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Christopher is the CEO of a company. Recently, he scheduled a meeting with a challenging objective–to discuss with a team of his employees a project that is failing. It is costing a lot of investment in time and money and does not appear to have any return on investment in sight. Which of the following approaches would demonstrate successful strategic leadership?

1) Taking immediate action to terminate the project
2) Ignoring the project and focusing on other initiatives
3) Collaborating with the team to identify and address the issues
4) Blaming the team for the project's failure

User Rajaraman
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Final answer:

Blaming the team is not a hallmark of strategic leadership. Successful leaders identify problems collaboratively, communicate effectively, and adapt plans to address underlying issues and team concerns.

Step-by-step explanation:

Blaming the team for a project's failure would not demonstrate successful strategic leadership. Instead, a more productive approach would involve examining the underlying factors that led to the project's shortcomings. A strategic leader should work collaboratively with the team to identify the problem areas, understand their concerns, and develop a plan to address them. Asking open and constructive questions like "Can you explain to me what motivated you to choose that course of action?" rather than accusatory ones can lead to insightful dialogue and a more cooperative environment. Remember, a failed project is often a result of multiple complex factors, so the leader should foster an atmosphere where the team members can learn from the experience and use it to grow professionally.

For example, if a project is not funded with dedicated staff, team members may struggle to balance this work with their funded projects. Under such circumstances, a leader should acknowledge the competing priorities and work with the team to reassess project timelines or look for additional resources. It's important to approach such situations with empathy, clear communication, and a readiness to explore alternative solutions together.

User Lyudmila
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