In episode 11 of season two of Donald Trump’s NBC reality TV show “The Apprentice,” it was down to eight players. And, different from most weeks, this time the challenge would not be based on profits, but opinion.

The teams were charged with creating an in-store catalog for the jeans giant Levi Strauss and the winners would be judged on innovation by Levi’s president, Robert Hanson.

The Wes-led Mosaic team came unzipped and got sacked by Kevin’s Apex squad. Mosaic got out-shot, outthought, and outsold by the poised, polished, and pitch-ready Apex team. Mosaic’s loss was so vivid, in fact, that The Donald fired two members of Mosaic – Maria and her team leader Wes. But before the dumbfounded duo took the down elevator from the suite to the street, we picked up three valuable business lessons.

This episode featured a return of Season One winner Bill alongside the Ice Queen Carolyn as Mr. Trump’s henchmen. Bill, obviously warming to his role as a high-paid corporate snitch, criticized Wes’s leadership – he failed to control manic Maria as she bullied her team into creating a losing product promotion.

Apex’s winning submission was a team effort. Venture capitalist Ivana pulled an ingenious “fit wheel” jeans fitting guide out of her pocket. And team leader Kevin sweated hard. He benched overly analytical blond corporate lawyer Jennifer and let her more intellectually agile teammates design the promotion.

Then he put her in front of the camera and she moved herself onstage to seal the deal.

Episode 11 Turning Points

Right after both teams had named their team leaders, Kevin for Mosaic and Wes for Apex, Mr. Trump balanced out the lopsided teams by asking Wes to pick one member to go to Mosaic. Wes picked the highly talented Kelly, last week’s exempt-from-firing Mosaic team captain.

The two teams’ began with the same idea of emphasizing “the butt” but only one succeeded. Maria monopolized the creative process and resorted to telling Wes to “back off” by sticking her finger in his face when he tried to rein her in. She kept her resentful teammates from seeing her work until the very end, but by then, it was too late.

Maria’s too youth-oriented and sex-obsessed images failed to capture the broad Levi’s audience that the company sought.

As a result, Maria and Wes suffered this season’s first double Trump-a-dump.

Apex remained true to the original vision. Ivana devised the “fit wheel” concept, which would help customers find the right jeans for them, regardless of body shape.

The team used buxom blonde Jennifer as a model. Apex spent adequate time highlighting something called the “butt-fit,” without obsessing.

Enthusiastic team leader Kevin sweated profusely when presenting the portfolio to Levi’s management, but thankfully gave up the stage to Jennifer, who closed the sale to Levi’s management with her appealingly silky delivery and come-hither eye contact.

Unfortunately for Ivana, because of Jennifer’s skill in delivery, Ivana’s role as creator was lost, which cost her the “MVP” award which was bestowed on Jennifer by the Levi’s CEO to Mr. Trump.

In the end, they were all winners when the Levi Strauss executives picked Apex’s presentation hands down, and the reward was an evening with legendary singer Billy Joel, a five time Grammy Award winner.

Episode 11: Lessons Learned

LESSON ONE Schmooze, schmooze, schmooze. Even before Mosaic began their doomed presentation, the Levi’s CEO asked why they were not wearing Levi’s jeans. Their excuses were unsatisfactory and suggested a lack of passion and commitment.

This was made even worse when Apex arrived in Levi brand T-shirts and jeans, letting it be known they wouldn’t dress any other way.

Schmoozing with the client by embracing their product is critical to setting the right tone. Mosaic’s failure to recognize this was the beginning of their end.

LESSON TWO Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers. Jennifer presented with so much confidence and heart that she came across as the visionary of the team. When Mr. Trump asked the Levi’s CEO whom he believed to be the one who deserved the most credit, Jennifer was named. To Ivana’s dismay, she did not know how to claim her role as the creator, and lost the opportunity to stand out to Mr. Trump. Jennifer positioned herself with strength and once given the credit, she knew to accept it with no holds barred.

LESSON THREE Firings must be proportional to the dysfunction they solve. Episode 11 was a Harvard Business School-like case study of double dysfunction – both Wes and Maria were equally at fault for the failure. So The Donald used the old “proportion” rule to fire them both. Double dysfunction equals a double dumping.

In the next episode, all eyes should be on the youngest apprentice, Andy, and how he leads.

Stay tuned.