Question: 1. Describe the six traits that researchers believe may indicate a good leader. However, research has not established a clear link between personality traits and leadership success. What other factors do you think might contribute to success or failure?
2. Claire Callahan supervises the camping department of a large outdoor equipment store. The store manager (Callahan's boss) has given her the objective of increasing sales by 10 percent during the next quarter. Choose one of the three leadership styles (authoritarian, democratic, or laissez faire). Then state three or more steps that Callahan might take to influence her employees to meet the new sales objective.
3. Ann Wong is the accounts payable supervisor at an insurance company. During a time of layoffs, she decides to adopt a more people-oriented leadership style than the style she normally uses. What does this change mean?
4. Do you think it is more realistic to expect supervisors to adjust the situation to meet their preferred leadership style, as suggested by Fiedler's contingency model of leadership, or to adjust their leadership style to fit the situation, as suggested by the life cycle theory of leadership? Explain your reasoning.
5. Do you think it would be more satisfying to be a path-goal leader, a servant leader, or an entrepreneurial leader? Explain your thoughts.
6. In which of the following situations would you recommend that the supervisor use an authoritarian style of leadership? In which situations would you recommend a democratic style? Explain your choices.
• The supervisor's manager says, "Top management wants us to find ways to reduce the environmental impact of all our activities." Each department is given wide latitude in how to accomplish this.
• A supervisor is uncomfortable in meetings and likes to be left alone to figure out solutions to problems. The supervisor's employees believe that a good supervisor is able to tell them exactly what to do.
• A shipment of hazardous materials is on its way to a warehouse. The supervisor is responsible for instructing employees how to handle the materials when they arrive later that day.
7. Identify the leader relationships error in each of the following situations. Suggest a better way to handle each.
• Carole Fields's boss compliments her on the report she submitted yesterday. She says, "It was no big deal."
• When Rich Peaslee was promoted to supervisor, he told the other employees, "Now, remember, I was one of the gang before this promotion, and I'll still be one of the gang."
• The second-shift supervisor observes that the first-shift employees have not left their work areas clean for the last three days. He complains to his manager about the lax supervision on the first shift.
8. Carla Santos doesn't get along with her new manager; the two have disliked each other since the day they met. Santos was transferred to a new department when the previous supervisor left the company, so neither she nor her manager actually chose to work together. Santos doesn't want her job as a supervisor to be jeopardized by an unpleasant relationship. What steps might she take to improve the situation?