Unit Overview
Great ideas fail without execution. Management is the practice of aligning people, resources, and priorities so work gets done reliably and ethically. Leadership is the human side of that work—setting direction, creating clarity, and building trust.
In this unit, you will learn the core functions of management (planning, organizing, leading, and controlling), how organizations structure teams and authority, and how leaders make decisions under uncertainty. You’ll also explore motivation, culture, delegation, and feedback systems that help teams improve over time.
Learning Objectives
- Explain the core functions of management: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling.
- Describe how organizational structures shape communication, accountability, and speed of execution.
- Apply basic decision-making frameworks to real business problems.
- Compare leadership styles and identify when different approaches are effective.
- Use practical tools for delegation, goal-setting, and performance feedback.
Lessons in This Unit
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Lesson 2.1: What Managers Do
The purpose of management and the four functions: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling.
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Lesson 2.2: Planning & Goal-Setting
Turning vision into priorities using clear goals, milestones, and constraints.
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Lesson 2.3: Organizing Work & Delegation
Roles, accountability, delegation, and how to design work so it actually gets done.
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Lesson 2.4: Organizational Structures
Functional vs divisional vs matrix structures—and what each structure optimizes for.
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Lesson 2.5: Decision-Making Under Uncertainty
Frameworks for choices: tradeoffs, data, risk, bias, and how to avoid “analysis paralysis.”
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Lesson 2.6: Leadership Styles & Motivation
How leaders influence behavior: communication, incentives, coaching, and psychological safety.
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Lesson 2.7: Culture, Teams, & Performance
Building strong teams through norms, feedback loops, conflict management, and continuous improvement.
Unit Assessment
After completing all lessons, students should:
- Complete the Unit 2 Quiz
- Submit a short written analysis of a management decision (what you chose, why, and what you would measure)
- Create a simple organizational chart for a small team and explain reporting lines and responsibilities
Self-Paced Learning Guidance
This unit is designed for practical use. After each lesson, try applying one tool immediately—write a goal, define a role, draft a decision memo, or plan a feedback conversation. Small practice beats passive reading.