Apprentice 101

What can real-world business leaders learn from the popular NBC series "The Apprentice"? That's the question we posed to Maureen Moriarty, a professionally accredited executive coach and corporate leadership trainer who uses the show as a teaching tool in her Bellevue Community College course. Each week during the current season, she'll share her insights.

Episode 1: A high IQ won't save you from a firing
The first lesson from this season's "The Apprentice" debut: It's not all about the IQ. Being really stupid, however, will still get you fired.

Episode 2: A good manager must resolve conflict
Loose cannons at work can be distracting, but also a resource. It's all in the management.

Episode 3: Pointing fingers never helps when plan goes wrong
While this week's episode was highly entertaining, it also provided some excellent lessons in leadership -- a quality apparently lacking in Theresa, whom Donald Trump fired.

Episode 4: Insulting behavior has no place in teamwork
If your team is saying horrible things about you, it might be time to listen. To be successful in business and leadership, you must work on becoming self-aware and understanding what your effect is on others.

Episode 5: Team Gold Rush panned by Trump
Trump fired Team Gold Rush project manager Dan for his poor leadership, not using his team's resources and his failure to bring Lenny (who came up with the failed concept) into the boardroom to face potential firing.

Episode 6: Trump's loss could help business world
Bryce failed to make his case about bringing together a team that was in chaos before he took over. But from my perspective, he demonstrated many sound leadership characteristics.

Episodes 7 & 8: Three lessons in bad leadership for the price of one
Back-to-back episodes of "The Apprentice" gave us case studies in paralyzing indecisiveness, stubborn disrespect for clients and teammates, and ignoring the importance of price.

Episode 8: Andrea left team high and dry
A good leader shouldn't miss the boat and needs strong team-player skills.

See Maureen Moriarty's previous columns about Season 2 and Season 3 of "The Apprentice."