Northouse, Leadership 9e
SAGE Publications, 2021
Case 16.2: Starts With a Bang, Ends With
a Whimper
Case Synopsis and Analysis
Kim Green, a faculty member from the management department of a major university, has
been asked to chair a committee tasked with planning the mission of the university for the
next 20 years. The president gave the committee its charge: “What should Northcoast
University be like in the year 2020?” and told members to make this a high priority.
Several faculty members served on this committee and seemed excited about the task and
honored to be selected. The members regularly met and shared research related to their task.
With time, however, the members began to disagree about the mission and goals of the
Learning Objectives:
• Students will be able to apply the eight characteristics of team excellence to a team.
• Students will be able to apply functions that a leader should implement to improve a
team.
Answers to questions in the text:
1. Which characteristics of excellence were lacking in this task force?
The eight characteristics of team excellence are clear, elevating goal, results-driven
structure, competent team members, unified commitment, collaborative climate,
Northouse, Leadership 9e
SAGE Publications, 2021
The ability of a team to collaborate or work well together is essential to team
2. Which characteristics of excellence were evident in this task force?
3. How would you assess Green as a leader?
Northouse, Leadership 9e
SAGE Publications, 2021
4. What actions would you take (internally or externally) if you were the leader of this
task force?
There needs to be some internal and external changes to help the team function better
and achieve its goals. Internally, Kim needs to develop clear, unifying goals and a
Potential Teaching Spproaches:
Below is a way to structure a class based on Team Leadership and Case Study 16.2:
• Hold a lecture on team leadership.
• Ask students to read Case 16.2 and answer the questions.
Exercises for This Case Study:
1. Ask students to turn back the clock and assume the role of president of the university.
The president wants to create a committee tasked with developing a new mission for
the university.
First, what type of person should lead this committee? Students should create a
profile of a leader for the committee and also make a list of five employees (using
Northouse, Leadership 9e
SAGE Publications, 2021
2. Students should create a list of three key mistakes the president of the university
made with this task force. What did he/she do wrong, and how could he/she fix these
mistakes?
3. In small groups or teams, students should assume the role of change agents and
discuss ways this university may improve in the next 20 years. Assume they have