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Instructor: Dr. Harbour
Office: East Ruffner 228
Office telephone: 395-2219
Office hours:
MWF 10:00-11:00 TR 9:30-10:30
harbourwr@longwood.edu
Home phone: 315-0352
Table of Contents
Course
Description
Texts
Course
Objectives
Class
Schedule
Course
Requirements
Grading
Attendance
Policy
Honor
Code
Class
Discussion and Speaking Intensive Course
10
Critical Thinking Essays
Taking
Exams
Bibliography
Course Description:
The course investigates the diverse nature of leadership and the place of
leadership in contemporary society. While the main emphasis is on
political leadership, a strong interdisciplinary approach will be
employed. Students will be required to think about the various needs,
origins, moral dilemmas, requirements, and techniques of leadership in a wide
variety of differing circumstances.
*Because this spring 2009 semester takes place when our country is going through a period of great challenges with high expectations for strong, good leadership, this course will give considerable amount of attention to the beginning months of the Obama presidency. This will be a great case study on leadership for the class to examine.
Texts:
Afsaneh Nahavandi. The Art and Science of
Leadership. 4rd Edition.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2005. ISBN 0-13-148541-5.
Terry Newell, Grant Reeher, Peter Ronayne.
Editors. The Trusted Leader: Building
Relationships That Make Government Work. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press,
2008.
Students are also required to purchase a subscription to the New York Times
from the bookstore. Great attention should be paid to the leadership
challenges facing the country right now and the performance of the Obama
administration.
Students should also consult, on a daily basis, the following website on
leadership found at the online edition of the Washington Post: http://views.washingtonpost.com/leadership/
Supplemental Readings that can be borrowed from the Instructor:
J. Kevin Barge, Leadership
Warren Bennis, On Becoming a Leader
Warren Bennis & Burt Nanus,
Leaders: The Strategies for Taking Charge
James MacGregor Burns, Leadership
John W. Gardner, On Leadership
Barbara Kellerman, Editor, Leadership:
Multidisciplinary Perspectives
Paul Hersey, The Situational Leader
Paul Hersey & Ken Blanchard, Management of Organizational Behavior:
Utilizing Human Resources
Richard L. Hughes, Robert C. Ginnett, Gordon J. Curphy. Leadership: Enhancing the Lessons of Experience.
Niccolo Machiavelli, The
Prince
George Manning & Kent Curtis. The Art of Leadership.
Lynne Joy McFarland, Lary E. Senn, John R. Childress,
21 Century Leadership: Dialogues with 100 Top Leaders
Walter Lippmann, The Public Philosophy
Tom Peters & Nancy Austin, A Passion for Excellence
Thomas Peters & Robert H. Waterman, Jr., In Search of Excellence
Gary Yukl. Leadership in Organizations
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate a capacity for critical and analytical thought about issues central to political leadership.
2. Demonstrate an ability to communicate their knowledge and beliefs about leadership both orally and in writing.
3. Discuss the types of issues which most leaders must address.
4. Identify information about political leadership which is necessary for useful and responsible citizenship.
5. Discuss important philosophical and ethical issues associated with the exercise of political leadership.
6. Discuss the significance of leadership in contemporary society.
7. Describe the major ways in which political scientists and other social scientists have tried to understand leadership.
8. Discuss how various forms of leadership have shaped and been shaped by
the dynamic social forces found in modern
society.
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study guide for this course.
Week 1 (Jan. 12-16) Defining Leadership, Evolution of Leadership Theory
Tuesday: Defining Leadership
Read: Nahavandi, Preface and Chpt.
1
Optional: The following
site lists very good books and articles on leadership: http://www.leadershipnow.com/
Thursday: Leadership Theory
Read: Nahavandi, Chpt.
2
Optional: The
following site has a good presentation of various leadership theories: http://psychology.about.com/od/leadership/p/leadtheories.htm
The following site has good
links to presentations of major leadership theories: http://changingminds.org/disciplines/leadership/theories/leadership_theories.htm
Essay # 1 Write a three page essay in which you explain what leadership is all
about. Try to define leadership and discuss its most important elements,
challenges, and limitations.
Week 2 (Jan. 19-23) Personality, Character, Traits
Tuesday: Leadership Traits
Read: Nahavandi, Chpt.
4
Optional: The following
site has a useful description of trait theory: http://changingminds.org/disciplines/leadership/theories/trait_theory.htm
Thursday: Different Styles and Followers
Read: Nahavandi, Chpt.
4
Optional: The following
is a site regarding Kurt Lewin's typology of
leadership styles: http://psychology.about.com/od/leadership/a/leadstyles.htm
Essay # 2 Write a three page essay in which you discuss the strengths and
limitations of tying to understand leadership in terms of traits possessed by
leaders. What are some of the most important characteristics or qualities
leaders should posses?
Week 3 (Jan. 26-30) Importance of Values and Ethics
Tuesday: Values and Leadership in a Democracy
Read: Newell, Introduction and Chpt. 1
Thursday: Self-Awareness and Understanding Others
Read: Newell, Chpts. 2, 3
Students should look at
information about corruption found by the Transparency International web sites:
http://www.transparency.org/
http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi
Essay # 3 Write a three page essay in which you explain the importance of
ethics to leadership and discuss some of the moral dilemmas leaders sometimes
face.
Week 4 (Feb. 2-6) Exercising Power
Tuesday, Feb.6 Leadership and the Exercise of Power
Read: Nahavandi, Chpt.
5
Thursday: First Test
NOTE: You will have your first test on Thursday, Feb. 5.
This test will count for 1/6 of your semester grade.
Week 5 (Feb. 9-13) Contingency Models
Tuesday: Competing Models
Read: Nahavandi, Chpt.
5
Thursday: Exchange and Relationship Theories
Read: Nahavandi, Chpt.
3
Essay # 4 Write a three page essay in which you discuss the importance of
the context in which leadership is to be exercised to the likely success or
failure of different styles of leadership. Draw upon some of the
contingency models in developing your observations.
Week 6 (Feb. 16-20) Charisma and Transformational Leadership
Tuesday: Charisma
Read: Nahavandi, Chpt.
6
Thursday: Transformational Leadership
Read: Nahavandi, Chpt.
6
Essay # 5 Write a three page essay in which you discuss what
transformational leadership is all about. Why is this type of leadership
so difficult? What makes it possible? What are the advantages as
well as dangers of charismatic leadership?
Week 7 (Feb. 23-27) Working with People
Tuesday: The Challenge of Human Relations and Building Teams
Read: Nahavandi, Chpt.
8
Thursday: Leading Successful Teams
Read: Newell, Chpt. 8
Read the following survey that tries to rank presidents in terms of
greatness: http://www.c-span.org/PresidentialSurvey/Overall-Ranking.aspx
Article about the above survey may be found at: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/16/presidential.survey/index.html#cnnSTCText
Essay # 6 Write a three page essay on the best ways to go about leading
and building effective teams. What are the key challenges here and how
can they be met?
Week 8 (March 2-6) The Importance of Values; Case Study of Ethical
Failure: Nixon
Tuesday, March 6
Read: Read biographical material on Richard Nixon, his career, and
Watergate
Check out information regarding ethics in government found on the following web
site: http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/focusareas/government_ethics/introduction/
Thursday: Second Test
Note: You will have your second test on Thursday, March 5.
This test will count for 1/6 of your semester grade
SPRING BREAK MARCH 7-15
Week 9 (March 16-20) Enhancing Organizational Success
Tuesday: High Performance Organizations
Read: Newell, Chpts. 5, 6
Thursday: Working Across Organizational Lines and Institutional Barriers
Read: Newell, Chpts. 7, 7.1, 8, 8.1
Essay # 7 Write a three page essay on what it takes to build
high-performance organizations. In developing your answer explain why
people in public administration must overcome what some experts call a
"government of strangers." How does one best bring about
collaboration across organizational boundaries?
Week 10 (March 23-27) Strategic Leadership
Tuesday: Strategic Leadership; Building Trust
Read: Nahavandi, Chpt. 7;
Newell, Chpt. 9, 10
Thursday: Getting Ready; Global Leadership
Read: Nahavandi, Chpts. 9,
10; Newell, Chpt. 11, Conclusion
Essay # 8 Discuss the training, knowledge, and characteristics American
leaders will need in the future.
Week 11 (March 30 - April 3) Case Studies Presented by Students
Tuesday: Lincoln, FDR, Reagan, Clinton
Read:
Thursday: JFK, RFK, Nixon, Bush
Read:
Essay # 9 You are to write a three page essay in which you discuss the
strengths and shortcomings of the leader you have researched for your case
study. How can one best understand this person's leadership? Not
only should you make use of appropriate biographical material for this essay,
you should also draw upon the readings on leadership you have been reflecting
upon all semester.
Week 12 (April 6-10 ) Case Studies Presented by
Students
Tuesday: Benazir Bhutto, Eleanor Roosevelt, Benjamin Franklin, Che Guevara
Read:
Thursday: Third test
NOTE: You will have your third test on Thursday, April 9.
This test will count for 1/6 of your semester grade.
Week 13 (April 13-17) Case Studies Presented by Students
Tuesday: Warren Buffet, Charles Walgreen, Sam Walton, John
Chambers
Read:
Thursday: Walt Disney, Plato, Malcolm X, Pappy Boyington
Read:
Essay # 10 You will write a three page essay in which you discuss the
most important things you have learned about leadership in this
course.
Week 14 (April 20-24) Case Studies Presented by Students
Tuesday: Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, Saddam Hussein
Read:
Thursday: Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, Mohandas Gandhi, Billy
Graham
Read:
Classes end April 24
Reading Day: April 25
Exam Period: April 27 - May 1
Final Exam: The final exam will be on Wednesday,
April 29 at 8:00 A.M. - 10:30 A.M. The final exam will be worth 1/6 of
your semester grade.
Commencement: May 9
Course Requirements:
Class Discussion
Ten three page essays
Three tests
Final comprehensive examination
Grading:
Your grade will be based upon three tests given during the course of the
semester, class discussion (which includes a major oral presentation given to
the class), your total score from 10 three page essays, and a comprehensive
final examination. Each of these will count for 1/6 of your semester
grade. All tests and the final exam will involve an essay format.
Attendance Policy:
The attendance policy for this course is the University policy found in the University
Catalog and Student Handbook:
Students are expected to attend all classes. Failure to attend class
regularly impairs academic performance. Absences are disruptive to the
educational process for others. This is especially true when absences cause
interruptions for clarification of material previously covered, failure to
assume assigned responsibilities for class presentations, or failure to adjust
to changes in assigned material or due dates. It is the responsibility of
each instructor to give students a copy of his or her attendance policy in the
course syllabus. Instructors may assign a grade of “0” or “F” on work missed
because of unexcused absences. Instructors have the right to lower a student's
course grade, but no more than one letter grade, if the student misses 10
percent of the scheduled class meeting times for unexcused absences.
Instructors have the right to assign a course grade of “F” when the student has
missed a total (excused and unexcused) of 25 percent of the scheduled class meeting
times. Students must assume full responsibility for any loss incurred because
of absence, whether excused or unexcused. Instructors should permit students to
make up work when the absence is excused. Excused absences are those resulting
from the student's participation in a University sponsored activity, from
recognizable emergencies, or from serious illness. Faculty may require
documentation for excused absences in their attendance policy. Student Health
Services can provide documentation only for students hospitalized locally or
absent at the direction of Student Health Services personnel.
Honor Code:
Students are expected to live by the Longwood University Honor Code. All work
done for the class must be pledged. Your instructor will not tolerate any form
of cheating.
Class Discussion:
Your instructor values class participation. Remember that 1/6 of your semester
grade is based on your contribution to class discussion. The class
discussion grade is based upon daily participation in class and the major case
study you will present to the class during the last part of the
semester. This is a speaking intensive course and that major presentation
is very important. Students are encouraged to ask questions and to express
their knowledge and beliefs about the material and issues being dealt with in
class.
Ten Critical Thinking Essays:
There will be 10 critical thinking writing exercises. These papers will usually
be 3 pages in length and be handed in at the beginning of class on the day they
are due. They are not to be sent as an email attachment. Late
papers will lose points. They will be done in Microsoft Word with a Font size
12 and double spaced. Any documentation for these exercises will be done
according to the Turabian format for a research
paper. Failure to cite sources properly will cost points and may result in a 0
for the paper.
A shorter version of that style manual can be found on the History style
manual at the following web address: <http://www.longwood.edu/history/HDPTSTS2.htm>
Taking Exams:
All tests and exams must be taken on time. You are expected to provide
proof for any legitimate reason (illness, participation in a
University-sponsored activity, or recognizable emergency) you have for missing
a test or exam.
Bibliography:
Required Reading:
James MacGregor Burns. Transforming
Leadership Publishers West Group, 2003.
Fred I. Greenstein. Presidential
Difference: Leadership Style from FDR to George W. Bush. 2nd Edition.
California-Princeton
Fulfillment Services, 2004.
George Manning & Kent Curtis. The Art of Leadership. McGraw-Hill Irwin: New York, 2003.
Supplemental Readings That May Be Borrowed From The Instructor:
J. Kevin Barge, Leadership
Warren Bennis, On Becoming a Leader
Warren Bennis & Burt Nanus,
Leaders: The Strategies for Taking Charge
James MacGregor Burns, Leadership
John W. Gardner, On Leadership
Barbara Kellerman, Editor, Leadership:
Multidisciplinary Perspectives
Paul Hersey, The Situational Leader
Paul Hersey & Ken Blanchard, Management of Organizational Behavior:
Utilizing Human Resources
Richard L. Hughes, Robert C. Ginnett, Gordon J. Curphy. Leadership: Enhancing the Lessons of
Experience.
Niccolo Machiavelli, The
Prince
Lynne Joy McFarland, Lary E. Senn, John R. Childress,
21 Century Leadership: Dialogues with 100 Top Leaders
Walter Lippmann, The Public Philosophy
Tom Peters & Nancy Austin, A Passion for Excellence
Thomas Peters & Robert H. Waterman, Jr., In Search of Excellence
Gary Yukl. Leadership in Organizations
Academic Journals:
American Political Science Review
Presidential Studies Quarterly
Journal of Politics
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