Channeling Conflict
a. In what ways did Nadella embrace conflict in his role as leader?
b. How should leaders determine which conflicts to embrace and which conflicts to avoid, and once they make that decision, what can they do to encourage a positive resolution to the conflict? Include references to course materials to support your position. c. What are some of the biggest potential areas of conflict within your own organization? d. How well do you and your organization handle conflict now? Explain Effective Communication a. What were the biggest communicative barriers that Nadella faced in creating “one Microsoft”? b. What tools and communication practices are most useful to leaders in building teams that embrace a common vision? Include references to course materials to support your position. c. Are these barriers unique to large corporations, or do all organizations face them? d. Do they occur in your own organization? Explain. Fostering Diversity and Learning a. How did Nadella seek to enhance diversity at Microsoft? b. Why is diversity – in terms of culture, experience, background, and viewpoint – so important for an organization? Include references to course materials to support your position. c. What are some risks or obstacles to instilling more diversity? d. What steps can you take to make your organization stronger by bringing in more diversity? Building a Learning Organization a. What did Nadella do to transform his team from “know-it-alls” to “learn-it-alls”? b. To be an effective leader, you have to be confident enough to ask a lot of questions and not be afraid of looking like the dumbest person in the room. i. ii. How can leaders promote a hunger for learning in their teams? How can leaders support team members who may be too afraid to ask questions or challenge the status quo?
References Ibarra, H., Rattan, A., & Johnston, A. (2018). Satya Nadella at Microsoft: Instilling a growth mindset. Harvard Business Review case, No. LBS128, 1-22. Goleman, D. (2017).
