- A
Identify and remove obstacles that are hindering the team's progress
Removing impediments is a key servant leadership behavior.
- B
Offer monetary incentives for meeting sprint goals
Why wrong: Monetary incentives can be demotivating if not aligned with intrinsic motivation.
- C
Set stricter performance metrics to push the team to improve
Why wrong: This may decrease morale further and is not servant leadership.
- D
Empower the team to make decisions about their own work processes
Empowerment increases ownership and motivation.
- E
Regularly acknowledge and celebrate team achievements
Recognition boosts morale and reinforces positive behavior.
Question 598 of 892
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.
Your agile team has been struggling with low morale and lack of motivation. As a project manager using servant leadership, which THREE actions would be most effective in improving the situation?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Identify and remove obstacles that are hindering the team's progress
Option A is correct because servant leadership focuses on removing impediments that block the team's progress, which directly addresses low morale by reducing frustration and enabling the team to deliver value. By identifying and eliminating obstacles, the project manager demonstrates support and trust, which are foundational to improving motivation in an agile environment.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Identify and remove obstacles that are hindering the team's progress
Why this is correct
Removing impediments is a key servant leadership behavior.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Offer monetary incentives for meeting sprint goals
Why it's wrong here
Monetary incentives can be demotivating if not aligned with intrinsic motivation.
- ✗
Set stricter performance metrics to push the team to improve
Why it's wrong here
This may decrease morale further and is not servant leadership.
- ✓
Empower the team to make decisions about their own work processes
Why this is correct
Empowerment increases ownership and motivation.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Regularly acknowledge and celebrate team achievements
Why this is correct
Recognition boosts morale and reinforces positive behavior.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse extrinsic motivators (like monetary incentives) with effective servant leadership tools, forgetting that agile frameworks emphasize intrinsic motivation and team autonomy over external rewards or pressure.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Servant leadership, as defined in the PMBOK Guide and Agile Practice Guide, prioritizes the team's needs by fostering an environment of trust, empowerment, and continuous improvement. Removing obstacles (Option A) is a direct application of the 'impediment removal' role of a Scrum Master, while empowering the team (Option D) aligns with self-organization, a core agile principle. Celebrating achievements (Option E) reinforces positive behavior and builds team cohesion, which is supported by motivational theories like Herzberg's hygiene factors and McClelland's need for achievement.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PMP question test?
People — Leading Projects — This question tests People — Leading Projects — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Identify and remove obstacles that are hindering the team's progress — Option A is correct because servant leadership focuses on removing impediments that block the team's progress, which directly addresses low morale by reducing frustration and enabling the team to deliver value. By identifying and eliminating obstacles, the project manager demonstrates support and trust, which are foundational to improving motivation in an agile environment.
What should I do if I get this PMP question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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