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.
