The correct answer is to work with the product owner to clarify the requirements and provide the team with the necessary information. This is the essence of servant leadership removing impediments, as the project manager’s primary role is to clear obstacles that block the team’s progress, and unclear requirements are a direct impediment to task completion. On the Project Management Professional PMP exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the servant leader mindset within Agile frameworks, where the manager facilitates rather than directs. A common trap is choosing to escalate the issue or take over the work, which undermines team autonomy and violates the servant leadership principle of enabling self-organization. Instead, the correct action is proactive and collaborative, focusing on the root cause. Memory tip: think of the servant leader as a “bridge builder”—when the team hits a wall of confusion, you build a bridge to the product owner for clarity, not a detour around the team.
PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
This PMP practice question tests your understanding of people — leading projects. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A project manager is using a servant leadership approach. During a sprint, the team is struggling to complete their tasks due to unclear requirements. What should the project manager do?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Work with the product owner to clarify the requirements and provide the team with the necessary information
Option B is correct because servant leadership involves removing obstacles for the team. Clarifying requirements removes the impediment. Option A does not help the team directly. Option C bypasses the team's autonomy. Option D is reactive rather than proactive.
Key principle: ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
Work with the product owner to clarify the requirements and provide the team with the necessary information
Why this is correct
Removing obstacles is a key servant leadership behavior.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
✗
Take over the task of clarifying requirements and update the user stories yourself
Why it's wrong here
This undermines the product owner's role.
✗
Coach the team to ask better questions during sprint planning
Why it's wrong here
While helpful, this does not address the immediate obstacle.
✗
Wait until the sprint retrospective to discuss the issue
Why it's wrong here
Delaying action does not help the team now.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: ACLs stop at the first match
ACLs are processed top to bottom. The first matching entry wins, and an implicit deny usually exists at the end.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
ACL questions test precision: source, destination, protocol, port and direction. A generally correct ACL can still fail if it is applied on the wrong interface or in the wrong direction.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
Extended ACLs can match source, destination, protocol and ports.
The first matching ACL entry is used.
There is usually an implicit deny at the end.
TExam Day Tips
→Check inbound versus outbound direction.
→Read the ACL from top to bottom.
→Look for a broader permit or deny above the intended line.
Key takeaway
ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A security administrator must allow nursing staff to reach a patient records server while blocking access from the guest Wi-Fi VLAN. After applying an extended ACL, traffic is still blocked from nursing workstations. The ACL was applied outbound instead of inbound on the wrong interface. Questions like this test ACL direction and placement rules.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this PMP question in full detail.
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related PMP ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
People — Leading Projects — This question tests People — Leading Projects — Standard ACLs match source addresses..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Work with the product owner to clarify the requirements and provide the team with the necessary information — Option B is correct because servant leadership involves removing obstacles for the team. Clarifying requirements removes the impediment. Option A does not help the team directly. Option C bypasses the team's autonomy. Option D is reactive rather than proactive.
What should I do if I get this PMP question wrong?
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related PMP ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
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Question Discussion
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