Final answer:
Susan's tendency to lean back and prefer distance during team interactions is indicative of a driver behavioral style, though real-world leaders often exhibit mixed styles depending on the situation.
The correct option is D.
Step-by-step explanation:
Susan is displaying the characteristics of driver behavior. This behavior is often associated with leaders who are task-oriented, less focused on relationships, and who may prefer efficiency over personal connections.
A driver may lean back and create distance during interactions to focus on the content of the discussion rather than the interpersonal relationships.
Now, looking at the similar choices provided:
- An authoritarian leadership has a communication pattern that flows from the top down. This aligns with a more controlling and directive approach, where decisions are made at the top and communicated downwards without much participation from team members.
- A sales manager of a fast-growing cosmetics company is more likely to be an expressive leader, as they often work in environments that require dynamic, engaging, and motivational communication styles.
- A personality psychologist would be interested in what factors make an employee best suited for a given job, focusing on individual differences in behavior, emotion, and thought processes.
Leaders like Susan, while they might exude driver characteristics, can also have elements that overlap with other behavioral styles. They can be strategic and yet expressive, and their management style may mix various elements depending on the context and requirements of the situation.
The correct option is D.