Leadership – Colin Powell

Colin Powell is a retired four star general and was Commander of the United States Army Forces Command.  He also served as Secretary of State under George W. Bush and was his National Security Advisor.  Listen to Powell talk about Leadership in the video entitled: “Colin Powell Speaks about Leadership.”  [You can find the video by going to YouTube and using the search terms, “Colin Powell Speaks about Leadership at Colgate”.]  This was an address given to business students at Colgate University.

Please respond to the following questions along with at least 2 substantive peer replies (for a minimum of 3 posts):

• In the many leadership roles Powell occupied, what according to Powell is the role of a leader?  
• How does the individual who is serving as a leader go about seeing that the needs of the organization are met?  
• What advice does Powell have for the business students he is speaking to with regard to leadership?

Your initial post should be a minimum of 150 words and specifically reference the applicable elements of this week’s reading.

Assignment Week 5

Final Project – Title Page, Outline, & References Page

Develop the format and framework for your final project.  Your submission should be a single document which includes:

• APA formatted Title Page
• Outline summarizing the main topics and sub-topics of the final project (be sure to refer to the lecture from Week 1)
• APA formatted References page

Your paper should reflect scholarly writing and current APA standards. Please include citations within your outline to support your ideas.

Discussion Week 6

Team Processes

Please respond to the following questions along with at least 2 substantive peer replies (for a minimum of 3 posts):

• Which team processes can have a positive influence on team performance?
• Which processes can have negative effects?  Provide an example of each (process with positive influence AND process with negative) that you’ve personally experienced in your life.

Your initial post should be a minimum of 150 words and specifically reference the applicable elements of this week’s reading.

Assignment Week 6

Whole Foods Case Study Questions

Review the Whole Foods Case Study (pp. 1-6) and answer the questions connected to Chapters 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 as listed below.  Responses to each question should range from 100-200 words.  Your paper should reflect scholarly writing and current APA standards (12 point Times New Roman font, double-spacing, 1″ margins, title and reference pages).  Be sure to use the text and/or other sources to support your responses and properly cite the use of such.

1. Is John Mackey a transformational leader?  Why or why not? (Ch 8)
2. Whole Foods’ open-book policy allows all associates to have full access to all information about the company and its executives.  (a) Would this degree of open communication work as well in other companies?  Why or why not?  (b) What impact do you think this degree of transparency has on the attitudes and behaviors of Whole Foods associates? (Ch 9)
3. What group decision-making pitfalls appear most likely within Whole Foods teams and which decision-making techniques would you recommend to counter those pitfalls? (Ch 10)
4. What policies and procedures does Whole Foods enact that allows it to develop successful associate teams? (Ch 11)
5. Whole Foods has been opposed to unionization of it associates.  However, associates in a Madison, Wisconsin store recently voted to become unionized.  What type of conflicts or power struggles may have led this to occur? (Ch 12)

Discussion Week 7

Implementing Change

Please respond to the following questions along with at least 2 substantive peer replies (for a minimum of 3 posts):

• What are the factors to consider in deciding whether a fast or slow approach to change is best?  
• What are the factors to consider in deciding whether a top-down or participatory approach to change is best?
• Describe a situation where you were either a change recipient or a change leader and a poor choice was made for at least one of these two decisions (use an example from an organization in which you currently work or formerly worked, or use a volunteer organization, a church, a sports team, a fraternity/sorority, etc). 

Your initial post should be a minimum of 150 words and specifically reference the applicable elements of this week’s reading.

Assignment Week 7