Tuning Up Your Leadership Skills — IELTS Reading Answers

a summary of the different aspects of leadership that are covered in the study

“The research focused on the way that these jazz greats created and ran their musical enterprises. In particular, Ucbasaran and Lockett focused on three specific areas of leadership activity: team formation, team coordination and team turnover”

B: the study focused on 'three specific areas of leadership activity: team formation, team coordination and team turnover'.

a description of how band leaders sometimes passed on their leadership skills to others

“In some cases, in particular with Art Blakey, they actively encouraged and coached team members to become leaders”

E: 'in particular with Art Blakey, they actively encouraged and coached team members to become leaders'.

a summary of the backgrounds of the band leaders chosen for the study

“The authors decided to focus on three of the best known names in jazz – Duke Ellington, Miles Davis and Art Blakey. American composer Duke Ellington was a pioneering jazz orchestra leader from the 1920s through to the 1970s.”

B: the passage gives the backgrounds of Ellington, Davis and Blakey before analysing their leadership.

examples of ways in which one band leader encouraged his musicians to be more creative

“Miles Davis discouraged band members from rehearsing in case it led to musical cliches from over-practice. Similarly, he often asked his musicians to play a piece in an unusual key, so they did not rely on learned fingering patterns”

D: Davis 'discouraged band members from rehearsing' and asked them to 'play a piece in an unusual key' to avoid cliche.

an overview of the main similarities between the work of business people and jazz musicians

“Now Warwick Business School Professors Deniz Ucbasaran and Andy Lockett are hitting all the right notes with their study of famous jazz musicians, Leading Entrepreneurial Teams: Insights From Jazz, providing some essential insights for entrepreneurial team leaders”

A: the study is said to provide 'essential insights for entrepreneurial team leaders', linking business and jazz.

a description of two contrasting ways of leading a team

“Some leaders are very directive, detailing what tasks they want team members to perform, and how they want them to go about those tasks. But that was not the approach Ellington, Davis and Blakey adopted.”

D: some leaders are 'very directive', while Ellington, Davis and Blakey 'acted more as facilitators', two contrasting approaches.

The study by Ucbasaran and Lockett was the first to compare the worlds of music and business.

“Ever since management expert Peter Drucker compared the job of Chief Executive Officer to that of an orchestra conductor, the business world has been exploring comparisons and inspirations from the world of music”

FALSE: since Drucker compared a CEO to a conductor, 'the business world has been exploring comparisons ... from the world of music', so the study is not first.

One reason why jazz musicians were chosen for the research is because the setting in which they work is unpredictable.

“jazz groups and their members often operate in uncertain and dynamic environments, characterised by rapid change”

TRUE: jazz groups 'often operate in uncertain and dynamic environments, characterised by rapid change', an unpredictable setting.

The researchers decided to cover only certain aspects of leadership.

“the research focused on the way that these jazz greats created and ran their musical enterprises. In particular, Ucbasaran and Lockett focused on three specific areas of leadership activity: team formation, team coordination and team turnover”

TRUE: the researchers 'focused on three specific areas of leadership activity', not leadership as a whole.

When assembling their teams, the band leaders all prioritised players

1. Awho had special technical skill.
2. Bwho were used to working independently.
3. Cwho had an individual style of their own.correct
4. Dwho would get on well with other band members.

“In particular, they looked for musicians with a different sound or way of playing, one that was unique to that band member and would improve the overall sound of the band”

C: they sought 'musicians with a different sound or way of playing, one that was unique to that band member'.

What obstacle might jazz leaders face in reducing destructive conflict among team members?

1. AThey may also reduce productive conflict in the process.correct
2. BTheir team members tend to have especially strong personalities.
3. CThey are unaware of the theory concerning different types of conflict.
4. DTheir team members may be unwilling to cooperate in reducing this.

“Traditional team leadership theory suggests that to get the best team performance the leader should foster conflict that is productive in its effects, while minimising destructive conflict.”

A: productive and destructive conflict share the same sources, so reducing destructive conflict may also cut productive conflict.

What approach to group coordination was shared by Ellington, Davis and Blakey?

1. AThey allowed musicians to be creative within certain agreed limits.
2. BThey increased opportunities for success and reduced chances of failure.
3. CThey provided a structure within which musicians could express themselves.correct
4. DThey coordinated the work of their teams so each member contributed equally.

“All three leaders created a general framework within which team members could work, providing guidance but also the freedom to explore, express and make mistakes”

C: all three 'created a general framework within which team members could work', combining guidance with freedom.

Ucbasaran and her colleagues found that the high turnover of members in jazz bands

1. Awas eventually reduced by the policies of the band leaders.
2. Bwas welcomed by band leaders for the benefits it brought.correct
3. Cwas due to a shortage of effective band leaders.
4. Dwas a feature of the growing popularity of jazz.

“Yet the high turnover of team members, despite the resulting loss of knowledge and skills, was seen in a positive light. That was partly because of the advantages of getting a fresh shot of knowledge, ideas and creativity when new members joined”

B: high turnover 'was seen in a positive light' because new members brought 'a fresh shot of knowledge, ideas and creativity'.