Read the interview with a psychologist and find out personal qualities of a good leader

Reading

Match the character adjectives to the definitions.

Translate the sentences from English into Russian.

Match the following words and expressions from column A with those in column B.

Read the character adjectives and answer the questions.

Vocabulary

Character

Unit 6

Cruel vain selfish optimistic caring polite generous easy-going

What do we call a person who…

1 has good manners?

2 likes to hurt or upset people?

3 shows understanding of other people’s needs?

4 is very proud of their looks?

5 expects good things to happen?

6 cares only about himself/herself?

7 doesn’t get upset or angry?

8 gives more than is usual?

A 1 cheerful 2 a good sport 3 hypocrite 4 to bear smb ill-will 5 witty 6 chatter-box 7 split-personality 8 coward 9 tactful 10 awkward 11 generous

B А славный малый B относиться недоброжелательно C щедрый D болтушка E противоречивый характер F тактичный G трус H весёлый I остроумный J лицемер K неуклюжий

1. She is a careless and two-faced person. I consider her very unpleasant, but not at all stupid.

2. She can’t be called attractive but she is very warm-hearted and generous. Handsome is as handsome does, you know.

3. You don’t know him as well as I do. He is well-bred and pleasant to deal with, though he’s a bit pretentious.

4. They made a strange couple. She is full of joy and gaiety and he looks so sullen.

5. She has a wonderful charming personality.

1 sociable 2 sentimental 3 conservative 4 perfectionist 5 arrogant 6 confident 7 moody 8 reliable 9 practical 10 impatient

A want things to be perfect B like going to parties C show pity/love D can be trusted E hate change/new ideas F can’t wait for long G make sensible decisions H be sure of your abilities I change feelings frequently J think you’re better than others

6.5 Which of the adjectives above best describe you/your friends? Give reasons.

Example: I think I’m quite sociable, because I like going to parties and being with friends.

Presenter: Do you have what it takes to be a successful leader? It seems that some of us do, but the most of us don’t. Dr Graaf, what is it exactly that distinguishes a really good leader from everyone else?

Dr Graaf: Well, David, let me begin by assuring our readers that they probably have some of the unique personal qualities necessary for good leadership. Honesty, fairness and intelligence, for example, are all qualities you would expect to find among successful bosses, managers and team leaders. The same people are also often polite and humorous.

Presenter: That sounds exactly like my friend Tom. He’s kind, funny and generous. Everybody likes him because he’s always making us laugh!

Dr Graaf: Yes, but how does your friend behave in difficult or, perhaps, dangerous situations? Tom sounds like a very likeable person, but I’m afraid that being popular just isn’t enough. It takes a lot more than that to be a good leader. You see, leaders sometimes have to make decisions which don’t please everybody. Suppose you are a boss and you have to tell ten hard-working members of staff that your company can no longer afford to employ them. Bosses not only have to be absolutely sure that they are making the right choices, they must also be strong and determined enough to act on those choices, even if doing so occasionally makes them unpopular. Or imagine being responsible for the safety of hundreds of people who are trapped in a burning building. People usually panic in this situation, or simply don’t know what to do. Leaders must be able to think fast and act quickly in all kinds of circumstances. They have to stay calm, cool-headed and in control, even if others are not.

Presenter: No wonder good leaders are so rare! Dr Graaf, thank you very much for being with us today.

Дата добавления: 2014-12-29