Michigan State University MBA: Examine Broad's Difference

Team Leadership Lab

Leadership and Teamwork, a five-week, first-semester core course, combines traditional classroom techniques with the innovative Dynamic Distributed Decision-Making simulation model, developed under a grant from the Navy and carried out in the Team Leadership Lab. Five-member teams are offered unclassified military scenarios. In the simulation lab, they learn first-hand—and in a real-time environment—how to break down larger assignments into components that match each team member's skills; develop trusting relationships that stand up under stress. They motivate teammates through difficult situations; make decisions when each member has a different expertise and viewpoint; manage conflict arising from differences in culture and values; and adapt to surprises in the competitive landscape. They find themselves in situations where most people make mistakes—wrongly assigning individual blame or letting success dictate risk-averse strategies, for example. And that leads to an abundance of “teachable moments.” Students say it is a great way to learn to work together effectively in a stressful situation.

FACULTY PROFILE
“If you simply describe the types of errors people can make in a team context without the Team Lab, most students will think, ‘I wouldn't make that kind of mistake.' The class goes much better when the majority of students in the class have made the exact mistake we are discussing—just two days earlier.”
JOHN HOLLENBECK
ELI BROAD PROFESSOR OF MANAGEMENT
Read Hollenbeck's full profile