Critical Assignment 5.1 focused on crisis management by having students analyze the challenges faced by leaders they admire or work with. We were asked to interview two organizational leaders for 20-30 minutes each, asking them to share their most significant leadership challenge stories. The interviews covered the situations they faced, their actions to resolve the conflict, the outcomes, and what they learned about themselves as leaders. I interviewed    Dr. Vriesman, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at UCLA, and Ms. Thompson, Senior Instructional Design Supervisor at UCLA, then reflected on their experiences to identify key leadership skills needed to navigate these challenges.

In this Critical Assignment, I examine the vital role of trust in relationships, from interpersonal to organizational. Using the Trust Wheel framework, I break down trust into integrity, openness, reliability, competence, and concern, showcasing how these elements interact and sustain trust. I apply this analysis to real-world scenarios, including online education, to demonstrate how strategic trust-building fosters engagement and resilience. This work offers practical insights for leaders and educators aiming to create cohesive and supportive environments.

This paper critically evaluates the Crisis Management Plan (CMP) of Greenville College, assessing its strengths in hazard identification, role delineation, and emergency protocols while identifying areas for improvement, such as stakeholder engagement, dynamic adaptability, and post-crisis learning. Using insights from academic literature and leadership case studies, the analysis highlights how proactive communication, adaptive strategies, and inclusive decision-making can transform the CMP into a comprehensive framework. Recommendations are provided to enhance the CMP's capacity to address immediate and long-term risks, foster institutional resilience, and align with modern best practices in crisis management.