PROJECT OBJECTIVE:

You are to write an analytical report on one of today’s industry leaders. The focus of your analysis will be to compare the actual experiences of this leader to the textbook definitions and examples of efficient, effective leadership in today’s corporations. You will select one of the leaders featured in the articles listed below. Your selected article may serve as a starting point, but a successful report will show evidence of comprehensive research on the key components of leadership that we explored in our course. Using course terminology and specific examples from your research, your report should reflect the leader’s performance in the context of these topics:

• Dimensions of Organizational Culture including attitudes on Globalization, Social Responsibility and Managerial Ethics
• Challenges and Opportunities resulting from Change and Innovation
• Planning- including Decision-making
• Strategic Management addressing SWOT analysis and Corporate and Competitive Strategies
• Communication and Motivation
• Leadership Style(s)

As you analyze this leader, you should consider the extent to which he or she exemplifies leadership as defined by our course. You should also discuss how his or her performance adds to our understanding of effective leadership.

START WITH ONE OF THESE ARTICLES:

• Sara Blakely– Spanx CEO- Shaping Sara Blakeley (December 2015)

http://www.success.com/article/shaping-sara-blakely-meet-the-billionaire-founder-of-spanx

• Elon Musk– Tesla CEO- The Transformational Leadership Style of Elon Musk (March 2016)
  http://www.boothco.com/360-feedback-resources/leadership-style-of-elon-musk/
• Indra Nooyi– PepsiCo CEO- What I’ve Learned From Ten Years Being PepsiCo’s CEO (July 2017)
  https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/leave-crown-garage-what-ive-learned-from-decade-being-indra-nooyi
• Mary Barra– GM CEO- Mary Barra is Remaking GM’s Culture
  https://www.fastcompany.com/3064064/most-innovative-companies/mary-barra-is-remaking-gms-culture-and-the-company-itself

Angela Ahrendts– Apple VP Retail- What the heck is Angela Ahrendts doing at Apple? (September 2015)
http://fortune.com/2015/09/10/angela-ahrendts-apple/

• Tory Burch– Tory Burch Secret To Success: Storytelling (August 2014)
  https://www.fastcompany.com/3034283/the-secret-to-tory-burchs-success-storytelling
• Jeff Bezos– Amazon CEO- Bezos Is Clear About What Amazon’s Culture Is (August 2015)
  http://www.marketwatch.com/story/bezos-is-clear-about-what-amazons-culture-is-2015-08-26
• Eileen Fisher-Founder and President- Eileen Fisher Leverages Employee values (July 2014)
  http://www.triplepundit.com/2014/07/eileen-fisher-leverages-employee-values-chart-path-toward-long-term-sustainability/
• Mark Parker– Nike CEO Of The Year (January 2015)
  http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/print-edition/2015/01/30/ceo-of-the-year-an-exclusive-interview-with-nike.html

CONDUCT RESEARCH:

Find evidence from a wide variety of current, accurate, credible sources that illustrate the leader’s performance in the skills and behaviors we studied. Make full use of FIT Library databases.

WRITE IT UP:

Your report should flow logically through the topics, presenting the evidence and examples of the leader’s performance in each of the key components. Each topic should be addressed and substantiated with content that leads the reader to a conclusion on the leadership behaviors displayed by the subject.
FORMAT:

Your points must be substantiated with evidence from a wide variety of sources. All sources, including the textbook, must be properly cited, APA Style.

Maximum number of pages is 5, minimum is 3 (excluding Bibliography). Do not add a Cover Sheet. Acceptable fonts are Ariel, Times New Roman and Verdana; font size 11 or 12; font color black.

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