The purpose of this course is to help you acquire knowledge about leadership so you can lead and follow more effectively and ethically. It will also help you continue the journey of self-discovery, a journey that lasts a lifetime if you choose to lead. My intent is that you will learnnew ideas about leadership, strengthen important leadership skills, and discover your hidden potential for leadership. I also want you to learn the value of good followership and its importance in the complicated interaction between leaders and followers. You will have many more opportunities to be a follower than a leader, especially early in your life. I believe you will enjoy the follower role much more and be able to contribute much more effectively if youunderstand the important role that good followers play in any leadership process. I also want you to acquire greater sensitivity to the ethical dimensions of leadership. Learning to recognize the importance of questions of purpose and to understand leadership as a form of service to others is an important insight and a balance to one’s personal ambitions. You will also learn how to recognize bad leaders and what to do, or not to do, as an exemplary follower.
This course carries the UT Ethics and Leadership flag and the UT Writing flag so you may satisfy two flag requirements by successfully completing this course.
You will also have the opportunity to participate in the15th annual Hatton W. Sumners Student Leadership Conference, which is a course requirement, during February 22-24, 2018 in Austin.
Other course requirements include individual papers that vary in length from 1-2 pages to 6-10 pages. There is also a written team project and an in-class team oral presentation on a topic chosen by you and your team members. There are no exams or quizzes.
The required textbooks include the following:
1. Bennis, Warren G. and Thomas, Robert J., Geeks and Geezers, Boston, Harvard Business School Press, 2002.
2. Kellerman, Barbara, Bad Leadership, Boston, Harvard Business School Press, 2004.
3. McCain, John with Salter, Mark, Character is Destiny, New York, Random House, 2005.
4. Gardner, John W., On Leadership, New York: The Free Press, 1990.
In addition, almost every week we will watch a different movie as a leadership case study so you can learn what leadership is and how it varies from setting to setting.