Leadership Certificate Program | Northwestern SPS - Northwestern School of Professional Studies

Organizations are a part of our everyday lives. Whether at work, school, church etc., similar interpersonal and group behaviors and dynamics apply. The focus of this course is to examine several aspects of organizations from an integrated perspective, including how the formal organization, culture, people and work can all connect to transform inputs to outputs. Emphasis will be placed on understanding individual differences as the foundation of our interpersonal and managerial effectiveness. Case studies, classroom and online discussions, team assignments and presentations will all be part of the learning. At the end of the class, it is anticipated that students will have a better understanding of today's complex organizations and more equipped to navigate the workplace.

This course combines in-person sessions with online components - BLP in-person Saturday dates are: 1/7, 1/21, 2/4, 2/18 and 3/4 on the Chicago campus. For the lecture and discussion components, this course is paired with ORG BEH 311-CN. This course is part of the Business Leadership year one curriculum.

Our contemporary lives are shaped by participation in commercial, social, and government organizations. This course uses social science research to explicate the dimensions of formal organizations and show how they influence our public and private behavior. The course will investigate sources of organizational success (positive function) and failure. Students will learn how to address organizational dysfunction through applying research-based solutions. Exercises include case study scenarios, role-play videos, simulations, and path-dependent decision making. By the end of the course, students will be able to diagnose organizational problems and devise targeted remedies. This course is conducted completely online. A technology fee will be added to tuition.

This course introduces the theory and practice of leadership: the capacity to mobilize group resources to affect fundamental change in organizations. Topics include understanding organizations as complex social systems; the difference between leadership and authority; navigating the politics of competing factions within organizations to achieve shared goals; emotional intelligence and the emerging neuroscience of leadership; the role of personal presence in establishing trust in leader-follower relationships; and the role of leadership in creating an environment in which risk-taking and innovative solutions are encouraged. The classroom, as well as students' experiences, become case studies in leadership. First class attendance is mandatory. This course combines classroom lecture and discussion with an online component. For the lecture and discussion components, this course is paired with another session of the BLP program, and meetings are held on alternate Saturdays: 9/24, 10/8, 10/22, 11/5, 11/19. The first in-person session will be done virtually.

This course introduces the theory and practice of leadership: the capacity to mobilize group resources to affect fundamental change in organizations. Within the past few years, the concept of leadership has shifted from the standard brick and mortar or in-person leader to the concept and necessity of the virtual leader and hybrid teams. As such, topics for this course will include understanding organizations as complex social systems; the difference between leadership and managerial authority; navigating the politics of competing factions within organizations to achieve shared goals; how a firm-wide, national, or global event like a pandemic can jolt the very definition of leadership and further require technological advancements, organizational transformation, and proactive and reactive change; emotional intelligence and the role of building and maintaining relationships of trust to drive optimal performance and continuous improvement; and the role of leadership in creating an environment in which risk-taking and innovative solutions are encouraged, learned from, and rewarded. The class, as well as students' experiences, will serve as foundational learning and ultimately become case studies in leadership.

This course is an in-depth investigation of the forces driving organizational change and their impact on people and structure. Today's emphasis on quality, service, and efficiency has created great urgency for change that runs counter to other factors (e.g., a mobile labor force, uninspired leadership, and intense global economic pressures). The byproduct is often cynicism, self-preservation, and confusion--ingredients for disaster. Yet some organizations thrive; this course examines why, and explores change drivers and dynamics across organizational settings and situations ranging from major corporate mergers to not-for-profit politics. This course combines classroom lecture and discussion with an online component. This course is part of the Business Leadership year two cohort.

See Northwestern Summer Session schedule to view available sections of this course. 

Conflict takes place daily in all organizations, regardless of size. Research indicates ways to deal with misunderstood and mismanaged conflict. In this course, we will focus on two types of conflict: conflict that is positive and has the ability to increase productivity, effectiveness, and satisfaction; conflict that will result in negative outcomes. Recognizing both the positive and negative impact of conflict is essential. With that knowledge, you can develop positive strategies to maintain excellent working relationships and address issues as they occur. Our goals, then, are to identify conflict, determine whether it is positive or negative, and resolve it to the benefit of all.

Conflict takes place daily in all organizations, regardless of size. Research indicates ways to deal with misunderstood and mismanaged conflict. In this course, we will focus on two types of conflict: conflict that is positive and has the ability to increase productivity, effectiveness, and satisfaction; conflict that will result in negative outcomes. Recognizing both the positive and negative impact of conflict is essential. With that knowledge, you can develop positive strategies to maintain excellent working relationships and address issues as they occur. Our goals, then, are to identify conflict, determine whether it is positive or negative, and resolve it to the benefit of all. This course is part of the Business Leadership year one curriculum.

This course applies the concepts of strategic planning to various types of organizations. Initial discussions will provide a basic framework for preparing a strategic plan for corporations, non-profits and government agencies. Practical applications will be developed from case studies and the experiences of the instructor and students. Since we can learn from wide range of situational discussions, we will consider entrepreneurial and established operations, as well as success stories and failures. This course is conducted completely online. A technology fee will be added to tuition.

See Northwestern Summer Session schedule to view available sections of this course.

Leadership of global organizations requires understanding, appreciating and managing the impact of culture and the interplay of cultural patterns in everyday interactions. To be successful, leaders must be able to interpret complex cultural contexts and develop intercultural competence, not only in themselves but in the people they lead and the other organizations they work with. This course is designed to help students identify and explore the essential elements of a global mindset. Students examine the leadership styles of 21st century global leaders as they work collaboratively in teams to develop a unified construct of effective global leadership. This course is part of the Business Leadership year two curriculum. This course is conducted completely online. A technology fee will be added to tuition. Students will be asked to purchase a Cultural Navigator assessment code for $35. Further instructions will be posted in Canvas.