About this course: The capstone project will consist of three options, and you will complete one of them as part of the course. The first option is working with senior-level executives to help them solve their most pressing leadership challenges. Two (2) senior-level executives from leading organizations will provide detailed descriptions of ongoing leadership challenges that they are currently facing within their organizations. The challenges will be real and current. You will be asked to help the executives think through how best to approach and address their respective leadership challenges. Specifically, you will be tasked with drafting a memo to one of the executives outlining your recommendations for how best to address the leadership challenge. To offer effective advice and counsel, you will need to use course concepts and frameworks to (a) diagnose the fundamental issue(s), and then (b) develop a coherent set of solutions or recommendations. The memos will be evaluated based on how effectively you apply course concepts to diagnose the problem and how well you link your proposed solutions to the diagnosis. The best submissions will be sent to the executives for their review, and each executive will offer feedback that will then be shared with the entire class to advance everyone’s learning. The second option is to identify your own leadership challenge (e.g., at work, at school, in your local community). You should be directly involved in the challenge, and the challenge must align with at least one topic from the specialization. You will develop a presentation where you use course concepts and frameworks to (a) diagnose the core leadership challenge and barriers to effective performance, and then (b) develop a coherent set of solutions or recommendations for your own leadership challenge. The third option asks you to interview an executive of your choosing. In this interview, you will ask questions about the challenges faced by that executive with respect to leading people and teams, as well as the practices used by the executive to address his or her challenges. In your written submission, you will use course concepts to organize the major leadership challenges faced by the executive, highlight the strategies and practices used by the executive to address the core leadership challenges, and then to evaluate the effectiveness of the executive’s practices related to leading people and teams.
Taught by: Scott DeRue, Ph.D., Edward J. Frey Dean at the Ross School of Business
Management and Organizations, Ross School of Business
Taught by: Maxim Sytch, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Management and Organizations Michael R. and Mary Kay Hallman Fellow
Management and Organizations, Ross School of Business
| Basic Info | Course 5 of 5 in the Leading People and Teams Specialization |
| Commitment | 4 weeks of study, 2-4 hours/week |
| Language | English |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
- Video: Introduction to Capstone Projects
- Reading: Brief Overview of Each Capstone Project
- Reading: Capstone Incentives
- Reading: Help us learn more about you!
- Video: Capstone Project: Option 1
- Reading: Amazon Case: Fostering a Culture of Experimentation and Radical Innovation
- Reading: General Expectations and Deliverable
- Reading: Peter Faricy, VP Amazon Marketplace
- Video: Capstone Project: Option 2
- Reading: The Leadership Challenge: Diagnosing and Addressing Your Personal Leadership Challenge
- Reading: General Expectations and Deliverable
- Video: Capstone Project: Option 3
- Reading: The Leadership Interview: Learning from the Experience of Others
- Reading: Developing the Interview Protocol
- Reading: Diagnosing the Leadership Challenge
- Reading: Identifying and Diagnosing Your Leadership Challenge
- Reading: Conducting the Interview
- Reading: Developing and Communicating Your Recommendations
- Reading: Developing and Communicating Your Recommendations
- Reading: Analyzing Your Interview Findings
- Reading: Notice for Auditing Learners: Assignment Submission
- Reading: Option 1 Submission Template
- Video: Wrap up and Congratulations
- Reading: Post-course Survey
Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.
Connect with thousands of other learners and debate ideas, discuss course material, and get help mastering concepts.
Earn official recognition for your work, and share your success with friends, colleagues, and employers.
| Purchase Course | |
|---|---|
| Access to course materials | Available |
| Access to graded materials | Available |
| Receive a final grade | Available |
| Earn a shareable Course Certificate | Available |
Greate course, great teachers
A great ending to a wonderful specialization! I had the opportunity to interview a leader I admire and to review and utilize a lot of the notions and information covered during all of the courses. Thank you Professor DeRue and Professor Sytch for the knowledge you have so generously shared with us and for the opportunity to keep learning you have given us through the Capstone Project.
Preparing the Capstone allowed me to deepen my understanding of material and lessons I've learnt throughout the four courses in the Specialization. Made me more reflect and try to come up with actionable and applicable solutions for the real leadership challenge at one of the biggest worldwide companies. I must say, that I greatly enjoyed the whole Specialization, the material was great, the instructors was just awesome. I'd be waiting for more courses from the University of Michigan in the future at Coursera!
Amazing specialization.