Earhart Leadership Exam Study Guide| 130
QUESTIONS| WITH COMPLETE SOLUTION
Describe how officers' professional expectations rose with the birth of the modern military.
Correct 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.
Correct 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. Correct 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. Correct Answer: As an indirect
leader, you will now lead in concert with and through other leaders.
Describe the four forms of indirect leadership. Correct 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. Correct 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. Correct
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. Correct 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. Correct Answer: Corruption,
Stewardship, Philanthropy, Sustainability, Human Rights, and Transparency.
Describe why professionals often join professional associations. Correct Answer: Professionals
join professional associations in order to honor their public trust.
Explain why most professional associations adopt a code of ethics. Correct Answer: A code of
ethics sets an ethical standard for the professionals in the association.
, Define the term "dissent." Correct 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. Correct 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. Correct Answer: Dissent in
the military should be valued because it helps to prevent unethical practices.
Identify principles for dissenting with respect. Correct 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. Correct
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. Correct 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. Correct Answer: Moral relativism denies that there are
certain kinds of universal truths.
Summarize the case for moral objectivism. Correct 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. Correct Answer: Everything that is conscious is
goal-directed and working toward some kind of transformation.
Summarize basic principles of duty ethics. Correct Answer: Act only on that maxim which you
can at the same time will as a universal law.
Summarize basic principles of utilitarian ethics. Correct Answer: Ethics is a matter of producing
the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people.
Summarize the principles of "just war theory" according to Aquinas. Correct Answer: War is
moral only if: waged as a last resort, waged by a legitimate authority, it pursues a just cause, its
goal is to re-establish peace, it is made to spare the lives of the innocent non-combatants.
QUESTIONS| WITH COMPLETE SOLUTION
Describe how officers' professional expectations rose with the birth of the modern military.
Correct 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.
Correct 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. Correct 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. Correct Answer: As an indirect
leader, you will now lead in concert with and through other leaders.
Describe the four forms of indirect leadership. Correct 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. Correct 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. Correct
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. Correct 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. Correct Answer: Corruption,
Stewardship, Philanthropy, Sustainability, Human Rights, and Transparency.
Describe why professionals often join professional associations. Correct Answer: Professionals
join professional associations in order to honor their public trust.
Explain why most professional associations adopt a code of ethics. Correct Answer: A code of
ethics sets an ethical standard for the professionals in the association.
, Define the term "dissent." Correct 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. Correct 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. Correct Answer: Dissent in
the military should be valued because it helps to prevent unethical practices.
Identify principles for dissenting with respect. Correct 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. Correct
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. Correct 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. Correct Answer: Moral relativism denies that there are
certain kinds of universal truths.
Summarize the case for moral objectivism. Correct 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. Correct Answer: Everything that is conscious is
goal-directed and working toward some kind of transformation.
Summarize basic principles of duty ethics. Correct Answer: Act only on that maxim which you
can at the same time will as a universal law.
Summarize basic principles of utilitarian ethics. Correct Answer: Ethics is a matter of producing
the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people.
Summarize the principles of "just war theory" according to Aquinas. Correct Answer: War is
moral only if: waged as a last resort, waged by a legitimate authority, it pursues a just cause, its
goal is to re-establish peace, it is made to spare the lives of the innocent non-combatants.
