Leadership in Action, a Consulting Case Study, or an Experiential Network (XN) project

Leadership in Action, a Consulting Case Study, or an Experiential Network (XN) project

The capstone assignment is a choice between three approaches to the project: Leadership in Action, a Consulting Case Study, or an Experiential Network (XN) project. These projects have key components due throughout the length of the course, alongside weekly discussions and other instructor specified assignments.
In addition to the individual projects, there will be additional assignments and discussions expected of all class participants. By the end of the capstone, you will have completed a paper about your capstone experience; assignment details below. In your project you will be utilizing knowledge and skills from the entirety of the Leadership program. Each of the Capstone Project options provide an opportunity for the Master’s Degree candidate to demonstrate and increase their leadership capability by applying theory and practice to a real-world (actual) project. MSL candidates are to apply, practice and integrate what they have studied and learned, demonstrate their capability and report on their experience.

All of the project choices are designed to meet the course objectives: ANALYZE Leadership Practices (ANALYZE)

  • Analyze leadership theories and determine the best application to the capstone project.
  • Modify the use of selected leadership theories to apply to capstone project.
  • Synthesize the leadership knowledge and experience gained through the MSL program to develop a 
personal model of leadership. DEVELOP as a Leader (IMPLEMENT)
  • Develop insights about your own capacity to relate with others in a leadership capacity.
  • Through completion of an approved project, students will demonstrate mastery of program level
  • Project Option 1 – Leadership in Action Project 
A Leadership in Action Project is one in which the MSL candidate assumes direct responsibility and recruits and leads others to respond to a need or issue by achieving a specific goal or outcome. You should summarize the project and your results in a paper strictly following APA formatting requirements, 15-page maximum, not including addenda. The report must include the following information, along with sections marked as headers within the report: 
 Project Goals and Impact: Provide the initial goals for your project from your original project plan. Explain the results and impact of your project. Be specific. Discuss why any initial goals were modified or not achieved. 2. Leadership Development: In this section, please provide the details of the actions you took each week to complete the project. What leadership and other skills did you practice, learn about and develop throughout this project? What noteworthy successes or issues occurred in certain leadership interactions? What new questions and new ideas about leadership in general, and about your own capacity as a leader, have you identified? What developmental goals are important for you now?
  • Research: What literature was relevant to understanding the needs of the organization and your choice 2 of intervention strategies? What model(s) did you use from assigned readings in the degree program and from your own research for your project?
  • Project Stakeholders: Although you are responsible for the project, you should recruit other stakeholders 
in the organization to support and advise you. Engagement with members of your Learning Group, and perhaps other trusted advisors, should be explained in your report. Provide information about your efforts to give and receive advice and support; this information should be consistent with the frequency and quality of your actual communications over the 12 weeks with your Learning Group via Group communications tools.
  • Final Reflections: How has this project either challenged or supported your previous views of leadership? What has been your key learning?
  • Bibliography: The report must conclude with a reference page listing all sources relied on in preparing your report, and using APA format.
  • Addenda: copies of important project-related communications such as agendas, slides, flyers, correspondence, surveys, advertising and public relations, or other digital or hard-copy items. (You may make reference to, but not include, materials of a sensitive or proprietary nature as necessary.)
  • Project Option 2 – Consulting Case Study: Analyze a Problem from a Leader’s Perspective 
A Consulting Case (study) Project is one in which the MSL candidate identifies an issue or challenge that an organization is currently experiencing, researches the factors that contribute to the issue, and creates and recommends solutions and strategies for successful change management. You should document the case study you develop along with the case analysis in a paper that follows APA formatting requirements; 15-page maximum, not including addenda. The case report must include the following information: 
 The Case Study: The case study is a short description of a particular situation facing an organization, managers (or administrators) and employees within the organization. The story must be based on field research, depict real life events and describe a situation that requires a decision. The case study report will include the following elements:
  • Introduction – introduces a pivotal actor or actors and defines the dilemma or decision point.
  • Background/Context – background information about the organization or event that puts the reader in 
to the middle of the situation and helps the reader see its complexity and available options.
  • The Story – presents key information from the decision maker’s point of view.
  • Conclusion – directs the reader’s attention toward the appropriate analysis.
  • Exhibits – tables, spreadsheets and /or appendices with supporting information. 
 The Consulting Report: The case analysis is the intellectual contribution of the document. The case analysis outlines the key issues in the case, identifies alternative scenarios that may lead to reasonable solutions and provides the conceptual justification for your recommendation, using relevant reference material from CPS leadership courses. The case analysis will include the following elements:
  • Case Synopsis/ Key Issues: A brief synopsis of the case, usually not exceeding one page, refocuses the reader’s attention on the key issues of the case and clearly specifies the objectives of the case.
  • Methodology of the Case Study: This part of the case analysis provides justification and validation of the data used in the study.
  • Link to Theory: Reference to the course(s) and concepts that help you understand case issues and frame its analysis.
  • Case Analysis: This is the most important component of your submission. The case analysis should be specific and provide a consistent perspective on the issues of the case.
  • Recommendations for Solutions and supporting logic that includes sound leadership concepts.
  • Application: Predict the potential usefulness of the solutions to the stakeholder groups involved.
  • Appendixes and References: A bibliography in APA format of publications and documents that you used 
to compile your information and to analyze and prepare the case.
  1. Final Reflections:
• How has this project either challenged or supported your previous views of leadership? What has been your key learning?

Project Option 3 – XN Project

The Experiential Network (XN) is an initiative by Northeastern University in which graduate students work with sponsoring businesses on short-term, virtual (online) projects. Participation in the XN allows students to apply classroom theory to practice and grow their professional networks while contributing to a real-world business’s ability to move forward on project-based work. Projects are completed virtually over a six-week period, and students and sponsors work closely in an actual professional environment during which students produce deliverables for their sponsors that will go on to inform critical business decisions. There is an application process involved, through which the XN team can get to know you more as a student and professional, which is crucial in pairing you with the project and sponsor you are looking for.

For the XN project option, you should summarize the project and your results in a paper strictly following APA formatting requirements, 15-page maximum, not including addenda. The report must include the following information, along with sections marked as headers within your report:

  1. Project Goals and Impact: Provide the initial goals for your project from the project plan. Explain the
results and impact of your project. Be specific. Discuss why any initial goals were not achieved.
2. Leadership Development: In this section, please provide the details of the actions you took in completing the project for each week. What leadership and other skills did you practice, learn about and develop throughout this project? What noteworthy successes or issues occurred in certain leadership interactions? What new questions and new ideas about leadership in general, and your own capacity as a leader, have you identified? What developmental goals are important for you now?
  • Research: What literature was relevant to understanding the needs of the organization and your choice of intervention strategies? What model(s) did you use from assigned readings in the degree program and from your own research for your project?
  • Project Stakeholders: Although you are responsible for the project, working with others in the organization you are working with, you may recruit additional stakeholders. Engagement with members of your Learning Group,and perhaps other trusted advisors, should be explained. Provide information about your efforts to give and receive advice and support; this information should be consistent with the frequency and quality of your actual communications over the 12 weeks with your Learning Group via Group communications tools.
  • Final Reflections: Reflect on your learning and leadership development through this project. How has this project either challenged or supported your previous views of leadership? What has been your key learning?
  • Bibliography: The report must conclude with a reference page listing all sources relied on in preparing your report, and using APA format.
  • Addenda: copies of important project-related communications such as agendas, slides, flyers, correspondence, surveys, advertising and public relations, or other digital or hard-copy items. (You may make reference to, but not include, materials of a sensitive or proprietary nature as necessary.) 
Project Components 
The following are the major components of the Capstone project and help you plan your project and move forward with instructor and peer feedback. You will find the assignment links to turn in each portion in the Module folders. 
Project Proposal (Statement) (5%) 
You will generate several possible projects and evaluate them with the instructor and your Learning Group, and 4 
you will then select the best one. Your project statement will include the following elements: a working project title, a project description, the context for your project, your breakthrough goal, leadership development opportunities, the research you will conduct and a high-level action plan. Please use the Word template provided in the Course Materials section to submit your project statement.

Project Plan (5%)

Your project plan should answer in sufficient detail the questions of who, what, when, where, how, and why concerning the project that is being attempted. Your major task is to provide a cohesive plan to guide the project’s development and to ensure that the project is well thought out to the point where any potential flaws in the project’s development are evident. Please use the Word template provided in the Course Materials section to submit your project statement. The project plan will include the following elements:

  • Summary: A summary of the project, including the leadership models or concepts you expect to apply.
  • Leadership development: The opportunities this project will provide to develop and demonstrate your development as a leader. Which leadership models, concepts or tools will you demonstrate?
  • Goals: The project goals and key milestones.
  • Barriers: A list of barriers that you may encounter in the project and how you will overcome those 
barriers.
  • Project Stakeholders: In addition to internal (organization) representatives, and your learning partners, 
who may provide you with feedback throughout your project to ensure success? Include individuals who 
can directly observe your actions and give you critical feedback.
  • Research: What research will need to complete to facilitate the success of your project? What literature 
will you need to research to understand the needs of the organization and your choice of intervention strategies? What research will you conduct on relevant leadership models, concepts, and tools? Include at least 3-5 research sources.
  • Weekly Activities for Weeks 4-12: You MUST identify what actions you plan to take for your project each week. These activities may change (it’s likely) but an effective plan should identify weekly steps. Since the essence of this project is the action plan and its execution, you should pay particular attention to this section.

Project Status Report (5%)

Using a template that will be provided on BB, prepare a (one page) written response about the following items and post the assignment on the discussion board in the space marked “Project Status Report”:

  • Period covered
  • Tasks completed
  • Issues encountered
  • Variance analysis (what planned steps did not work as anticipated)

Future tasks / next steps 
Project Presentation (5%) 
Your project presentation will be an 8 to 10-minute presentation with appropriate visual aids. This presentation should provide a summary of your experience in the project, the process(es) completed, and conclusion. 
Peer Critique (5%) 
You will share a rough draft of your final Report with a classmate partner and fellow Master’s candidate (assigned by the instructor) eleven days prior to the Report due date (see page 7). It will not be a completed paper, but it should outline the important content areas and themes that you will elaborate on in your final product. You will share your critical feedback about the classmate’s draft within five days so that it can be of value to your partner.