ASSIGNMENT 1

Instructions

Leading American company Alcoa has embraced this leadership imperative like few other companies have, tapping into the relationship between community building, STEM education development (science, technology, engineering, and math), and talent development and acquisition including a focus on diversity.

All of these elements and more have been identified as essential to building sustainable innovation cultures designed to achieve technological breakthroughs that achieve competitive advantage.

This case study presents information from the various strands of activity Alcoa uses to advance corporate initiatives all aimed at achieving these goals.

Analyze the case and address the following:

1. List the leadership imperatives

2. Identify the central values and beliefs Alcoa has adopted in creating its approach to building innovation.

3. Briefly discuss each area in which Alcoa is advancing initiatives and how they tie into its over leadership strategy of building sustainable innovation capability.

4. Discuss the components of its talent development and acquisition strategy

5. In analyzing the case, discuss which two or three initiatives do you think require the strongest leadership efforts and why

6. Provide your assessment as to the overall effectiveness of Alcoa's approach.

Support your paper with at least three (3) scholarly resources. In addition to these specified resources, other appropriate scholarly resources, including older articles, may be included.

Length: 5-7 pages not including title and reference pages.

ASSIGNMENT 2

Instructions

Using all of the documentation you have constructed throughout the course, assemble and refine these documents to comprise a comprehensive Leadership Plan.

As you assemble your document, create section headings for every unique category in the plan, and within sections, use sub-headers to make distinctions between unique elements.

In each section, include enterprise examples in which the factors being discussed are illustrated to add context and meaning to the concepts.

Do not forget to compile and expand your references into a comprehensive bibliography and identify areas where further research might be needed.

Use this checklist to guide your work:

1. A cover page

2. Table of Contents

3. Introduction

4. Discuss how leadership roles have changed over the last decade and the new challenges those changes present.

5. Discuss contemporary leadership philosophies and which you believe to be most effective

A. Include a discussion of the relationship between structure, systems and culture

B. Include a discussion of mindfulness - what is it? Is it important?

C. Include a discussion of emotional intelligence - - what is it? Is it important?

D. Include a discussion on the importance of communication

6. Discuss learning organizations and their importance in competing in today's fast changing environment

7. Discuss the importance of resource leadership and the implications it presents to the enterprise

8. Discuss the essential nature of empowered teams.

A. Include a discussion of the special challenges using this strategy presents to enterprise leaders that include:

i. Selecting the right people

ii. Aligning team goals with enterprise objectives

iii. Empowering teams with enhanced decision making authority

iv. Promoting new levels of collaboration

v. Developing realistic and appropriate accountability mechanisms

vi. Developing effective conflict resolution methods

vii. Other important considerations

B. What potential benefits are available to the enterprise by developing empowered teams?

9. Discuss the nature of change leadership

A. Discuss why enterprises must be more attuned to change than at any time in the past.

B. Include a discussion of the challenges change initiatives present.

C. Briefly discuss some key change leadership strategies

D. Include change initiative examples, i.e. Genentech Case Study

10. Discuss what leadership considerations are involved in creating an innovation culture

A. Include a discussion of what issues require examination

B. Include a discussion of what special leadership skills are required

C. Include enterprise examples, Alcoa, others, etc.

11. Add brief discussions on these additional leadership issues:

A. Talent Assessment

B. Succession Planning

C. How leadership effectiveness should be measured

Support your paper with the full reference list you have developed during the entire course. Be sure to include your target enterprise (website or publicly available document) and the course text. In addition to these specified resources, other appropriate scholarly resources may be included.

Length: 10-12 pages not including title and reference pages, tables and charts