The 2009 National Football League season is more than halfway completed. The Washington Redskins won their third game by defeating the Denver Broncos 27-17. The team has not had many reasons to celebrate and their coach, former NFL player Jim Zorn has been criticized and rumored to be on his way out. Yet for this one game, the Redskins looked like the champions Washington fans expect them to be.

QUESTIONS:

1. Technically, the Washington Redskins are a team, but their 2009 record might suggest otherwise. Break down the definition for team and apply it to the Redskins. What elements might explain why this team is not performing well?
2. Analyze the Redskins in terms of the three key aspects of effectiveness.
3. In the game against Denver, it could be said that the Redskins were a high-performance team. How did the team fulfill the requirements of distributive leadership in order to achieve victory?

SOURCE: J. Reid, “Redskins Buck Up,” Washington Post (Retrievable online at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/15/AR2009111502002.html?hpid%3Dartslot&sub=AR)