DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. How would you define “leadership”? Compare and contrast your definition with the one given
in this chapter.
The text defines leadership as both a process and a property. A simple definition is that leadership is
the process of getting others to behave in ways that enable the organization to achieve its goals.
2. Cite examples of managers who are not leaders and of leaders who are not managers. What
makes them one and not the other? Also, cite examples of both formal and informal leaders.
As discussed in the textbook, management and leadership are not the same. Management relies on
formal position power to influence people, whereas leadership stems from a social influence process.
Hence, a manager who influences subordinate behaviors through threats or reprimands is not leading.
A formal leader is one appointed to head a group, such as a supervisor or an elected officer of a club.
3. What traits do you think characterize successful leaders? Do you think the trait approach has
validity?
4. Recent evidence suggests that successful managers (defined by organizational rank and salary)
may indeed have some of the same traits originally ascribed to effective leaders (such as an
attractive appearance and relative height). How might this finding be explained?
Simple. Such individuals are hired and promoted partly on the basis of their positive appearance and
5. What other forms of leader behavior besides those cited in the chapter can you identify?
The two basic forms of leader behavior identified in the chapter are consideration, or employee-
6. Critique Fiedler’s LPC theory. Are other elements of the situation important? Do you think
Fiedler’s assertion about the inflexibility of leader behavior makes sense? Why or why not?
Fiedler identifies three important elements of the situation: leader-member relations, task structure,
and leader position power. Other elements that may be important include subordinates’ skills and
7. Do you agree or disagree with Fiedler’s assertion that leadership motivation is basically a
personality trait? Why?
Whether task or relationship motivation is a personality trait is a highly controversial question. Task
or relationship motivation is assessed by the LPC score, which researchers argue may be an index of
8. Compare and contrast the LPC and path-goal theories of leadership. What are the strengths
and weaknesses of each?
The LPC and path-goal theories are similar in that both maintain a contingency approach to the study
of leadership. Both emphasize matching the leadership style (in terms of either traits or behaviors) to
the situation. Further, both theories identify important situational characteristics. But the theories
9. Of the three major leadership theories – the LPC theory, the path-goal theory, and Vroom’s
decision tree approach – which is the most comprehensive? Which is the narrowest? Which
has the most practical value?
The most comprehensive leadership theory probably is the path-goal theory. It is a general framework
for understanding how leader behavior and situational factors influence subordinates’ attitudes and
10. How realistic do you think it is for managers to attempt to use Vroom’s decision tree approach
as prescribed? Explain.
It is realistic for managers to use Vroom’s decision tree approach as prescribed as long as they use it
as a guideline when deciding on the degree of subordinate participation. Other factors, such as the
GROUP EXERCISE – Managers and Leaders
Learning Objective: This exercise offers students an opportunity to compare their assumptions and
perspectives on managers and leaders with the assumptions and perspectives of others in their class.
Summary: Students will identify contemporary examples of successful and unsuccessful leaders and
then describe how these leaders differ.
Task:
1. Working alone, each student should list ten characteristics of successful managers and a list of ten
different characteristics of successful leaders.
2. Next, students should share their lists in small groups and discuss the following:
a. Which manager characteristics, if any, appear on different students’ lists?
b. Which leaders characteristics, if any, appear on different students’ lists?
c. Which characteristics, if any, do students put on both their manager list and their leader list?
3. Have each group compile one list of ten characteristics of managers and one list of ten characteristics
of leaders.
4. Share all group lists with the entire class, and see if the class can agree on a final list for managers
and a final list for leaders. What, if anything, do the final two lists have in common? Do any
characteristics appear on both the manager list and the leader list?
VIDEO EXERCISE
City of Greensburg, Kansas: Leadership
Summary: The morning after the powerful EF-5 tornado whipped through the area, everyone knew
Greensburg was gone—perhaps forever. But in a subsequent press conference, Mayor Lonnie McCollum
announced that the town would rebuild as a model green community, and named Steve Hewitt as a full-
time administrator to make the changes. While Mayor McCollum offered a vision for rebuilding
Greensburg, it is Hewitt who stepped up to ensure that the vision became a reality. Hewitt quickly went
to work on a plan for rebuilding. City workers give Hewitt high marks for his handling of the crisis. Like
most good leaders, Hewitt hasn’t been afraid to ruffle feathers as needed.
1. Where does Hewitt’s leadership fall on the Managerial Grid discussed in the chapter? Explain.
City Administrator Steve Hewitt has high concern for production (results) but is also willing to
delegate authority and moral support to subordinates. As a result, many students will put his
2. What deficiencies or shortcomings would you identify in Hewitt’s leadership?
Hewitt seems to be doing everything right. He is delegating authority, working with others to achieve
3. Is Hewitt’s leadership style appropriate for Greensburg’s situation? Explain your answer using
insights drawn from Fiedler’s LPC theory.
According to Fiedler’s leader match contingency theory, leadership effectiveness requires a fit
between the leader’s style and the favorableness of the situation. Assuming that Hewitt leans towards
a task orientation (low LPC), Fiedler’s theory says that he will have the best outcome in situations that
are either very favorable or very unfavorable—that is, where leader-member relations, task structure,
Now What?
Imagine receiving a performance review from your boss about your leadership capabilities that is less
favorable than you expected. What do you say or do? Go to this chapter’s “Now What?” video, watch the
challenge video, and choose a response. Be sure to also view the outcomes of the two responses you
didn’t choose.
OB Concepts Applied: career management; openness to feedback; developmental openness
Discussion Questions
1. Is Alex an effective manager? Is he an effective leader? Justify your answers for each question.
According to Kotter’s Distinctions Between Management and Leadership (Table 11.1), Alex had
exhibited more effective management skills rather than effective leadership skills. If Alex chooses
2. Does Amy demonstrate effective leadership in the challenge video? In what way is she an
effective or ineffective leader?
Amy shows her leadership skills through her careful distribution of the appraisal results. She first
lists the positives before bringing up the lower scores for maintaining company culture and
3. In addition to the solution you think is best, what would you do as either Amy or Alex to
demonstrate more effective leadership when handling this situation?
Option three is obviously the best solution. Both Amy and Alex are showing signs of leadership in