WGU D370 IT Leadership (Task Essay Planning Guide)
To plan a strong WGU D370 essay, start with the task and rubric in your current course portal. Turn each rubric criterion into a clear section or passage, then build a focused argument supported by relevant evidence. Follow the task’s own rules for sources, citations, format, and submission. Do not rely on old essays or unofficial guides.
New tools such as generative AI, cloud services, and automated workflows keep changing how organizations use technology. But D370 is not an essay about every new tool. It is an assessment with a specific prompt and rubric. Your first job is to find out exactly what the current version asks you to analyze.
I use one simple planning principle: make it easy for an evaluator to locate the answer to each criterion. A clear outline helps you do that without guessing at requirements or writing pages of general IT leadership advice.
D370 task and assessment overview
This section explains how to establish what your current D370 task requires before you choose a topic, outline sections, or draft. The course portal is the controlling source. Course titles, task versions, and rubrics can change, so confirm the materials tied to your own assessment before using any outside advice.
Confirm the current task
Open the D370 course in your WGU student portal and review the assessment instructions and rubric. Record the exact task number and version, every required deliverable, and all stated rules for length, format, sources, and submission. Do not assume that a guide for another student describes your task.
WGU is institutionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. That fact does not define the requirements for an individual D370 assessment. For the essay, use the task instructions and rubric—not general assumptions about the institution or course.
Create a short checklist as you read:
- What question or problem must the essay address?
- What analysis, examples, or other deliverables does the task request?
- What does each rubric criterion require?
- Are there stated source, citation-style, format, or file rules?
- Where does the task say to submit the work?
If any instruction seems unclear, check the course materials or ask the appropriate WGU support contact before drafting. Guessing can lead you to spend time on content the task does not request.
Turn rubric criteria into an outline
A rubric criterion is a stated standard used to evaluate your work. Treat each one as a planning instruction: identify what it asks you to do, then decide where the essay will show that work. Your outline should make the connection clear without copying rubric wording as a substitute for analysis.
Build a simple criterion map:
| Rubric item | What it asks you to do | Planned section or passage | Evidence or example needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Criterion from current rubric | Restate the task in your own words | Section heading or paragraph | Source, example, or reasoning |
| Next criterion | Identify the required analysis | Section heading or paragraph | Support that fits the claim |
| Final criterion | Note the expected deliverable | Conclusion or named section | Check the task instructions |
Do not fill the table with imagined criteria. Copy or summarize only what appears in your current rubric. If the rubric includes performance descriptors, use them to understand the expected depth and quality. A heading alone does not satisfy a criterion; the relevant passage must explain, support, and apply the point.
A useful completion check is straightforward: every criterion has a planned location, and every planned location contains a direct response. This is a planning check, not a promise of a particular evaluation result.
Next step: Save your task checklist and criterion map beside your working draft.
IT leadership concepts and required analysis
IT leadership means guiding people and technology decisions toward an organization’s goals. Concepts such as communication, change, risk, governance, and team leadership can help frame an analysis when the task calls for them. They are useful lenses, not confirmed D370 requirements unless the current prompt or rubric asks for them.
Build an argument from the prompt
Before researching or drafting, rewrite the task prompt as a direct question. Then answer that question in one or two sentences. This becomes the basis of your thesis: the central claim your essay will explain and support.
For example, if a prompt asks you to analyze a leadership response to a technology change, your thesis should state what response is effective and why. If the task asks for a different kind of analysis, follow that instead. Do not add a change-management section just because the topic sounds related.
For each required point, use a compact reasoning sequence:
- Claim: What is your answer or position?
- Reason: Why does it make sense?
- Support: What evidence or task-provided fact backs it?
- Application: How does it answer the specific prompt?
This structure helps distinguish analysis from a summary. A summary reports what a source says. Analysis explains how that information supports your answer to the task.
Use leadership ideas only when they fit
If the task asks you to discuss leadership, choose concepts that directly explain the situation. For instance, communication may matter when a team needs clear roles during a system change. Risk management may matter when the prompt focuses on service reliability or data protection. Keep each concept tied to a claim in your essay.
Next step: Write a one-sentence answer to the prompt, then connect each rubric criterion to a part of that answer.
Evidence, academic standards, and task completion
Evidence is information that supports a claim, such as a credible source, a relevant example, or a fact supplied by the task. Use evidence when the instructions require it, and follow the task’s specific source and citation rules. Do not assume a citation style, source count, or research requirement that is not stated.
Choose and use sources carefully
When the task requires research, select sources that are relevant to the claim you are making. Check who produced the source, what it covers, and whether its information is current enough for the topic. A source about general IT practice may not prove a claim about a particular organization or case.
Keep your source work connected to your outline:
| Essay claim | What would support it? | Check before use |
|---|---|---|
| A leadership action may help a team adapt | Research or task evidence about the action and context | Does it fit this prompt? |
| A technology decision has a risk | Credible evidence about the risk or scenario facts | Is the claim precise and supported? |
| A recommendation addresses the problem | Evidence linked to the stated need | Does the reasoning explain the connection? |
Paraphrase in your own words and cite sources as the current task instructs. A citation does not make an unrelated source useful, and a source cannot replace your explanation. If the task provides a case or facts, distinguish those facts from information you add through research.
Draft and check against the rubric
Draft in the order that makes your reasoning easiest to follow. You can use the prompt’s order, rubric order, or another logical structure, as long as evaluators can find the required content. Use headings when they improve navigation and are allowed by the task.
After drafting, review the essay criterion by criterion. Mark the exact paragraph that addresses each one. If you cannot point to a clear passage, revise it. Check that examples support the analysis rather than taking its place, and that the conclusion answers the original prompt without adding a new argument.
Then verify citations, spelling, and any stated formatting rules. Review the current WGU guidance on similarity or originality, and make sure the submitted work follows it. Do not treat an external essay or answer bank as an authoritative model.
Next step: Use the rubric as a final audit, not just as a document to read before writing.
IT leadership career applications and outcomes
Career applications can make an academic analysis more concrete, but they should not replace the task’s requirements. Use a workplace example only if it helps answer the prompt and fits the rubric. A plausible scenario is not evidence of a real event, so label invented examples clearly and avoid presenting them as documented case studies.
Use a relevant scenario without inventing facts
Consider this hypothetical example: a department is moving from manual service requests to an online ticketing system. If a task asks you to analyze leadership, you might examine how leaders explain the change, gather staff feedback, assign responsibilities, and review results. Those are possible areas of analysis—not claims about a real WGU case or a required D370 topic.
To keep a scenario useful and accurate:
- State whether it is hypothetical or supplied by the task.
- Use only details needed to explain the leadership issue.
- Connect each detail to a criterion or thesis point.
- Do not invent outcomes, survey results, cost savings, or staff reactions.
- If the task provides a case, treat its stated facts as the basis for your analysis.
This approach lets you apply leadership reasoning without confusing an illustrative example with verified evidence.
Use measures only when the task supports them
A metric is a defined measure used to assess an outcome. If the task includes performance data, explain what the measure means and how it relates to your argument. Possible measures in an IT setting might include average ticket response time or the number of unresolved requests. Do not invent a baseline, target, or result when none is provided.
If you recommend a measure, explain what it would track and why it fits the problem. For example, response time could help assess service speed, while it would not alone show whether users find a new process clear. Choose measures that match the outcome the prompt asks you to discuss.
Next step: Include career or workplace context only when it strengthens a rubric-linked point.
Final review and submission
A final review checks that the essay answers the current prompt, addresses every criterion, and follows the stated submission rules. It is a compliance pass, not a substitute for sound analysis. Confirm the details in your course portal, since there is no universal D370 essay length, file type, or citation rule that applies to every task version.
Run a four-part completion check
Before submitting, review these four areas:
Keep an unchanged copy of the final draft for your records, and confirm that the correct file is submitted. Small administrative checks matter: a strong essay still needs to meet the assessment’s stated delivery requirements.
Bottom line: The current rubric is your planning map and final checklist. Build the essay around it, support the required claims, and verify every submission rule before sending your work.
Frequently asked questions
These answers address common planning questions, but the current D370 task and rubric remain the authority. When a general answer here differs from your course instructions, follow the instructions shown in your WGU portal or seek clarification through the appropriate course support channel.
What is the first step for a D370 task essay?
Open the current task instructions and rubric in your WGU portal. Confirm the task version and record its criteria and submission rules before outlining.
Does D370 always require a specific essay length?
Do not assume a universal length. Check the instructions for your current task and follow any stated range or format.
Which citation style should I use?
Use the style required by your current task instructions. Do not infer a citation style from an older guide or another student’s essay.
Can I use an essay I found online as a template?
Do not rely on an online essay as an authoritative guide. It may reflect a different task version and may not meet your rubric. Use your own outline and the current course materials.
How do I know if I addressed a rubric criterion?
Point to the specific passage that answers it. The passage should explain the point and provide the required support, not merely repeat the criterion.
Should I include IT leadership concepts that are not named in the prompt?
Only include them when they help answer the task or meet a rubric criterion. Unrequested concepts can distract from the required analysis.
Can a hypothetical workplace scenario support my essay?
It can illustrate reasoning if the task allows it, but label it as hypothetical. Do not present invented events, results, or measurements as facts.
What if the rubric seems different from a study guide?
Use the rubric attached to your current assessment. Older guides and prior student work may not match the current version.
What should I check just before submission?
Confirm rubric coverage, citations, proofreading, required format, file type, and submission steps against the current task instructions.
(This article was written by one of our staff writers, Marcus Bennett. Visit our Meet the Team page.)
