strategy "While and tactics change all the time, the fundamentals of leadership do not.
Leadership is a matter of how to be, not how to do." (Leader-to-Leader Institute, 2004, p. 25).
MGT415: LEADERSHIP & LEARNING
Dr. David Cowan 3067 FSB 529-3689 Office Hrs: 1:30-3:30 TR [e-mail]
Seminar Resources
1. Leadership readings. An experiment this semester is to make individual readings (less than 1/10th of the
source) available on Niihka rather than have you pay for them in a readings packet at Oxford Copy Shop.
2. Conversations on Leadership: Wisdom from Global Management Gurus. 2010. Lan Liu. Jossey-Bass.
["Lan Liu is a researcher at Peking University's Center for China Strategic Studies and adjunct professor at
the Beijing Peter F. Druker Academy where he teaches leadership courses in their executive programs."]
3. Websites and film clips . [Unless instructed otherwise, we will use various of these -- always during class.]
4. A second leadership book (your choice among three timely options) OR one philosophical- spiritual
framework (among three timeless options). [These choices should depend at least partly on personal goals
and professional interests -- and may provide our means to form semester "teams."]
Performance Dimensions
1. Two tests of understanding (20% each -- 40% total): Mix of short-answer questions, requiring
explanations of concepts as well as integration and translation of concepts. Criteria include A) clarity of
expression, B) depth of understanding, and B) breadth of coverage (of relevant material).
2. Assignments (20%): Assignments done well have the potential to promote productive learning AND
thoughtful preparation for class discussions. Those that I collect will be graded satisfactory or unsatisfactory.
If satisfactory, the assignment earns full credit; if unsatisfactory, it will earn partial or no credit. Assignments
must be done on 4x6 notecards . Please do them on your own. Lateness (after class begins) earns no credit.
3. Team presentations (10%): Teams are an integral part of leadership development. Thus, we will use teams
regularly -- and 7 team performance criteria: A) depth of understanding; B) coverage of relevant material; C)
maturity of engagement, D) significant connections to seminar, E) meaningful insights, F) good use of time &
technology, and G) flow among teammates. Note: the final two, team presentations are the most important!
4. Individual contributions (20%): Includes attendance, participation, and value added. Examples of adding
value include constructive attitude, helpful guidance of discussions and activities, and mindful ideas.
Examples of reducing value include distracting others, not paying attention to others, monopolizing
discussions, free-riding, and sitting on the sidelines (i.e., not participating; letting others do the majority of the
work). [NOTE: My awareness is well developed -- thus, I notice most of these behaviors even when it may
appear that I don't.]
5. Exemplary Leadership and Learning Behavior (10%): Exemplary leadership and learning begins with
consistent presence and pro-active engagement. This is what typically separates leaders from the pack.
Substantive evidence derives from genuinely enriching our learning culture intellectually, inspirationally,
practically, and creatively. The overall clearest evidence comes from transcending mediocrity.
Seminar-Design Frameworks
I. Perspectives:
II. Life Lines:
Telescopic
strategy
Past
principle
*
Future
vision
Vertical
(e.g., being,
presence,
meaning,
enrichment,
wisdom)
Microscopic
tactics
Horizontal (e.g., doing, clock time,
schedules, deadlines, productivity)
III. Intelligences:
IV. Levels:
1.
2.
3.
book smarts
street smarts
creative smarts
knowing
doing
being
5. Embodiment (making automatic to free
practical
creative
4. Contextualization (applications to real
arts/beauty
3. Integration (blending ideas, principles,
* Mastery (exhibiting "best of the best")
attention)
analytical
world)
science/truth morals/goodness
values...)
tools
experiences
stance
2. Personalization (translations into own life)
profit
purpose
passion
1. Basics (rules of the game)
V. Competencies:
Ancona
[MIT]
Immelt
[GE]
Kouzes/Posner
[UC Santa Clara]
1A. Sense making 1I. Ability to Learn 1K. Model the Way
George
Tichy/Bennis
[Medtronic]
[Michigan/USC]
1G. Self-Discipline
1TB. Recognition
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2A. Relating
2I. Determination
2K. Inspire Shared Vision 2G. Heart
2TB. Framing
3A. Visioning
3I. Team Abilities
3K. Challenge the Process 3.G Values
3TB. Call
4A. Inventing
4I. Passionate
4K. Enable Others to Act 4G. Purpose
4TB. Execution
5A. Signature
5I. Can-Do Attitude 5K. Encourage the Heart
5G. Relationships
5TB: Adjustment
Ground Rules
[Ignorance of ground rules does not change consequences.]
1. Laptops, cell phones, i-pods, etc . have important value in learning but not during a seminar (unless
approved for exceptional reasons). Act professionally and leave them off! [Note: Ernst & Young incident.]
The biggest lesson Ive learned recently is to be present. Its easy to get distracted in the world of
Blackberrys, iPhones, Twitter, Facebook & emails. So with our Mgt. team, when we're in a meeting, it's no
technology. Its just, stay focused -- we have healthier conversations. This also works in personal life
wherever you are, be all in. [Dan Rosensweig, CEO, Chegg, NY Times, July 11, 2010]
2. Street smarts manifest in day-to-day attitudes and behaviors. Being aware of this, I tend to notice the
presence/absence of street smarts more than students do. Thus, for example, students often pretend that I don't
notice them texting or emailing, studying for other courses, distracting their peers during in-class team
activities, or disrespecting their peers by whispering when their peers are talking or presenting. Just because I
don't look does NOT mean that I don't notice. Actions often reveal more than words.
3. Final grades derive from overall performance relative to other students -- combining book smarts, street
smarts AND creative smarts! If you intend to "excel" (i.e., earn an A), it is imperative to provide evidence of
excellence across ALL parts of the seminar.
4. Grading distribution:
Score:
93%+ 90%
Grade:
A
A-
87%
B+
83%
B
80%
B-
77%
C+
73%
C
67%
C-
63%
D
60%
D-
below 60%
F
5. The need for attendance in a seminar -- not just physically, but also mentally, emotionally, and spiritually
-- should be obvious. Keep track of your attendance on the back of your nameplate each day . If you don't do
so, I will count you absent. Any absence beyond two may negatively affect your final grade. Take
responsibility for yourself and use absences wisely. Also, because I have to be fair and equitable, all excuses
are the same to me.
6. Lateness has little value in an organization. Do not expect full credit or special treatment for lateness.
7. Exemplary communication is essential for leaders. This includes speaking well, writing clearly, projecting
a constructive attitude, interacting professionally, & using constructive nonverbal behavior.
8. Academic misconduct : "The MGT Department encourages all students to become familiar with PART V -Academic Misconduct -- of the Student Handbook. All MGT Department faculty take issues of academic
misconduct very seriously and will pursue severe penalties against those guilty of such acts. If you are not
sure what the University and Department consider to be academic misconduct, please ask so you don't find out
the hard way. All sources (including internet) used in the preparation of any written work for this course must
be properly cited. This is true whether direct passages are used or when paraphrasing. Claiming credit for
words or thoughts that are not your own is one type of academic misconduct. This includes having a name
appear on a team project/paper when that individual did not fully participate in its completion." Bring abuses
of academic integrity to the attention of someone who can deal with your situation responsibly.
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9. As an expectation of upper-level students in a leadership seminar, by the end of the semester, you should
be able to explain how our seminar meets the Goals of the Miami Plan for Liberal Education . For a
description of these, see the Miami Bulletin: a) thinking critically, b) understanding contexts; c) engaging
other learners, and d) reflecting and acting. For example, exams apply to goals a and b; teamwork and class
discussions apply to goal c; and readings, discussions, and presentations apply to goal d.
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Day-by-day Agenda
PART ONE: INGREDIENTS OF LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL .
WEEK 1 OVERVIEW .
T, A 23: Purpose & Plan.
1. Immelt (GE leadership);
2. Ancona (MIT leadership framework);
Highlight: Syllabus.
Assignments: look for the next day's or
week's assignment on the white board.
R, A 25: Leadership AND learning.
Assignment due at beginning of class.
1. Medina (attention);
Form teams: Eagle, Hawk, Falcon,
2. Kim & Mauborgne (leadership 'parables').
Crow, Raven, and Owl.
Weekend Teams: Engage in a non-academic activity that involves "successful intelligence" (see the Sternberg reading)
AND that enables you to get to know each other more genuinely.
WEEK 2 HUMAN POTENTIAL
T, A 30: Defining characteristics.
1. Gardner (truth, beauty, & goodness);
2. Sternberg (successful intelligence).
Film clip: Steve Jobs/Bill Gates.
Assignment due.
Highlight: leadership tendencies.
R, S 1: Exemplary Leaders(hip).
Teams: explanations.
1. Leader-to-Leader Institute (character of emerging leaders);
Film clip: Chimamanda Adichie.
2. Cohen & Tichy (U.S. Spec-Ops General Schoomaker).
Talking Circle?
Weekend Teams: Identify a film clip (to show on Thursday) that provides a good example of leadership presence/awareness.
WEEK 3 HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL REALMS.
T, S 6: Peak Readiness at the "Edge of Chaos."
1. Ross (expert minds);
2. Allen (focus and productivity).
Highlight: Austin.
Film clip: Zimbardo on "time."
Assignment due.
R, S 8: Mastery-level presence and awareness.
Highlight: t-shaped (IDEO);
1) Tolle (exceptional 'presence');
Teams: Film clips.
2) Brown, Jr. (exceptional 'awareness').
Weekend Teams: Identify and highlight an emerging leader and her/his competencies and current challenges.
WEEK 4 PRODUCTIVITY AND CREATIVITY.
T, S 13: Centered & vigilant.
1. Belsky (making ideas happen).
2. Robinson (creative leadership).
R, S 15: Leadership Thinking.
Film clip: Robinson (creativity).
Assignment due.
Film Clips: Martin & Brown.
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1. Martin (integrative thinking).
Teams: Notable emerging leaders.
2. Brown thinking).
Weekend (design Teams: Using some of the lenses we have studied along with others of your choosing (for example, from experience
or from another course), prepare an informative AND creative overview of the leader assigned to your team for Thursday (below).
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WEEK 5 STRATEGY, TACTICS, & RESOLVE -- [MY 5 QUESTIONS!].
T, S 20: Direction? Energy? Munen Muso?.
1. Smith & Brantner (mental preparation).
2. Scharmer (handling crucibles).
Film clips: Jeb Corliss & Aimee Mullins.
Highlight: querencia/bootstrapping.
Assignment due.
R, S 22: Positioning? and Timing?.
1. Musashi (Way of a warrior-- Advantage!)
Teams: Hawk: Orit Gadiesh; Owl: Max DePree;
Crow: Tony Hsieh; Raven: Jackie Huggins;
Eagle: Andrea Jung; Falcon: Chin Ning Chu.
Weekend Teams: Bring three questions to share on Thursday that address unique leadership development experiences that
likely helped to enable Sir Richard Branson to excel in multiple ways. Try to identify questions that you believe other teams will
not know -- without focusing on trivia.
PART TWO: HIGHLY-REGARDED LEADER -SCHOLARS
WEEK 6 LEADERSHIP QUALITIES AND COMPETENCIES .
T, S 27: Jim Kouzes -- Leadership is everyone's challenge.
1. Liu chapter one (Kouzes).
2. Kouzes (The five practices of exemplary leadership).
Film clip: Jim Kouzes.
Assignment due.
R, S 29: Warren Bennis -- Leadership maturity.
Film clip: Warren Bennis.
1. Liu chapter two (Bennis).
Teams: Richard Branson's early imprints.
2. Bennis (Basic truisms about leadership).
Weekend Teams: Prepare several good review questions covering important contributions of the leaders or leaderscholars we studied during your team's assigned week: Falcon (Wk 1); Hawk (Wk 2); Eagle (Wk 3); Owl (Wk 4); Crow (Wk 5);
Raven (Wk 6).
WEEK 7 LEADERSHIP AND LEADING .
T, O 4: Bill George -- Authentic leadership.
1. Liu chapter three (George).
2. George (Leadership authenticity, not style).
Film clip: Bill George.
Assignment due.
R, O 6: Peter Senge -- Learning organizations.
Film clip: Peter Senge.
1. Liu chapter four (Senge).
Teams: Exam review.
2. Senge (With leverage I can move the world).
Weekend Individuaos/Teams : Prepare for our Midterm Assessment.
WEEK 8 LEADERSHIP TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT .
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T, O 11: Noel Tichy -- Leaders as Teachers.
1. Liu chapter five (Tichy).
2. Tichy (Framework for leadership judgment).
Film clip: Noel Tichy.
Assignment due.
R, O 13: Midterm Assessment.
EXAM.
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Weekend Because our exam just ended and Fall Break is here, let's NOT engage in any team activity this week!
WEEK 9 LEADERS AS EXEMPLARY STORYTELLERS.
T, O 18: Howard Gardner -- Intelligences.
1. Liu chapter seven (Gardner).
2. Gardner (Theory of multiple intelligences).
Film clip: Howard Gardner.
Highlight: Ken Wilber (lines & levels).
R, O 20: John Kotter -- storytelling as agent of change.
Film clip: John Kotter .
1. Liu chapter eight (Kotter).
Assignment due.
2. Kotter (The heart of change).
Weekend Teams: For Tuesday (not Thursday!), bring two poems (per team, not per person) that your team members agree (at
least on one OR the other) provide insight and inspiration for emerging leaders in an increasingly uncertain, technological world.
WEEK 10 LEADERSHIP COMPLEXITIES .
T, O 25: James March -- Leadership & life 'off the beaten path.'
1. Liu chapter nine (March).
2. March (Imagination, commitment, & joy: Don Quixote).
Film clip: James March.
Teams: Exemplary poems.
R, O 27: Joseph Badaracco, Jr. -- Leading Morally & Quietly.
Film clip: Joseph Badaracco, Jr.
1. Liu chapter ten (Badaracco, Jr.).
Assignment due.
2. Badaracco, Jr. (How flexible is my moral code?).
Weekend Teams: Write a 1-2 page response to the four Korean students your age wrote to you (in July). Ensure that your
response says something meaningful to each of the four students. I will send your letters to Korea for them to see.
WEEK 11 LEADERSHIP COMPLEXITIES -- INDIVIDUAL AND CULTURAL.
T, N 1: Manfred Kets de Vries -- Subconscious leadership forces.
1. Liu chapter 11 (Kets de Vries).
2. Kets de Vries (Leaders who make a difference).
Film clip: Manfred Kets de Vries.
Assignment due.
R, N 3: Cho-Yun Hsu -- Confucian Asian Leadership.
Film clip: Admiral Yi Sun Shin.
1. Liu chapter 12 (Hsu).
Teams: letters to Korean peers.
2. Gladwell (Rice paddies and math tests).
Weekend Teams: Highlight for the rest of the class an organizational initiative that you believe increases happiness in the
world.
WEEK 12 LEADERSHIP AS AN UPLIFTING CHALLENGE .
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T, N 8: Debashis Chatterjee -- Conscious/Elevating Leadership.
1. Liu chapter 12 (Chatterjee)
2. Chatterjee (Leadership and personal mastery).
Film clip: Debashis Chatterjee.
Assignment due.
R, N 10: Emerging Emphases on Positivity and Happiness.
Teams: Happiness initiatives.
1. Haidt (The pursuit of happiness);
2. Wind & Crook (Our models define our world).
Weekend Teams: Your final two team projects are larger in scope than any of the others . These should reflect greater
depth and integration of relevant material. In week 13, three teams will focus on major patterns of Asian influence in the world,
and three teams will provide an overview of one of three nontraditional leadership perspectives.
PART THREE: ENRICHING LEADERSHIP UNDERSTANDING .
WEEK 13 COLLECTIVE LEADERSHIP PREMISES.
T, N 15: Non-Western Spiritual/Philosophical Roots.
Teams:
Eagle: Confucian influences;
Owl: Buddhist influences;
Hawk: Hindu influences.
R, N 17: Nontraditional Leadership Sources.
Teams:
Raven: The Art of War for Women (Chin Ning Chu);
Falcon: The Art of Possibility (Benjamin Zander & Rosamund Stone Zander);
Crow: Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose (Tony Hsieh).
Weekend Teams: Prepare your final presentation -- an integration/application of seminar learning. As needed, we will clarify
this in class. Your challenge is to provide substantive evidence of what you have learned -- also providing a review for your peers.
PART FIVE: INTEGRATING /APPLYING SEMINAR INSIGHTS.
WEEK 14 A LOOK BACK AND
A FINAL LOOK A HEAD .
T, N 22: Review team insights from week 13 and clarify weeks 15 & 16.
Assignment due.
R, N 24: THANKSGIVING!
THANKSGIVING!
Weekend Teams: Finish preparing final presentations. Please turn in an outline of your presentation!
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WEEK 15 REVIEW
OF
QUANTITY/QUALITY LEARNED .
T, N 29: Exemplary leadership for a changing world.
Teams: Crow & Falcon.
R, D 1: Exemplary leadership for a changing world.
Teams: Raven & Hawk.
WEEK 16 REVIEW OF QUANTITY/QUALITY LEARNED .
T, D 6: Exemplary leadership for a changing world.
Teams: Eagle & Owl.
R, D 8: Closing ceremonies.
Evaluations; Appreciations.
Assignment due.
[8:00: Tues., 8-10am]
Final Exam Schedule
[9:30: Thurs., 10:15-12:15pm]
[11:15: Tues., 12:30-2:30pm]
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MGT415 Readings
1. Immelt. Executive-Series talk given at Miami University [I will provide access to this.]
2. Ancona. Leadership in an Age of Uncertainty. MIT Leadership Center. 2005. [I will provide access to this.]
3. Medina. Attention: Rule #4 We dont pay attention to boring things. Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving
at Work, Home, and School . Pear Press, 2009.
4. Kim & Mauborgne. [Two] Parables of leadership. Harvard Business Review , July-August, 1992.
5. Gardner. The virtues and the challenges. Truth, Beauty, and Goodness Reframed . Basic Books, 2011.
6. Sternberg. Three keys to successful intelligence. Successful Intelligence . Simon & Schuster, 1996.
7. Leader-to-leader Institute. The character of leaders. BE*KNOW*DO: Leadership the Army Way . F. Hesselbein & General
Shinseki (Eds.). Jossey-Bass, 2004.
8. Cohen & Tichy. Operation leadership. Fast Company, December, 2007. [locate this at Fast Company website}.
9. Ross. The expert mind. Scientific American , August, 2006.
10. Allen. A new practice for a new reality. Getting Things Done. Penguin Books, 2001.
11. Tolle. Mind strategies for avoiding the now. The Power of Now , New World Library, 1999.
12. Brown, Jr. Eye of the tracker; master tracker; art and science of tracking. The Science and Art of Tracking . Berkley, 1999.
13. Belsky. Intro: Making ideas happen. Making Ideas Happen Overcoming Obstacles Between Vision & Reality . Portfolio, 2010.
14. Robinson. Being a creative leader. Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative . Capstone Publishing, 2011.
15. Martin. No stomach for second best: How integrative thinkers move beyond second-best. The Opposable Mind: How
Successful
Leaders Win Through Integrative Thinking . Harvard Business School Press, 2007.
16. Brown. Getting under your skin: How design thinking is about more than style. Change by Design . Harper, 2009.
17. Smith & Brantner. Mental preparation. Law and Order , April, 2000.
18. Scharmer. The journey to "U." Theory U: Leading from the Future as it Emerges . Berrett-Koehler, 2009.
19. Musashi. The earth scroll. The Book of Five Rings . Shambhala Classics, 2000.
20. Kouzes & Posner. The five practices of exemplary leadership. The Leadership Challenge (4th ed.) , Wiley & Sons, 2007.
21. Bennis. Learning some basic truisms about leadership. Why Leaders Can't Lead . Jossey-Bass, 1990.
22. George. Leadership is authenticity, not style. Authentic Leadership . Jossey-Bass, 2003.
23. Senge. Give ma a lever long enough ... and single-handed I can move the world. The Fifth Discipline . Currency-Doubleday,
2006.
24. Tichy & Bennis. Framework for Leadership Judgment. Judgment: How Winning Leadership Make Great Calls . Portfolio,
2007.
25. Gardner. The theory of multiple intelligences. Intelligence Reframed . Basic Books, 1999.
26. Kotter & Cohen. The heart of change. The Heart of Change. Harvard Business School Press, 2002.
27. March & Weil. Imagination, commitment, and joy: Don Quixote. On Leadership . Blackwell, 2003.
28. Badaracco, Jr. How flexible is my moral code? Questions of Character . Harvard Business Press, 2006.
29. Kets de Vries. Leaders who make a difference. Reflections on Character and Leadership . Jossey-Bass,
30. Gladwell: Rice paddies and math tests. Outliers: The Story of Success . Little Brown, 2008
31. Chatterjee. Leadership & personal mastery. Leading Consciously: Pilgrimage Toward Self-Mastery . Butterworth-Heinman,
1998.
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32. Haidt. The pursuit of happiness. The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom . Basic Books,
2006.
33. Wind & Crook. Our models define our world. The Power of Impossible Thinking . Wharton School Publishing, 2005.
34. Gadiesh. Interview text &/or videos. [Locate both at Harvard website : www.hbs.edu/entrepreneurs/oritgadiesh.html ].
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