Earhart: Leadership- Exam Study
Guide Questions and Answers.
Describe how officers' professional expectations rose with the birth of the modern military. -
Answer Any random rich son of a prominent father wouldn't necessarily be suited to the
demands of the increasingly technical and complex demands of military leadership. Officers
were not born; rather, they were educated and trained for the profession of arms.
Discuss how the concept of how a meritocracy guides militaries in the selection of officers. -
Answer The only title to an officer's commission shall be, in time of peace, education and
professional knowledge; in time of war, distinguished valor and perception.
Defend the requirement for officers to swear an oath of office. - Answer Responsibility should
always accompany authority, so the oath (a profession of responsibility) comes before the
actual commission.
Compare and contrast direct leadership with indirect leadership. - Answer As an indirect
leader, you will now lead in concert with and through other leaders.
Describe the four forms of indirect leadership. - Answer Leadership from a Distance,
Leadership through a Link, Leadership through Creations, and Upward Influence.
Explain what the term "link" means in the context of indirect leadership. - Answer A "link" is
the series of other leaders your message is transmitted through.
Defend the principle that upward influence can be a positive form of indirect leadership. -
Answer Upward influence allows subordinates to aid the team by guiding their commanders
with new ideas.
Explain why organizations and leaders are expected to honor a public trust. - Answer leaders
who find themselves in powerful positions have an obligation to the public. The public, the
news media, watchdog groups, and the courts take an interest in the actions of organizations
and the leaders who head them.
Describe sample issues relating to corporate social responsibility. - Answer Corruption,
Stewardship, Philanthropy, Sustainability, Human Rights, and Transparency.
Describe why professionals often join professional associations. - Answer Professionals join
professional associations in order to honor their public trust.
, Explain why most professional associations adopt a code of ethics. - Answer A code of ethics
sets an ethical standard for the professionals in the association.
Define the term "dissent." - Answer Dissent is the expression of opinions contrary to the
official view, and a means for a leader to call attention to obligations that are higher than the
duty to follow orders.
Explain why dissent is important for the team's success. - Answer Dissent allows team
members to provide information contrary to the leaders information that could potentially save
the team.
Defend the claim that dissent should be valued within the military. - Answer Dissent in the
military should be valued because it helps to prevent unethical practices.
Identify principles for dissenting with respect. - Answer Use the chain of command. Stay
professional and in control of your emotions. Recommend solutions; don't just complain about
problems. Pick your battles, recognizing the difference between matters of style and matters of
principle. And do not claim the right to criticize an idea unless you can summarize that idea in
such a way that someone espousing the opposing view would admit your summary is fair.
Identify principles for encouraging and receiving dissenting views from subordinates. - Answer
Be mindful of your stress reactions and defensive behaviors. Don't take it personally if someone
challenges your views. Assume good faith. Grant that the dissenter is trying to help the team,
not make trouble. Thank people for being brave enough to speak up. Give credit where credit is
due.
Defend the claim that leaders must be skilled in moral reasoning. - Answer Because officers
play a special role in resolving problems that have ethical dimensions, they need to develop
their capabilities in moral reasoning.
Summarize the case for moral relativism. - Answer Moral relativism denies that there are
certain kinds of universal truths.
Summarize the case for moral objectivism. - Answer Objectivism is the belief that despite
cultures disagreeing about ethics across human history, some moral principles have universal
validity.
Summarize basic principles of virtue ethics. - Answer Everything that is conscious is goal-
directed and working toward some kind of transformation.
Summarize basic principles of duty ethics. - Answer Act only on that maxim which you can at
the same time will as a universal law.
Guide Questions and Answers.
Describe how officers' professional expectations rose with the birth of the modern military. -
Answer Any random rich son of a prominent father wouldn't necessarily be suited to the
demands of the increasingly technical and complex demands of military leadership. Officers
were not born; rather, they were educated and trained for the profession of arms.
Discuss how the concept of how a meritocracy guides militaries in the selection of officers. -
Answer The only title to an officer's commission shall be, in time of peace, education and
professional knowledge; in time of war, distinguished valor and perception.
Defend the requirement for officers to swear an oath of office. - Answer Responsibility should
always accompany authority, so the oath (a profession of responsibility) comes before the
actual commission.
Compare and contrast direct leadership with indirect leadership. - Answer As an indirect
leader, you will now lead in concert with and through other leaders.
Describe the four forms of indirect leadership. - Answer Leadership from a Distance,
Leadership through a Link, Leadership through Creations, and Upward Influence.
Explain what the term "link" means in the context of indirect leadership. - Answer A "link" is
the series of other leaders your message is transmitted through.
Defend the principle that upward influence can be a positive form of indirect leadership. -
Answer Upward influence allows subordinates to aid the team by guiding their commanders
with new ideas.
Explain why organizations and leaders are expected to honor a public trust. - Answer leaders
who find themselves in powerful positions have an obligation to the public. The public, the
news media, watchdog groups, and the courts take an interest in the actions of organizations
and the leaders who head them.
Describe sample issues relating to corporate social responsibility. - Answer Corruption,
Stewardship, Philanthropy, Sustainability, Human Rights, and Transparency.
Describe why professionals often join professional associations. - Answer Professionals join
professional associations in order to honor their public trust.
, Explain why most professional associations adopt a code of ethics. - Answer A code of ethics
sets an ethical standard for the professionals in the association.
Define the term "dissent." - Answer Dissent is the expression of opinions contrary to the
official view, and a means for a leader to call attention to obligations that are higher than the
duty to follow orders.
Explain why dissent is important for the team's success. - Answer Dissent allows team
members to provide information contrary to the leaders information that could potentially save
the team.
Defend the claim that dissent should be valued within the military. - Answer Dissent in the
military should be valued because it helps to prevent unethical practices.
Identify principles for dissenting with respect. - Answer Use the chain of command. Stay
professional and in control of your emotions. Recommend solutions; don't just complain about
problems. Pick your battles, recognizing the difference between matters of style and matters of
principle. And do not claim the right to criticize an idea unless you can summarize that idea in
such a way that someone espousing the opposing view would admit your summary is fair.
Identify principles for encouraging and receiving dissenting views from subordinates. - Answer
Be mindful of your stress reactions and defensive behaviors. Don't take it personally if someone
challenges your views. Assume good faith. Grant that the dissenter is trying to help the team,
not make trouble. Thank people for being brave enough to speak up. Give credit where credit is
due.
Defend the claim that leaders must be skilled in moral reasoning. - Answer Because officers
play a special role in resolving problems that have ethical dimensions, they need to develop
their capabilities in moral reasoning.
Summarize the case for moral relativism. - Answer Moral relativism denies that there are
certain kinds of universal truths.
Summarize the case for moral objectivism. - Answer Objectivism is the belief that despite
cultures disagreeing about ethics across human history, some moral principles have universal
validity.
Summarize basic principles of virtue ethics. - Answer Everything that is conscious is goal-
directed and working toward some kind of transformation.
Summarize basic principles of duty ethics. - Answer Act only on that maxim which you can at
the same time will as a universal law.
