Halima is excellent at organizing events, but she is weak in delivering the opening address. She decides to focus on what she is good at and delegate the opening address to her immediate subordinate who excels in public speaking. Halima is practicing
a. strengths-based management
b. theory X management
c. transactional leadership
d. transformational leadership
Description: student submitted image, transcription available
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is:
a. strengths-based management
Explanation:
Halima is demonstrating strengths-based management, a leadership and management approach that focuses on identifying and utilizing the strengths and talents of individuals—both the leader’s own strengths and those of their team members—to maximize productivity and job satisfaction.
In this scenario, Halima acknowledges that while she excels in event organization, she struggles with public speaking, particularly delivering the opening address. Rather than trying to improve this weakness in the short term or performing poorly, she chooses to leverage the skills of her team, specifically delegating the task to a subordinate who is strong in public speaking. This shows she understands her own limitations and is confident in empowering others by assigning responsibilities aligned with their natural talents.
Why it’s not the other options:
- b. Theory X Management: This theory, developed by Douglas McGregor, assumes that employees are inherently lazy and need to be closely supervised and controlled. Halima is clearly not displaying such beliefs. Instead, she is trusting her subordinate to perform a critical function, which aligns more with Theory Y than Theory X.
- c. Transactional Leadership: This leadership style is based on exchanges between leader and follower—like rewards for performance. Halima is not offering a reward or engaging in any form of transaction; she is simply assigning tasks based on skill.
- d. Transformational Leadership: This involves inspiring and motivating followers to achieve extraordinary outcomes and developing them as leaders. While that may be happening in the broader picture, the specific act described is about using team members’ strengths—not transforming their mindset or goals.
Summary:
Halima is practicing strengths-based management by focusing on what she does well and entrusting a team member with a task that aligns with their strengths. This strategy not only enhances performance but also builds a more empowered and effective team.