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Leadership Styles

5 minutes 5 Questions

Leadership styles refer to the different approaches that leaders use to guide, direct, and influence the behavior and performance of their team members through decision-making, problem-solving, and communication. There are various leadership styles commonly recognized in project management, including autocratic, democratic, laissez-faire, transformational, and servant leadership. These styles have varying degrees of control and influence over the team, impacting productivity, morale, and overall team dynamics. A successful project manager can adapt their leadership style to suit the needs and preferences of their team members, considering factors such as cultural diversity, skills, and work environment.

Guide to Leadership Styles in PMBOK 7th Edition - PMP Exam Preparation

Leadership style is a critical aspect in project management, emphasising on how project leaders influence team members.

Why it is Important:
Leadership styles influence the outcome of a project directly, from team morale, productivity, to the overall project success. Project managers need to adopt the appropriate style depending on the unique specifications of their team and project.

What it is:
Leadership Styles refer to preferred methods of interaction, communication, and direction of a team within a project. This includes Autocratic, Laisitarian, Democratic, Transactional, Transformational, and Servant leadership.

How it Works:
Leaders adopt different styles depending on the situation. For example, an Autocratic leader makes decisions independently; a Democratic leader involves the team in decision-making processes; and, a Transformational leader aims at improving and transforming the team.

How to Answer Questions in an Exam:
Understanding leadership styles and when each is applied is key to answering exam questions. Reflect on situational questions and select the best-matching leadership style.

Exam Tips:
Focus on situational questions, understanding when a particular style is effective. You should also pay attention to the pros and cons of each leadership style. Always read the questions carefully, as sometimes the question might require you to select more than one applicable leadership style.

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PMP - Human Resource Management Example Questions

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Question 1

A project manager aims to inspire and motivate the team by articulating a compelling vision and demonstrating enthusiasm. Which leadership style best supports this approach?

Correct Answer: Charismatic leadership

Charismatic leadership involves inspiring and motivating team members by communicating a compelling vision and demonstrating enthusiasm. This approach aligns with the project manager's aim to inspire and motivate the team by articulating a compelling vision and showing enthusiasm. Servant leadership focuses on serving the needs of team members and prioritizing their personal growth and well-being, which is not the primary focus in this scenario. Autocratic leadership is characterized by making decisions unilaterally and expecting team members to follow orders without input, contrasting with inspiring and motivating through vision and enthusiasm. Laissez-faire leadership is a hands-off approach where the leader provides minimal guidance and allows team members to make decisions independently, which does not involve actively inspiring or motivating the team.

Question 2

An inexperienced team is having difficulty with project tasks. Which leadership style would be most effective in providing guidance and direction?

Correct Answer: Directive leader

The Directive leader function is best for inexperienced teams having difficulty with project tasks. Directive leaders provide clear instructions and closely monitor tasks, making all the important decisions. This guidance and direction is essential for a team that lacks experience and is struggling. The other leadership styles are less suitable in this situation: A Laissez-faire leader promotes autonomy and doesn't provide the necessary guidance for an inexperienced team. A Charismatic leader can inspire and motivate, but may not provide the direct instructions inexperienced teams need. A Transactional leader focuses more on rewarding or punishing team members based on performance rather than providing direct guidance and direction.

Question 3

A project manager finds themselves frequently making decisions for the team without consulting them. To increase team engagement, which leadership style should be adopted?

Correct Answer: Participative leader

The correct leadership style to increase team engagement by consulting them before making decisions is the Participative leader style. This is due to its nature of involving team members in the decision-making process, promoting a sense of ownership, collaboration, and empowerment. The Autocratic leader style is incorrect because these leaders make decisions without consulting their teams, which is the existing problem the question wants to address. Autocrats take a 'my way or the highway' approachThe Laissez-faire leader style is not appropriate here either. This style leaves team members to their own devices, which might not always prove beneficial if direction and leadership are requiredLastly, the Transactional leader style is not the correct choice as well. This style relies on rewards and punishments to motivate team members, and does not necessarily involve them in decision-making.

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