Question 1. Based on the definition of a group versus the definition of a team, have you been a part of a group, a team, or both in your past or current work situations? What do you think are the best parts of working as part of a team? What do you think are the worst parts of working as part of a team? How can you as a manager encourage the best parts of teamwork while discouraging the worst parts?
Question 2. Think of a leader from your work or education experience you think has charisma. Explain why you think he or she has charisma and how it is demonstrated. With respect to this leader, how did he or she impact your work ethic, job satisfaction, or performance? Was this leader a transformational leader or a transactional leader? Explain.
Question 3. Think of an organization where you currently work or at which you previously worked. Would you describe it as having a low-performance or high-performance culture? Which leadership actions for shaping culture have been used by a leader where you work or have worked? Which of the four types of organizational culture exist where you currently work or have worked? Is it one or a combination of more than one?
Question 4. Select a company with which you are familiar. Prepare a SWOT analysis that identifies one opportunity and one threat you think are facing the organization within the next five years. How would you address the threat? Do you think being a strategic thinker is an important attribute of a leader?
Question 5. Run a quick search on the Internet to find an organization's pre-crisis plan. Share your findings. What are the key elements to the plan? Perform a search of an organization that faced a crisis. Describe the crisis and how the organization responded. What do you think they did right? What do you think they could have done better? Who do you think should be on a crisis management team within an organization? What role do you think a human resources executive might play as a member of the crisis management team? What about someone from the public relations department?