The ideal of ‘leadership’ is a universal concept. This course provides you with an opportunity to read and practice about ‘leadership’ as both a subject to study and as a set of skills to be a more effective, confident and successful leader. There are both formal and the practical dimensions to this course. The ‘formal’ dimension is the study of leadership: what have scholars who have concerned themselves with the concept of leadership written on the subject? About 60 percent of the class will study the subjects of how to lead and follow.
The practical part of the class is a series of exercises to enhance your self-knowledge and skills through individual and group activities. About 40 percent of the class will be a set of practical leadership self-assessments and group exercises.
As a result of this class, you should improve your skills to:
articulate the purpose of leadership and its ethical dimensions;
explain the relationship between leaders and followers;
understand about your own strengths and weaknesses as a leader and as a follower;
analyze leadership concepts; and
know how individual differences, cultural attributes, and specific circumstances can affect the practice of leadership.
You also should enhance your capacity as a leader to:
develop a personal approach to the practice of leadership;
lead in a small group with inter-dependent tasks;
use your judgment to identify leadership opportunities;
evaluate your own leadership performance and skills of others; and
express orally and in writing how you can expect to use leadership in your future professional roles.