PMP · Question #1212
A project manager is acting as a servant leader and is struggling to make deadlines on a critical roadway construction project that is falling behind schedule due to a low-performing team. In order to
The correct answer is A. Empower the team members to conduct their job activities and hold each person accountable to. As a servant leader, the project manager should first empower the team members to take ownership of their activities and hold them accountable, fostering self-organization and commitment to improve performance.
Question
A project manager is acting as a servant leader and is struggling to make deadlines on a critical roadway construction project that is falling behind schedule due to a low-performing team. In order to get the project back on track, what should the project manager do first?
Options
- AEmpower the team members to conduct their job activities and hold each person accountable to
- BNotify the project sponsor that the team is underperforming and request additional resources to
- CContact each team member to inform them that further schedule slips will not be tolerated by the
- DBegin holding daily meetings to assign each team member discrete tasks with specific due dates.
How the community answered
(68 responses)- A66% (45)
- B6% (4)
- C7% (5)
- D21% (14)
Why each option
As a servant leader, the project manager should first empower the team members to take ownership of their activities and hold them accountable, fostering self-organization and commitment to improve performance.
A servant leader's primary role is to support and empower the team, removing impediments and fostering an environment where team members can take ownership. By empowering them to manage their activities and holding them accountable, the project manager encourages self-organization and commitment, which are critical for improving team performance and getting the project back on track.
Notifying the project sponsor and requesting additional resources before trying to address internal team performance issues contradicts the servant leader's role of enabling the existing team.
Contacting team members to threaten consequences for schedule slips is counterproductive to building trust and morale, which are essential for a high-performing team, especially for a servant leader.
Holding daily meetings to assign discrete tasks is micromanagement and goes against the principles of servant leadership and team empowerment, potentially reducing autonomy and initiative.
Concept tested: Servant leadership and team empowerment
Source: https://www.pmi.org/pmbok-guide-standards/foundational/agile-practice-guide
Topics
Community Discussion
6
Brenda K.Mar 11, 2026A is your quick win here, do not overthink it. The servant leader keyword in the stem is the dead giveaway that you must select the option emphasizing team empowerment and accountability. D is a classic trap because daily assignments sound productive, but it is a time sink answer that violates the self-organizing team principle. Empower the team first, flag B and C as time sinks to revisit later if needed, and lock in A to keep your exam pace steady.
Samuel O.Mar 13, 2026Agree on A, but worth noting that in practice the harder part is actually sitting on your hands and letting the team figure it out instead of jumping in to fix things yourself, which is what most of us with years of experience instinctively want to do.
Lena V.Mar 10, 2026A is correct. Servant leadership means removing obstacles and empowering the team to self-organize, not micromanaging them with daily task assignments or escalating to the sponsor before trying to fix it internally.
Samuel O.Mar 17, 2026Sat for the exam last spring and got an almost identical question about a struggling team on a construction job. A is the servant leader move, I landed on it because the other three options are either escalation, intimidation, or micromanagement, none of which the PMI mindset rewards.
Lena V.Mar 19, 2026Agreed on A but make sure you can distinguish servant leadership from plain facilitation because PMI sometimes offers both as separate options and the servant leader answer explicitly removes obstacles for the team rather than just running meetings.
Ola B.Mar 5, 2026A is the servant leader move here because you build capability instead of cracking the whip or running to the sponsor. D and C are classic command-and-control traps that sound productive but kill trust on an agile-leaning team. B is premature escalation before you have tried to fix the root cause yourself. Saw this exact scenario on my exam last spring and almost bit on D because daily meetings felt active and responsible, but the servant leader keyword is the giveaway that A is what they want.