Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
Chapter 3: Engaging Strengths
Test Bank
Multiple Choice
1. Strengths are ______.
a. the characteristic we demonstrate when performing our best
b. the ability to consistently demonstrate exceptional work
c. a pre-existing capacity
d. all of these
2. The two research developments that contributed to the studying of strengths-based
leadership are ______.
a. Gallup Organization’s study on what is right with people, and the emerging field of
positive psychology
b. Gallup Organization’s study on what is right with people, and the field of depth
psychology
c. the GLOBE study and the emerging field of positive psychology
d. none of these
3. The positive psychology movement was initiated by ______.
a. Don Clifton
b. Martin Seligman
c. Tom Rath
d. Barry Conchie
4. How many talent themes did Gallup recognize in their StrengthsFinder Profile?
a. 30
b. 32
c. 34
d. 40
5. The equation for developing a strength is ________.
a. knowledge X skill
b. skill X investment
c. skill X talent
d. talent X investment
6. A manager who has particular talents in team building, welcoming new people into
the group, supporting direct reports, and keeping and spreading a positive attitude might
have developed strengths in which of the domains of leadership strengths?
a. influencing
b. relationship building
c. executing
d. strategic thinking
7. An employee who is always completing tasks before deadlines and is a dedicated
hard worker might have developed strengths in which of the domains of leadership
strengths?
a. executing
b. influencing
c. relationship building
d. strategic thinking
8. A colleague makes time each day to plan and map out what needs to be
accomplished, and weekly looks at “the big picture” might have developed strengths in
which of the domains of leadership strengths?
a. executing
b. influencing
c. relationship building
d. strategic thinking
9. In the American culture, expressing positive self-attributions is often seen as ______.
a. normal
b. unique
c. impressive
d. boastful
10. ______ can be defined as the scientific study of what makes life worth living.
a. Behavioral psychology
b. Positive psychology
c. Strengths-based leadership
d. Normative leadership
11. Which of the following is NOT a VIA classification of strength?
a. courage
b. humanity
c. self-assurance
d. justice
12. Which of the following is not one of the three central elements of CAPP’s strengths
perspective?
a. meaning
b. performance
c. energy
d. use
13. Which of the following is not one of the quadrants of CAPP Strengths?
a. realized strengths
b. unrealized strengths
c. learned behaviors
d. innate behaviors
14. An employee of yours consistently offers excellent analysis and is able to quote
facts and figures from memory during meetings; and they enjoy this aspect of their
work. For this employee, analytical thinking might be considered a ______ in CAPP
Strengths.
a. weakness
b. learned behavior
c. realized strength
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
d. unrealized strength
15. Unrealized strengths are personal attributes that are ______.
a. less visible
b. representative of our strongest assets
c. learned throughout our life experience
d. limiting attributes
16. Realized strengths are personal attributes that represent ______.
a. our strongest assets
b. less visible
c. learned throughout our life experience
d. limiting attributes
17. Learned behaviors represent those ingrained things ______.
a. that are our strongest assets
b. that are less visible
c. we have learned throughout our life experience
d. that are our limiting attributes
18. In the CAPP Strengths model, weaknesses are ______.
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
a. our strongest assets
b. less visible
c. learned throughout our life experience
d. limiting attributes.
19. The CAPP strengths model suggests that effective people try to ______ weakness.
a. minimize
b. confront
c. improve upon
d. ignore
20. A key different between the CAPP model and StrengthsFinder & Via Classification is
that CAPP is ______.
a. easy to use and understand
b. based on research
c. widely used with college students
d. prescriptive and pragmatic
21. The four domains of leadership strengths are executing, influencing, relationship
building, and ______.
a. communication
b. controlling
c. strategic thinking
d. empathy
22. An employee seems to have lost motivation, energy, and drive for their work. From
the perspective of the CAPP model, this person is likely expressing ______.
a. weaknesses
b. realized strengths
c. learned behaviors
d. weaknesses and learned behaviors
23. In order to be most effective, a leader should maximize their ______ while
minimizing their ______.
a. realized strengths; weaknesses
b. strategic thinking; relationship building
c. unrealized strengths; learned behaviors
d. realized strengths; relationship building
24. Which of the following is not one of the four steps to incorporate strengths in your
personal and work life?
a. discover your strengths
b. develop your strengths
c. recognize and engage the strengths of others
d. enable others to recognize your strengths
25. According to Gardner, extraordinary individuals are “distinguished less by their
impressive raw power than by their ability to identify their ______ and exploit them.”
a. follower’s weaknesses
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
b. opponent’s weaknesses
c. strengths
d. organizational capacity
26. You notice a coworker journaling after a work presentation that went well for them.
They have been engaged and motivated through this project and they say they want to
think more about their engagement with work successes. It is possible that the coworker
is in the process of ______.
a. discovering their strengths
b. cherishing the past
c. narcissism
d. all of these
27. What is one of the ways to discover your strengths?
a. enroll in college classes
b. engage others in social activity
c. engage in a self-assessment
d. all of these
28. A subordinate of yours is unsure about sharing their strengths with fellow team
members. According to the text, you should encourage them to do because sharing
strengths with others ______.
a. lets others know how you can be most useful
b. clarifies unique contributions one can make to the team
c. allows others to know what they can expect from you
d. all of these
29. Which of the following are ways people choose to reveal their strengths?
a. posting on social media
b. email signatures
c. listing on Resume
d. all of these
30. An employee comes to you and asks to set up a series of coaching sessions as the
two of you share one Strengthsfinder strength. This employee is seeking to:
a. acknowledge their strength
b. develop their strength
c. ignore their strength
d. acknowledge their strength and develop their strength
31. Warren Buffett is known for all of the following strengths except
a. patience
b. public speaking
c. practicality
d. trustfulness
32. Leaders must not only recognize and capitalize on their strengths, but they must
also be able to identify their ______ and address them.
a. unrealized strengths
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
b. learned behaviors
c. weaknesses
d. unrealized strengths and learned behaviors
33. Recognizing the strengths of your followers can lead to ______.
a. higher follower engagement
b. positive group contributions
c. feelings of dissatisfaction
d. higher follower engagement and positive group contributions
34. What is a common mistake leaders make when it come to their followers?
a. overlook their strengths
b. do not spend enough time with them
c. do not delegate enough work
d. fail to understand their preference
35. According to the text, leaders who want to create a positive work environment
should attend to relationships, communication, meaning, and ______.
a. energy
b. climate
c. corporate goals
d. project details
36. Because others’ strengths may not always be directly recognizable or observable in
their situations, it is important to ______.
a. ask them what their strengths are
b. psychoanalyze them
c. have them observe your strengths
d. find opportunities that will allow unseen strengths to emerge
37. A leader who is fostering compassion, forgiveness, and gratitude among followers is
seeking to create a ______.
a. positive climate
b. hostile environment
c. cult
d. emotional support system
38. A manager who wants employees to share information and ideas freely should seek
to develop ______.
a. unrealized strengths
b. hostile environment
c. positive communication
d. learned behaviors
39. What requires you to concentrate on your positive attributes and those times when
you feel most inspirited?
a. developing your strengths
b. implementing change
c. discovering your strengths
d. identifying your weaknesses
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
40. What organization interviewed over 2 million people about their strengths and what
made them good at what they did?
a. Center for Leadership
b. Values in Action Institute
c. The Gallup Organization
d. Centre for Applied Positive Psychology
41. A young manager focuses on his subordinates’ weaknesses and uses negative
language during team meetings. As their supervisor, you might recommend they
develop ______.
a. learned behaviors
b. positive relationships
c. team goals
d. group meaning
42. In valuing engaged and productive followers, a leader should help connect the
______ of their work to their values and impact.
a. meaning
b. vision
c. communication
d. relationships
43. A leader who is competent in making ideas become reality, but not in working well
with a team should identify followers with strengths in which domain?
a. strategic thinking
b. relationship building
c. executing
d. influencing
44. Your strengths represent the best you have to offer in ______ others.
a. controlling
b. influencing
c. manipulating
d. controlling and manipulating
45. Which approach to strengths has the highest number of strengths?
a. Gallup (Strengths of Competence)
b. VIA (Strengths of Character)
c. CAPP (Strengths Fully Realized)
d. they all contain the same number
46. In the American culture, expressing positive self-attributes is often seen as ______.
a. normal
b. unique
c. impressive
d. boastful
47. A fundamental difference of the strengths perspective is that they focus on what is
______ with people.
a. right
b. wrong
c. undervalued
d. impressive
48. Strengthsfinder focuses on strengths in work, while the VIA classification focuses on
strengths of ______.
a. employment
b. character
c. personality
d. demeanor
49. The Centre of Applied Positive Psychology argues that strengths are fluid and can
emerge through different ______.
a. assessments
b. activities
c. experiences
d. criteria
50. How many established theories about the practice of strength-based leadership
exist?
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
a. 3
b. 5
c. 7
d. no currently established theories exist on this topic
True/False
1. A strength is an attribute or quality of an individual that accounts for successful
performance.
2. Positive psychology is the study of how to get employees to do what you want them
to do.
3. Strengths emerge from talents.
4. The strengths outlined by the StrengthsFinder are more closely tied to the person’s
character whereas the VIA strengths focus more on the workplace.
5. Unrealized strengths are those ingrained things we have learned throughout our life
experience.
6. Leaders should be able to identify their weaknesses in addition to recognizing their
strengths.
7. A key aspect of strengths leadership is being able to engage the strengths of others.
8. Leaders need to ascertain followers’ strengths only from what followers explicitly
express to leaders.
9. Every one of us has identifiable leadership strengths, areas in which we excel or
thrive.
10. Extraordinary individuals are distinguished less by their ability to identify their
Essay
1. Explain and differentiate between the disease model and positive psychology. Where
does each have a role in explaining leadership?
2. What is the difference between themes of human talent and Strengths?
3. Explain the key difference between StrengthsFinder and VIA Classification. How are
each useful to leadership development?
4. What are two of your realized strengths and two of your unrealized strengths?
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
5. Briefly discuss the four areas leaders need to consider in order to create a positive
work environment
6. Discuss the four steps to incorporate strengths into your personal and work settings.
Include examples of how you have enacted these steps in your leadership.
7. Northouse states that the challenge we face is identifying our strengths and them
employing them effectively in our leadership and personal lives. Discuss a personal
example of discovering a strength and how you have engaged that strength in
leadership settings.
8. Strength, like leadership, has a cultural dimension where what one culture sees as a
strength, others may see as something to keep hidden. Analyze this dynamic of
strengths and leadership and provide context for your answer.
9. Analyze the Leadership Snapshot of Steve Jobs for examples of strengths and
weaknesses. What contributed to his successes? To his failures?
10. Explain the four domains of strengths and discuss how a leader can use them to
create high performing teams.