ANM Leadership and Management Styles 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An ANM encourages experienced nurses to lead committee work and rarely intervenes in their process. Which quadrant of situational leadership does this reflect?
- S1 – Telling
- S2 – Selling
- S3 – Participating
- S4 – Delegating (Correct answer)
Correct answer: S4 – Delegating
S4 Delegating is appropriate for highly competent and motivated followers who need low task and low relationship support.
Question 2: A transformational leader is MOST likely to:
- Maintain the status quo to ensure operational stability
- Reward compliance and penalize rule violations
- Inspire staff with a shared vision and challenge them to innovate (Correct answer)
- Direct tasks through strict policy enforcement
Correct answer: Inspire staff with a shared vision and challenge them to innovate
Transformational leaders motivate by articulating a compelling vision, fostering innovation, and appealing to intrinsic values.
Question 3: Which leadership competency involves a leader's ability to understand and manage their own emotions as well as those of others?
- Cognitive intelligence
- Emotional intelligence (Correct answer)
- Structural intelligence
- Political intelligence
Correct answer: Emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence (EI), described by Goleman, is the ability to recognize, understand, and manage emotions in oneself and others, critical for nursing leadership.
Question 4: An ANM always consults staff before making scheduling changes and encourages team voting on policy updates. This best describes which style?
- Autocratic
- Democratic/participative (Correct answer)
- Bureaucratic
- Servant
Correct answer: Democratic/participative
Democratic (participative) leaders involve staff in decision-making, which enhances buy-in, job satisfaction, and team collaboration.
Question 5: The concept of servant leadership in nursing management is BEST described as:
- Following all staff requests to maintain unit harmony
- Prioritizing the growth and well-being of staff to enhance their ability to serve patients (Correct answer)
- Serving the organization's financial goals above staff needs
- Delegating all management responsibilities to charge nurses
Correct answer: Prioritizing the growth and well-being of staff to enhance their ability to serve patients
Servant leadership centers on meeting staff needs so they can perform at their best, ultimately improving patient care outcomes.
Question 6: A nurse manager sets ambitious performance goals, models high standards, and quickly replaces underperformers. Which Goleman style is this?
- Coaching
- Affiliative
- Pacesetting (Correct answer)
- Visionary
Correct answer: Pacesetting
The pacesetting style drives high performance but can overwhelm staff if overused; best reserved for highly motivated, skilled teams.
Question 7: Which leadership theory proposes that leaders help followers achieve goals by clarifying the path and removing obstacles?
- Contingency Theory
- Path-Goal Theory (Correct answer)
- Trait Theory
- Quantum Leadership Theory
Correct answer: Path-Goal Theory
Path-Goal Theory (House) states that a leader's role is to clarify the path to goals and reduce barriers, adapting their style to follower and environmental needs.
ANM Leadership and Management Styles 3
An ANM encourages experienced nurses to lead committee work and rarely intervenes in their process.
Which quadrant of situational leadership does this reflect?