WMBA 6000 · Week 2

WMBA 6000 Week 2 founder transparency memo example

Dynamic Leadership Walden University Free custom sample in 24 to 48h

Losing its largest customer cut the invented startup's cash runway by about a third, and the chief executive must decide whether to say so at Thursday's all-hands. Written for the second week of WMBA 6000, this memo tests the decision against authentic leadership as Avolio and Gardner framed it, weighs the chief operating officer's objection fairly, and recommends disclosure with conditions.

What this page holds

Should the founder disclose the runway? This Week 2 memo for WMBA 6000 applies authentic leadership to that decision and recommends telling staff, with the objection answered first. Searches like "wmba 6000 week 2 assignment example", "wmba6000 week 2 sample" and "wmba 6000 week 2 example" land here.

What a finished WMBA 6000 Week 2 founder transparency memo looks like

The memo, written to the chief executive, fills three to four pages. Its situation paragraph gives the facts in illustrative terms: a network of music schools that made up a large share of revenue did not renew, and the months of cash remaining dropped by roughly a third. A decision date frames the question. A concept section presents authentic leadership, which Avolio and Gardner described as grounded in self-awareness and consistency between a leader's values and actions, and the four components the research commonly measures: self-awareness, relational transparency, balanced processing and an internalized moral perspective. The analysis tests two options, full disclosure and disclosure to the leadership group only, against each component. The chief operating officer's concern about departures gets its own section. The recommendation specifies what to share, how and when.

How a WMBA 6000 Week 2 example is structured

Decision first, stated as a choice between named options with a deadline, because a framework can only guide a choice that has been made concrete. The concept follows and is kept to what the memo uses, with each of the four components defined in a sentence. The options are then scored against the components in a short table, so the analysis cannot drift into praising transparency in general. Balanced processing receives particular attention because it applies to the decision process itself: an authentic leader weighs the opposing view before choosing, so the COO's objection is presented at full strength before it is answered. The recommendation comes after that section and carries conditions, including sharing a range rather than a single figure while the customer's final decision is pending. Risks and a follow-up date close the memo.

A decision with a deadline

Disclose the runway at Thursday's all-hands, or brief only the leadership group. Framing the question as two options and a date keeps the memo from drifting into a general essay about honesty.

Four components, defined briefly

Self-awareness, relational transparency, balanced processing and an internalized moral perspective are each given a sentence. The memo uses them as tests for the options, not as virtues to admire.

The objection at full strength

The COO expects some senior engineers to start interviewing within a week. Balanced processing requires weighing that view seriously, so the memo states it with the evidence behind it before answering.

A range, not a figure

While the customer's final answer is pending, the recommendation is to share the range of runway and the plan for each end of it. The condition keeps transparency from turning into false precision.

What happens after Thursday

The memo sets a date for the next update and names who answers questions in the meantime. Disclosure without a follow-up would look transparent once and then go quiet.

Where marks go in WMBA 6000 Week 2

The recommendation's link to the framework is what instructors weigh most. A memo that argues honesty is good and concludes that the founder should share everything has restated a value rather than applied a model, and it lands in the middle band. Credit rises when each option is tested against the specific components of authentic leadership and the result changes what is recommended. The treatment of the opposing view carries a substantial share, because balanced processing makes fairness to the COO part of the analysis rather than a courtesy. Conditions on the recommendation earn marks: a range while uncertainty lasts and a date for the next update. Accurate attribution matters, and crediting Avolio and Gardner with claims the research does not make costs points. Retention risk has to be addressed, not waved away.

Get a WMBA 6000 Week 2 example written to your instructions

Send the Week 2 prompt and rubric along with the decision your leader faces, stated as plainly as you can. The memo is returned within 24 to 48 hours, first one free, with each option tested against the framework. Financial figures stay illustrative; no company's real numbers are assumed or estimated for you.

WMBA 6000 Week 2 questions, answered

What is authentic leadership?

It is a leadership approach that Bruce Avolio and William Gardner, among others, developed around the idea that effective leaders act consistently with their values and are aware of how they come across. Research on it commonly measures four components: self-awareness, relational transparency, balanced processing of information and an internalized moral perspective. It suits decisions where honesty and trust are in tension with other goals.

Does authentic leadership always mean sharing everything?

No. Relational transparency means presenting oneself genuinely and sharing information appropriately, not disclosing every fact at once. Balanced processing asks leaders to weigh other views before deciding. A memo can recommend partial or staged disclosure and still apply the framework well, provided it explains how the choice fits each component.

Can I use a real company's situation for this memo?

You can use a published case or a public example, cited properly, and many prompts welcome it. If you draw on your own employer, keep financial details and names out and keep the account general. The argument turns on the decision and the options, not on confidential numbers, so nothing is lost by generalizing.