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Getty Images Leader’s Self-Insight 10.2

Assess Your Team Leadership Skills

Answer the following questions based on what you have 10. Delegation is hard for me when
done as a team leader, or think you would do, related to an important task has to be
the team situations and attitudes described. Check either done right. _______ _______
Mostly False or Mostly True for each question. 11. I enjoy working with people
Mostly Mostly with different accents. _______ _______
False True 12. I am confident about leading
1. An important part of leading team members from different
a team is to keep members cultures. _______ _______
informed almost daily of informa-
tion that could affect their work. _______ _______
Scoring and Interpretation
2. I love communicating online
The answers for effective team leadership are as follows:
to work on tasks with team
Give yourself 1 point for each Mostly True answer to
members. _______ _______
questions 1, 2, 6, 8, 9, 11, and 12. Give yourself 1 point
3. Generally, I feel somewhat tense
for each Mostly False answer to questions 3, 4, 5, 7, and
while interacting with team
10. If your score is 9 or higher, you certainly understand
members from different cultures. _______ _______
the ingredients to be a highly effective team leader. If
4. I nearly always prefer face- your score is 3 or lower, you might have an authoritarian
to-face communications with approach to leadership, or are not comfortable with cultu rally
team members over e-mail. _______ _______ diverse team membership or virtual team communications,
5. I enjoy doing things in my own such as e-mail.
way and in my own time. _______ _______ Questions 1, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10 pertain to authoritarian
6. If a new member were hired, I versus participative team leadership. Questions 3, 7, 11,
would expect the entire team and 12 pertain to cultural differences. Questions 2 and 4
to interview the person. _______ _______ pertain to virtual team communications. Which aspects
of team leadership reflect your leader strengths? Which
7. I become impatient when
reflect your weaknesses? Team leadership requires that
working with a team member
the leader learn to share power, information, and responsi-
from another culture. _______ _______
bility, be inclusive of diverse members, and be comfortable
8. I suggest a specific way each
with electronic communications.
team member can make a con-
tribution to the project. _______ _______
Source: Adapted from “What Style of Leader Are You or Would
9. If I were out of the office for a You Be?” in Andrew J. DuBrin, Leadership: Research Findings,
Practice, and Skills, 3rd ed. (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company,
week, most of the important 2001), pp. 126–127; and James W. Neuliep and James C.
work of the team would get McCroskey, “The Development of Intercultural and Interethnic
Communication Apprehension Scales,” Communication Research
accomplished anyway. _______ _______ Reports, 14, no. 2 (1997), pp. 145–156.

Provide Support and Coaching to Team Members Good team leaders
make sure people get the training, development opportunities, and resources
they need and that they are adequately rewarded for their contributions to the
organization.
Rather than always thinking about oneself and how to get the next promo-
tion or salary increase, effective team leaders spend their time taking care of team
members. Most team members share the critically important needs for recogni-
tion and support. Leaders frequently overlook how important it is for people to
feel that their contribution is valued, and they may especially forget to acknowledge

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