approach?
a. Blake and Moulton
b. Hersey and Blanchard
c. Northouse
d. Reddin
5. A business manager needs their subordinates to problem solve in an uncertain and
changing environment. That manager might consider which emerging leadership
approach?
a. spirtual leadership
b. servant leadership
c. authentic leadership
d. adaptive leadership
6. A trait can be defined as ______.
a. the capacity to lead
b. a distinguishing quality of an individual
c. a competency developed to accomplish a task effectively
d. what leaders do when they are in a leadership role
7. When leadership is viewed as non-linear and highly collaborative, the ______
between leader and follower(s) becomes paramount.
a. hierarchy
b. dynamic
c. skill
d. relationship
8. A manager who encourages subordinates to take time off from work to recuperate
from stressful projects might be utilizing leadership as a ______.
a. relationship
b. behavior
c. skill
d. task
9. Influence is central to the process of leadership because leaders affect ______.
a. outcomes
b. goals
c. followers
d. vision
10. The GLOBE study sought to increase our understanding of the impact ______ has
on leadership effectiveness.
a. culture
b. globalization
c. democratization
d. nationalism
11. What is a key outcome of toxic leadership according to Lipman-Blumen?
a. followers are unhappy
b. followers are stressed
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
c. followers are worse off than before the leader emerged
d. followers are empowered to speak
12. Dark leadership is able to thrive when which three conditions exist?
a. destructive leader, susceptible followers, and hostile environment
b. destructive leader, susceptible followers, and conducive environment
c. constructive leader, susceptible followers, and conducive environment
d. destructive leader, empowered followers, and conducive environment
13. Your personal approach to leadership is strongly influenced by your ______.
a. definition and beliefs about leadership
b. leader
c. follower’s competence
d. culture
14. A social entrepreneur who successfully creates new business ventures over the
span of their entire career might be judged to have the ______ to lead.
a. knowledge
b. ability
c. thoughtfulness
d. disposition
15. A leader should behave genuinely with their followers and align their behaviors with
their values. This is a description of which emerging leadership approach?
a. adaptive
b. spiritual
c. authentic
d. servant
16. Observable aspects of leadership are known as ______.
a. skills
b. traits
c. abilities
d. behaviors
17. Research on leadership behaviors has identified two general behaviors ______.
a. task and process
b. skill acquisition and process
c. task and charisma
d. work ethic and charisma
18. Leadership is a ______ whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to
achieve a common goal.
a. skill
b. trait
c. approach
d. process
19. A leader who acknowledges follower’s good work and seeks to motivate them to
enhance performance is likely using ______.
a. path-goal theory
b. contingency theory
c. leader-member exchange theory
d. transformational leadership theory
20. A leader who begins each team meeting with a teambuilding activity and has
quarterly retreats is focusing on ______.
a. task behaviors
b. process behaviors
c. leader-member exchange
d. skill acquisition
21. A manager who adheres strictly to their meeting agenda might be focusing on which
type of behavior?
a. process
b. team building
c. task
d. relationship
22. Mutuality in leadership is stressed in which approach?
a. relationship
b. skill
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
c. behavior
d. ability
23. Which leadership approach focuses on followers’ needs in order to help followers
become more autonomous and knowledgeable?
a. spiritual leadership
b. authentic leadership
c. transformational leadership
d. servant leadership
24. Leadership is about ______ and management is about ______.
a. people; process
b. power; control
c. seeking constructive change; establishing order
d. influence; delegation
25. One who develops their skills through practice probably views leadership as a(n)
______.
a. ability
b. trait
c. behavior
d. relationship
26. This leadership theory describes leadership as a process that changes people and
organizations.
a. leader-member exchange theory
b. path-goal theory
c. transformational leadership
d. contingency theory
27. Mohandas Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, Moses, and Joan of Arc were considered very
effective leaders. Which leadership approach describes them best?
a. situational approach
b. behavior approach
c. relational approach
d. trait approach
28. Authority and influence are shared when leadership is a ______.
a. trait
b. relationship
c. skill
d. behavior
29. If you are capable of learning from experience, you can acquire leadership. This
statement is a characteristic of leadership as a(n) ______.
a. relationship
b. skill
c. trait
d. ability
30. Leaders ______ and ______ followers when leadership is conceptualized as a
relationship.
a. criticize; are criticized by
b. change; intimidate
c. accept limitations; ignore
d. affect; are affected by
31. Contingency theory focuses on the match between the leader’s style and ______.
a. followers’ needs
b. specific situational variables
c. specific follower preferences
d. leader’s skills
32. A leader seeking more positive outcomes should seek to improve high-quality
relations is a prediction of what theory?
a. leader–member exchange
b. contingency theory
c. path–goal theory
d. spiritual approach
33. The “Big Five” personality factors and emotional intelligence have been researched
as a part of which leadership approach?
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
a. situational
b. behavior
c. relational
d. trait
34. A leader who changes their style to fit different situations is using which approach to
leadership?
a. relational
b. behavior
c. situational
d. new leader
35. Which of the following focuses on helping people feel comfortable in a group?
a. task behaviors
b. process behaviors
c. passive behaviors
d. introspective behaviors
36. Differences in preferred leadership styles and political viewpoints around the world
are the result of what?
a. authority
b. culture
c. democracy
d. none of these
37. Viewed as a skill, leadership can be ______.
a. seen as an inborn quality
b. studied and learned
c. understood as a means to keep people in line
d. all of these
38. Stressing mutuality lessens the possibility that leaders might act toward followers in
ways that are ______.
a. outside the norms
b. difficult to comprehend
c. beneficial to everyone
d. forced and unethical
39. The relational approach has a(n) ______ overtone because it stresses the need for
leaders to work with followers to achieve their mutual purposes
a. ethical
b. adversarial
c. tactful
d. authoritarian
40. Demand for effective leadership exists at ______.
a. local, community, and national levels
b. personal and interpersonal levels
c. international levels
d. business and non-profit levels
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
41. Effective leadership is ______.
a. intended influence that creates change for the greater good
b. focused on the leader
c. leaving the followers worse off
d. making sure people know that the leader is the authority
42. Leadership as a(n) ______ places a great deal of emphasis on the leader and on
the leader’s special gifts.
a. relationship
b. ability
c. trait
d. skill
43. At what time did inquiry into leadership become prolific?
a. ancient times
b. medieval era
c. Renaissance
d. 20th century
44. A leader who utilizes follower’s belief and sense of calling is utilizing which emerging
leadership approach?
a. adaptive
b. authentic
c. spiritual
d. servant leadership
45. Leadership approaches experience periods of increased and decreased interest.
What happens when an approach’s period of popularity decreased?
a. The theory is disused and relegated to textbooks.
b. The theory continues to influence further study and development of new approaches.
c. Researchers ignore the theory.
d. The theory is disused and relegated to textbooks and researchers ignore the theory.
46. The thought that “leaders are born, not made” characterizes leadership as ______.
a. a trait
b. a skill
c. a relationship
d. a behavior
47. A leader is brought in to run an effective visioning retreat because they have
experience running many successful visioning retreats in their past. This organization is
utilizing what approach to leadership in this example?
a. Leadership is a relationship.
b. Leadership is a skill.
c. Leadership is a behavior.
d. Leadership is a trait.
48. When leadership is viewed as an influence process leaders direct their energies
towards ______.
a. influencing individuals to achieve something together
b. making all followers feel comfortable in the group
c. teaching individuals skills necessary to succeed
d. correcting followers ineffective behaviors
49. Which of the following is not listed as a positive leader attribute by the GLOBE
study?
a. trustworthy
b. motivator
c. asocial
d. informed
50. A leader who inspires followers to be unethical, untrustworthy, and deceptive can be
described as ______.
a. relational
b. susceptible
c. constructive
d. toxic
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
True/False
1. A leadership approach can provide a predictive framework in analyzing the
phenomenon of leadership.
2. A leadership theory is not necessarily based on empirical research.
3. Servant leadership, spiritual leadership, and LMX theory all belong to the relational
approach to leadership.
4. In viewing leadership as a trait, it is important that leaders have the required traits
demanded by a particular situation.
5. Viewing leadership as an influence process gives leadership an inherent ethical
dimension according to the text.
6. In every situation, there are leadership demands placed on the individual who is the
leader.
7. A challenge for leaders using the behavior approach is combining task and process
behaviors.
8. When leadership is viewed as a relationship authority is often top down.
9. Leadership as a skill means it is available only to the few with great ability.
10. A leader who views leadership as a relationship can be influenced by their followers.
Essay
1. Explain the differences between leadership approaches and theories.
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
2. Differentiate among Leadership as a trait, ability, skill, and behavior and highlight
examples of each from your personal experience.
3. Compare and contrast the concepts of leadership is a relationship and leadership is
an influence process.
4. Discuss three emerging leadership approaches, which do you most closely identify?
5. Approaches to leadership experience periods of increasing and decreasing interest.
Discuss three approaches you feel are most interesting in our current global context.
6. Differentiate between leadership and management and provide examples for when
each are necessary.
7. Choose three of the global positive leader attributes identified by House and discuss
why they are universal and not culturally specific.
8. Discuss Indra Nooyi’s leadership journey and identify the approaches to leadership
she used in her journey.
9. Based on the behavior approach, describe the two types of leader behaviors and give
an example of a situation in which each behavior is used appropriately.
10. Describe a current example of Dark Leadership as you view it. Incorporate the three
conditions necessary for Dark Leadership to thrive.
