ERNIE BEAL: Between Friends

Ten days ago we arrived in Zhengzhou China. While Jan's been busy updating her Facebook groups with pictures and reports, I've been putting final touches on the syllabus for the Leadership studies courses I am teaching this fall. That project now is complete, although yet ahead of me remains the challenge of integrate it into the online learning center I created for Vision|Works activities. For those who might be interested, the lengthy syllabus appears below. If you stumble across it and want further information, drop me a note at ernie.beal@gmail.com.

p.s. My camera and I hit the streets next week!!

Ernie Beal

INTRODUCTION

This course addresses the theory, application, and practice of organizational leadership. Students will explore personal, social, and situational variables involved in good and poor organizational leadership. Major concepts in organizational leadership behavior will be studied, discussed assessed, and practiced. Upon completion students should be able to:

ü Recognize the importance leadership plays in groups, organizations, communities, and societies.

ü Relate and demonstrate comprehension of the major concepts discussed in the course.

ü Identify key components of effective organizational leadership skills and behavior.

ü Apply major leadership concepts to a real-world case study.

ü Evaluate the effect of leadership on followers, teams, and organizations.

ü Assess and develop strategies for increasing personal leadership skills.

ü Solve problems and make decisions as a team leader and a member of a team.

Students will demonstrate mastery in these areas through classroom and online discussions, group projects, personal journals, completed assignments, and a case study based final paper.

GENERAL GUIDELINES

This course provides knowledge of, experience in, and paths to becoming an effective organizational leader. Effective leadership involves much more than knowing theories and research. To be a great leader one must DO leadership well. Doing requires participation and action. Students will not be successful in this course merely taking notes, memorizing, and reciting information delivered by the instructor or contained in the readings. Active participation will be required both in the classroom and throughout other activities. The instructor expects students to show their skills as:

Ø Innovative dreamers

Ø Critical thinkers

Ø Effective communicators

Ø Group and class leaders

Course activities include readings, lectures, classroom activities, online and in-class discussions, personal reflections, group projects, course paper, and other assignments. Final grades assess success across all activities, as follows:

Course Participation 15%

Online Assignments 25%

Group Projects 30%

Course Paper 30%

Your course grade will reflect effort and success demonstrating solid understanding of organizational leadership both a theoretical and applied. You will show such understanding through what you do and how you do it. To be successful in this course you must be an “active learner” who contributes willingly to classroom discussions, online conversations, and group processes.

COURSE PARTICIPATION

Such participation necessitates consistent class attendance and regular contributions to course discussions (in-class and online). Course participation will be evaluated by these standards:

	Excellent [Exceeds Standards]	Good [Sometimes Exceeds Standards]	Acceptable [Meets Standards]	Unacceptable [Below Standards]
Misses class	Never	Seldom	Occasionally	Frequently
Shows up late to class	Never	Seldom	Occasionally	Frequently
Submits assignments timely (in-class and online)	Frequently Exceeds deadlines	Occasionally exceeds deadlines	Meets deadlines	Does not meet deadlines consistently
Answers questions in class posed by the professor or by other students OR offers helpful explanations when another student is confused	Frequently; functions as a course leader in discussions	Usually; occasionally functions as a course leaders in discussions	Often responds appropriately to course questions;	Almost never responds or volunteers discussion comments
Uses language that is appropriate for the classroom and is respectful of other students, visitors, and the instructor	Frequently	Occasionally	Seldom	Almost never
Exhibits disruptive behavior (i.e. interrupts others, falls asleep, dominates conversation, does not adhere to class-generated guidelines, etc.)	Never; demonstrates solid command of social communication skills	Rarely; demonstrates good understanding of social situation	Occasionally, yet often only due to verbal difficulties	Frequently uses slang, profanity, or makes social inappropriate remarks

Course participation will be assessed three times. Each assessment will reflect student behavior for the preceding 6-week period.

ONLINE COURSEROOM

This course requires consistent use of and participation in an online (e-learning) course room, including use of an e-Portfolio (journal) described in a section below. Through these internet-based activities, you will:

Obtain and convey information about course requirements and materials. All required readings will be available through the site.
Communicate with your instructor. You may send the instructor mail from within the course room. Also, you can schedule individual and group appointments with the instructor.
Participate in required activities including online discussions.
Maintain a personal leadership development “journal” (otherwise known as an e-portfolio).
Track your progress and grades.

In our first class session, you will complete and submit a “Personal Information Sheet” containing name, email address, and related data. Using this information the instructor will create a login ID and initial password for accessing the website. You will receive an email at the address you provide on the Personal Information Sheet containing your access credentials and providing further information (e.g. URL) for using the site.

Once logged in you will have access both to your Leadership course and some tutorial courses about the online environment. The website uses a program called “MOODLE”. If interested, you can find many help resources through the Internet. MOODLE is used widely in many countries at learning levels beginning in elementary schools up through advanced graduate university studies. If you find the online course room difficult, please schedule a private tutoring session with the instructor.

You will submit most assignments to the instructor through the online course room. Online assignments include the following, described in greater detail within the online course room:

On eight (8) occasions during the course, you will post a summary and response to readings assigned for the week. These “main posts” must be submitted no later than midnight on Wednesday of the week assigned. Using no less than 200 words and no more than 250 words you will explain in your own words the key points made by the author(s). "In your own words" means writing without copying what someone else has said. You cannot copy or quote the author or another student's words. To this summary, you will add, in no less than 100 words and no more than 200 words, your own thoughts about the article(s) answering questions like "whether, in my experience, the points made are right or wrong", "how the article apply to me or to leaders I have known," or "what I might do to apply the material read." You do not need to answer every question--pick the question you think best shows that you read and understood the article(s). [On several occasions, the instructor will focus your use of the reading material by asking you to apply it to a fictional case. Pay careful attention to the instructions online specific to each reading assignment. ]
On four occasions during the course, you will use the readings to respond to a hypothetical situation. These “case” posts must be submitted no later than midnight Wednesday of the week assigned. Your response should be responsive to questions posed by the instructor within the online courseroom. Using no less than 300 words and no more than 500 words you answer in your own words questions related to the case study.
In addition to your main and case posts, you must also reply online to another student's post no later than midnight Saturday of each week. Your reply must contain no less than 100 and no more than 200 words. The reply should address whether you agree or disagree with the other student's main post, any key points you feel the student missed, or how you could apply an insight resulting from the other student's writing. In preparing a reply, make a response as if you and the other student are engaged in an oral conversation. At his or her option, the other student may respond to your reply.

Online course room responses will be evaluated using the following criteria:

	Excellent [Exceeds Standards]	Good [Sometimes Exceeds Standards]	Acceptable [Meets Standards]	Unacceptable [Below Standards]
Participation	Postings encourage and facilitate interaction among members of the online community.	Postings respond to other members of the online community.	Postings rarely interact with or respond to other members of the online community.	Postings respond to the main question of the facilitator only.
Critical Thinking	Postings consistently enhance the critical thinking process through reflection about issues and difference questioning of self and others.	Postings show individual critical thinking, but do not apply reflection and questioning to others’ statements.	Postings respond to questions from others but do not show reflection or questioning of ideas.	No response to questions from others.
Content	Postings frequently refer to course material or other reliable sources (books, journal articles, websites). The student introduces regularly new material for class consideration.	Postings show evidence of having read required material, include at least one reference to required or other materials.	Postings show evidence of having read course material, yet rarely contain references to any sources required or otherwise.	Postings include opinions only, no evidence of reading any reliable sources.
Style	Postings consistently show appropriate vocabulary and writing style, often written so the writing attracts interest from readers.	Postings usually show appropriate vocabulary and writing style.	Postings often include inappropriate vocabulary and writing style, yet remain readable.	Postings consistently show inappropriate vocabulary and writing style. Writing difficult to follow.
Quality	Submissions relate clearly to the main topic and add new concepts, information, or interpretation They include several supporting details and/or examples.	Submissions relate clearly to the main topic, introducing occasionally new concepts, information, or interpretation. Frequently they provide at least 1 supporting detail or example.	Submissions clearly relate to the main topic. No details and/or examples are given. Postings address course basics but rarely offer new concepts, information, or interpretation.	Submissions have little or nothing to do with the main topic or simply restate the main concept. Postings do not contribute to student community understanding.
Conduct	Written interactions on the discussion board show respect and sensitivity to peers' gender, cultural and linguistic background, and political and religious beliefs.	Written interactions on the discussion board show respect and interest in the viewpoints of others. On occasion encourages different viewpoints.	Most written interactions on the discussion board show respect and interest in the viewpoints of others.	Written interactions with Peers on the discussion board show disrespect for the viewpoints of others.

E-PORTFOLIO

Your e-Portfolio provides a private space to think about and plan for the leadership career you seek. Within this space you will complete several exercises, including self-assessments and a related Personal Leadership Development Plan.

In most cases people become great leaders through deep thought, careful planning, hard work, and intense practice. Those efforts frequently become more effective when an individual works with a strong mentor. The e-Portfolio creates a tool where you and the instructor can maintain an ongoing mentor relationship within and beyond this course.

The instructor will provide feedback to many of your course-related journal entries. In addition, credentials for accessing the e-Portfolio will not expire when the course ends. After the course ends you may continue to assess, reflect, and converse about your leadership development needs. The instructor will continue to follow your progress, suggest additional activities and resources, and assist you with long-term leadership development. As you move into the workforce after college the e-Portfolio will remain available as a space where you can seek advice about job-seeking, skill development, and work situations.

While enrolled in this course, submissions to the e-Portfolio will be evaluated based on the (1) effort made, (2) thoroughness of response to specific assignment, and (3) quality of personal insight revealed by the response. Grades associated with the e-Portfolio will be applied to the Online Assignments part of your final grade.

GROUP PROJECTS

Each student will be part of a six person “project group”. Every group member will serve a three-week term as “group leader”. Groups will be organized by the instructor prior to our second-class session. Groups must meet weekly beginning the second week of classes. In the first meeting the group will create a schedule showing which member will be serving as group leader for each three-week period.

Groups will prepare and deliver three in-class presentations. The two people serving as group leaders each 6-week period will be responsible for delivering the group’s required presentation. As noted in the schedule above, course content has been divided into three topic categories: character, context, and conduct. The projects will relate to the topical material covered across these 6-week periods, as follows:

v Project 1: Collage. Use artistic formats and materials chosen by the group, the two leaders will each tell a story showing how their hopes, potential, and experiences led them to become a great leader ten years after this class ends. To prepare this story and the related collage, the group must help the leaders imagine the leader they will become in 2022 and develop a story telling how they got from early childhood to that point. Two key learning points dominate this exercise: (1) great leaders do not happen; rather, they evolve from people who imagined themselves in leadership roles long before they obtained them, and (2) good leaders should be able to tell a compelling story about the future of their organizations and the people within it. [Note: Collage refers to artwork made from objects that are glued down onto a surface, such as a piece of paper, canvas, or board. The objects can be whatever you wish, for example tissue paper, wrapping paper, newspaper pages, magazine pages, cardboard, foil, metal, plastic, fabric, wire, photographs, found objects such as shells, feathers, or stones, and 'rubbish' such as broken toys or appliances.]

v Project 2: Short drama. Each group will create a short script to play act this scenario: The two leaders are partners in a manufacturing venture. The company recently lost a major order representing almost half of the company’s business. One leader wants to close down some operations and fire a large number of employees. The other leader believes the company should develop a new product that can be brought to market quickly. Together the two leaders are meeting with their major managers to discuss options and develop solutions. The script should illustrate the group’s knowledge and application of good “crisis” leadership skills. A group’s drama may be delivered in Chinese or English, at the group’s option, but, if performed in Chinese, an English translation must be supplied.

v Project 3: Poem or song. Each leader will deliver, in song or poem, a narrative describing how they, as a great leader, act toward workers and others. The song or poem must be long enough to reveal the conduct expected of a great boss and leader. After performing the song or poem, the team leaders must give a short presentation on their group’s creative process (how the group arrived at what to say and how to say it). Songs and poems may be delivered in Chinese or English, at the student’s option, but, if performed in Chinese, an English translation must be supplied.

Group presentations must be 8-10 minutes in length. Groups will be graded on both the materials provided and presentation performance. This means every student in the group receives a grade based on how well the two leaders perform on their behalf. [Hint: when creating your team’s leadership schedule give consideration to which project each person would perform best.]

In addition to group presentation, every group member will prepare a reflection paper describing his or her experience as group leader, detailing things learned from being team leader, and assessing what he or she might do to be more effective in future group leadership roles. Reflection papers must be 250-400 words long. They will be filed in the student’s journal (e-portfolio) by midnight Saturday of the individual’s third leadership week.

Group presentations will be evaluated using the following criteria:

	Excellent [Exceeds Standards]	Good [Sometimes Exceeds Standards]	Acceptable [Meets Standards]	Unacceptable [Below Standards]
Content	Performance and project draw upon course material or other reliable sources (books, journal articles, websites). Project contributes to broader understanding of course material.	Performance and project show evidence of having read required material and reflects an occasional new idea.	Performance and project reflect a general understanding of course material, yet add no new information or ideas.	Performance and project reflect very little understanding of course material
Performance	Holds attention of entire audience with the use of direct eye contact, seldom looking at notes. Movements seem fluid and help the audience visualize. Student displays relaxed, self-confident nature about self, with no mistakes.	Consistent use of direct eye contact with audience, but still returns to notes. Made movements or gestures that enhances articulation. Makes minor mistakes, but quickly recovers from them; displays little or no tension.	Displayed minimal eye contact with audience, while reading mostly from the notes. Very little movement or descriptive gestures. Displays mild tension; had some trouble recovering from mistakes.	No eye contact with audience, as entire report is read from notes. No movement or descriptive gestures. Tension and nervousness is obvious; has trouble recovering from mistakes.
Creativity	Extremely creative and presented with originality; used a unique approach that truly enhanced the project	Creative at times; thoughtfully and uniquely presented	Added a few original touches to enhance the project but did not incorporate it throughout	Little creative energy used during this project; was bland, predictable, and lacked “zip”

COURSE PAPER

You will complete a course paper focused on a leader you find inspiring. That leader may be someone you know (family, friend, former boss), a person about whom you have read, or a well-known individual many people consider a great leader. When picking the person be creative. Be mindful that the instructor must read many papers for your class. Seek a subject so compelling and interesting the instructor might remember your paper long after the class ends.

The paper must address three topics:

1. The character, conduct, and context making your chosen subject a great leader;

2. The struggles and faults causing this leader to be less effective than he or she could have been; and

3. How what you learned about this leader could make you a better leader.

You will prepare and submit your final paper by a seven-step process. The steps are:

STEP ONE: Choose a subject.

Choose someone who interests you; this will make it easier to write. Exploring unique features of the chosen person that can set your content and information apart from more obvious approaches many others might take. Your essay should be both original in approach and insightful. It should be someone any reader would find fascinating.

ASSIGNMENT: No later than October 5, 2012 submit in your journal (e-portfolio) a one or two sentence description of the leader about whom you will research and write. In a single sentence tell the instructor why you find this person inspiring.

STEP TWO: Define your research plan.

It's pointless to launch into writing before you've done the research. You need to understand the background to the topic and the current thinking, as well as finding out what future research is considered necessary in the area. While it may be tempting to rehash information you already know really well, avoid doing this or you learn nothing from the research and writing process. Go into research with a sense of adventure and an openness to learning things you've yet to grasp, as well as being ready to discover new ways of looking at old problems. When researching, use both primary (original text, document, legal case, interviews, experiment, etc.) and secondary (other people's interpretations and explanations of the primary source) sources. There is also a place for discussing with like-minded students and even finding online discussions about the topic if you feel comfortable doing this but these discussions are for idea-sharing and helping you to gel your ideas and are not usually quotable sources.

ASSIGNMENT: No later than October 19, 2012 submit within your journal (e-portfolio) a research plan explaining what you will read, whom you will interview, or where you will get the information about the subject of your paper.

STEP THREE: Complete research and identify key findings, principal arguments or important points.

After you've done the research, it's essential to pinpoint the strong ideas you'll be discussing and the points you plan to make throughout the paper. Your key findings, principal arguments, or important points represent the spine of your essay, the idea that you'll go on to defend in the paragraphs that follow. Writing without a clear sense of what you plan to say is very much like driving a car without knowing where you are going. With a few sentences you must capture the most important point(s) your paper will address.

Allow room for flexibility as you continue working through both the research and the writing. Y may wish to make changes better explaining the ideas formed in your mind and the discoveries you continue to make. On the other hand, be careful not to be a continuous seeker who never alights upon a single idea for fear of confinement. At some point you are going to have to say: "Enough is enough to make my point here!"

ASSIGNMENT: Submit to your journal (e-portfolio) no later than November 10, 2012 an 80-100 word summary of the key findings or important points learned from your research. Add to the summary two or three sentences describing how what you learned can help you become a better leader.

STEP FOUR: Develop an outline for the paper.

Some people can work on a term paper skipping this step; they're a rare and often time-pressed breed. It is far better to have an outline sketched out so that you know where you're headed, just as a road map helps you to know where you're going from A to B. Like the entire paper, the outline is not set in stone but subject to changes. However, it does give you a sense of structure and a framework to fall back on when you lose your way mid paper and it also serves as the skeleton of your paper, and the rest is just filling in the details. There are different approaches to developing an outline and you may even have your own personal, preferred method. As a general guidance, some of the basic elements of an outline should include:

• Introduction, discussion paragraphs/sections and conclusion or summary.

• Descriptive or explanatory paragraphs following the introduction, setting the background or theme.

• Analysis and argument paragraphs/sections. Using your research, write out the main idea for each body paragraph.

• Any outstanding questions or points you're not yet sure about.

ASSIGNMENT: No later than November 24, 2012 post your proposed outline in your journal (e-portfolio). After submission continue to revise the outline as needed to reflect your growing knowledge about your subject and any changes in your thinking. You may, but are not required to, post revised outlines in your journal.

STEP FIVE: Prepare your introduction.

The introductory paragraph is challenging but avoid turning it into a hurdle. Of all the paper, this is the part often most likely to be rewritten as you continue working through the paper and experience changes of direction, flow and outcome. Look on it as simply a means of getting started and remind yourself that it's always revisable. This approach allows you the freedom to mess it up but fix it as needed. Your opening paragraph(s) should help a reader understand the paper's structure and the major topics it will cover. Try using HIT as the means for getting your introduction underway:

• Hook the reader using a question, quote, bold statement, or very short story (2-3 sentences) that will eventually make absolute sense to the reader in the context of the key points in your paper.

• Introduce your subject. Be succinct, clear and straightforward.

• Outline the key points ordered as they appear in the paper.

ASSIGNMENT: No later than December 15, 2012 submit to your proposed introduction to your journal (e-portfolio).

STEP SIX: Write your paper.

When writing, consider the following suggestions may be helpful:

• Think of a good title to catch the reader's attention, but not a too long or too short one! For some writers, a great title appears at the beginning of writing while for others, it only becomes apparent after slogging through the paper in its entirety. If you're still stuck, brainstorm with a friend or family member; you might be surprised how a fresh mind unacquainted with the topic can come up with a pithy title at a moment's notice!

• Convince the reader with your body paragraphs. Each paragraph should make a point. Make sure each paragraph supports your argument in a new way. Fill the paragraph with sentences that relate directly to your key point. If you are not sure if a sentence belongs in a paragraph, turn each sentence into a single point and all the points in a written list. Ask yourself if all the points fit together?

• Show some style. Using outside sources? Peppering quotes throughout your text is certainly a good way to help make your point, but don't overdo it and take care not to use so many quotes as the embodiment of your points that you're basically allowing other authors to make the point and write the paper for you. Avoid cutting and pasting from other people's arguments. By all means use eminent thinkers in the field's thoughts to back up your own thinking but avoid saying nothing other than "A says... B says...". The reader wants to know what you say ultimately.

• Don't be a slob. Running your spelling checker is only the first step in proofreading your paper! A spell-check won't catch errors like "how" instead of "show", nor will it pick up on doubled words ("the the") or grammar problems (unless you use MS Word, which can be configured to check grammar, and already catches double words). Little goofs like these aren't likely to impress the instructor – if you're too careless to proofread, after all, there's a good chance you didn't put much effort into your paper. Address the mess: ask a friend to read through your essay, marking any mistakes.

• Conclude with strength. Try using this method:

ü Restate your principal argument.

ü Add a following sentence with the most important points or details contained in your body paragraphs.

ü Finish with a sentence where you give the reader something left to think about.

ASSIGNMENT: Ask another student to read your finished paper. Request that person to give you feedback on how to improve your paper. No later than December 21, 2012 summarize the suggestions in writing (no more than 100 words) within your online journal (e-portfolio).

OPTIONAL: You may also submit a copy of your proposed paper to the instructor for feedback. You are not required to do so. The instructor will provide suggestions for improving your paper--suggestions that you can follow or ignore. Submitting your paper to the instructor for early feedback will not hurt your final grade.

STEP SEVEN: Revise and submit your final paper is due no later than January 4, 2013.

Your final paper should also demonstrate a strong understanding of the material read and discussed in this course. Draw upon this information in selecting the questions researched, points identified, and arguments made.

Papers will be evaluated using these criteria:

	Excellent [Exceeds Standards]	Good [Sometimes Exceeds Standards]	Acceptable [Meets Standards]	Unacceptable [Below Standards]
Preparation	Consistently met and often exceeded deadlines associated with preparation process. Journal responses frequently beyond minimum compliance.	Met and occasionally exceeded deadlines associated with preparation process. Journal responses conveyed strong grasp of process requirements.	Met deadlines associated with preparation process. Journal entries reflect adequate understanding of the course paper preparation process.	Did not meet process deadlines. Responses showed poor grasp of or effort to deliver process requirements.
Introduction	Strong introduction of topic’s key question(s), terms. Clearly delineates subtopics to be reviewed. Captures reader interest. Demonstrates imagination.	Conveys topic and key question(s). Clearly delineates subtopics to be reviewed. Provides an organized and readable introduction to the course paper.	Conveys topic, but not key question(s). Describes subtopics to be reviewed. Leaves reader with impression writer lacks enthusiasm for the subject discussed.	Does not adequately convey topic. Does not describe subtopics to be reviewed. Lacks structure. Seems written with little effort or imagination.
Structure	All material clearly related to subtopic, main topic. Strong organization and integration of material within subtopics. Impressive paragraph and sentence structure. Strong transitions linking subtopics, and main topic.	All material clearly related to subtopic, main topic and logically organized within subtopics. Clear, varied transitions linking subtopics, and main topic.	Most material clearly related to subtopic, main topic. Material may not be organized within subtopics. Attempts to provide variety of transitions	Little evidence material is logically organized into topic, subtopics or related to topic. Many transitions are unclear or nonexistent.
Research	Paper uses additional material beyond what was provided and includes many types of resources to make points effectively.	Sources well selected to support thesis with some additional research in support of key points. Paper integrates well course learning.	Uses course material reasonably well. Demonstrates adequate research effort supporting main arguments.	Did not utilize resources effectively; did little or no fact gathering on the topic. Sources insignificant or unsubstantiated.
Style	The paper is free of grammatical errors and spelling & punctuation. Paragraphs and sentences provide pleasurable reading experience.	Grammatical errors or spelling & punctuation are rare and do not detract from the paper.	Paper reflects general knowledge of writing standards. Grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors do not interfere with reading the paper.	Grammatical errors or spelling & punctuation substantially detract from the paper. Word choice is informal in tone. Writing is choppy, with many awkward or unclear passages.
Creativity	Writing extremely creative and presented with originality. Used a unique approach enhancing the project.	Content creative at times, thoughtful, and uniquely presented.	Paper has few original touches to enhance the project although content meets course requirements and generally keeps reader interest.	No creative energy reflected within paper. Writing bland, predictable, and lacking “zip”.

COURSE SCHEDULE

Course content has been organized by three main views about Leadership. Many people believe great leadership results from who you are (the “character”, “personal” or “stuff inside” perspective). Others argue that effective leadership develops through what you do (the “conduct”, “social” or “stuff in-between” vantage point). Another group believes leaders emerge as a function of where you are (the “context”, “situational” or “stuff all-around view). Each perspective has merit; however, leadership performance is often influenced by all three variables. Course content and activities examine leadership by looking through these three “windows” in following order:

Week

Topics and Assignments

Deadlines

Character

Sept. 3

OVERVIEW

Complete Personal Information Sheet

Access online learning center and update personal profile

Send email to course instructor

Read: Hay Group, (2007). East meets west: Bridging two great business cultures.

Weaver, P. and Mitchell, S., (2007). Lessons for leaders from people who matter. (both available in online course room)

In class

Sept. 5

Sept. 6

Sept. 10

TRAITS

Read: Charan, R. (2007). Know-How: The 8 Skills That Separate People Who Perform from Those Who Don’t. [excerpt only]. (available in online course room)

Submit reading summary and reflection (Online course room)

Submit reply to another student’s reading summary (Online course room)

Sept. 10

Sept. 12

Sept. 15

Sept. 17

DEVELOPMENT

Read: Avolio, B.J., et al., (2009). Early life Experiences as determinants of leadership role occupancy, The Leadership Quarterly, 20:329-342. (available in online course room)

Submit reading summary and reflection (Online course room)

Complete Myers-Briggs Assessment (e-Portfolio)

Submit reply to another student’s reading summary (Online course room)

Sept. 17

Sept. 19

Sept. 20

Sept. 22

Sept. 24

MOTIVATION

Read: Hofstedde, G. (1980). Motivation, leadership, and organizations: Do American theories apply aboard? Organizational Dynamics, Summer: 42-63. (available in online course room).

Submit response to case study and related questions. (Online course room)

Complete Skills Inventory (e-Portfolio)

Submit reply to another student’s case study response. (Online course room)

Sept. 24

Sept. 26

Sept. 28

Sept. 29

Oct. 1

VALUES

Read: Niu, C., et al. (2009). Effectiveness of a moral and benevolent leader: Probing the interactions of the dimensions of paternalistic leadership. Journal of Asian Social Psychology, 12:32-39.

Submit reading summary and reflection (Online course room)

Complete Personal Assessment (e-Portfolio)

Submit proposed course paper subject (e-Portfolio)

Submit reply to another student’s reading summary (Online course room)

Oct. 1

Oct. 3

Oct. 4

Oct. 5

Oct. 6

Oct. 8

VISION

Group Project Presentations (both sessions)

Submit Unit 1 (Character) group leader assessments and reflections (see instructions in online course room)

In class

Oct. 13

Context

Oct. 15

CULTURE

Read: Chin, C.O, Gu, J. and Tubbs, S.L., (2001) Developing Global Leadership Capacities. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 7(4): 20-31 (available in online course room).

Wang, J. (2008). Leveraging Chinese Culture for Effective Organizational Leadership: The China Case. Unpublished manuscript, Texas A&M University.

Submit reading summary and reflection (Online course room)

Submit proposed course paper research plan (e-Portfolio)

Submit reply to another student’s reading summary (Online course room)

Oct. 15

Oct. 17

Oct. 19

Oct. 20

Oct. 22

SYSTEMS

Read: Stocker, G. (2010). A systems approach to leadership: Forgetting the parts and leading the whole. Unpublished manuscript, Praecedo.

Stroh, D.P. (2006). Identifying and breaking vicious cycles. Applied Systems Thinking, Paper 5.

Smith, M.P. (2001). Peter Senge and the learning organization, the encyclopedia of informal education. Retrieved from www.infed.org/thinkers/senge.htm.

Submit reading summary and reflection (Online course room)

Complete personal experience narrative (e-Portfolio)

Submit reply to another student’s reading summary. (Online course room)

Oct. 22

Oct. 24

Oct. 26

Oct. 27

Oct. 29

CHALLENGE

Read: McKinsey & Company (2009). Leadership lessons for hard times.

Submit reading summary and reflection (Online course room)

Complete “My greatest challenge” assignment (e-Portfolio)

Submit reply to another student’s reading summary (Online course room)

Oct. 29

Oct. 31

Nov. 2

Nov. 3

Nov. 5

ENVIRONMENT

Submit response to case study and related questions. (Online course room)

Submit key findings from course paper research (e-Portfolio)

Submit reply to another student’s case study response. (Online course room)

Nov. 7

Nov. 9

Nov. 10

Nov. 12

CHANGE

Read: Appelbaum (1998). Strategic organizational change: the role of leadership, learning, motivation and productivity, Management Decision 36(5): 289-301.

Kotter, J.P., (1995). Leading change: Why transformation efforts fail, Harvard Business Review.

Submit reading summary and reflection (Online course room)

Submit reply to another student’s reading summary (Online course room)

Nov. 12

Nov. 14

Nov. 16

Nov. 19

TOXIC LEADERS

Read: Lipman-Bluman, J. (2005). Toxic leadership: A conceptual framework, Encyclopedia of Executive Governance.

Group Project Presentations (both sessions)

Submit Unit 2 (Context) group leader assessments and reflections (see instructions in online course room)

Submit course paper outline (e-Portfolio)

Nov. 19

In class

Nov. 23

Nov. 24

Conduct

Nov. 26

ROLES

Read: Becker, J., et al. (2002). Discrepancies in self/subordinates' perceptions of leadership behavior: Leader's gender, organizational context and leader's self-monitoring, Group & Organization Management, 27(2): 226-244.

Uhl-Bien, M. et al. (2007). Complexity Leadership Theory: Shifting leadership from the industrial age to the knowledge era, Leadership Institute Faculty Publications. Paper 18.

Submit reading summary and reflection (Online course room)

Complete “Dreams and Goals” Worksheet (e-Portfolio)

Submit reply to another student’s reading summary (Online course room)

Nov. 26

Nov. 27

Nov. 29

Dec. 3

BEHAVIOR

Read: Feng, L. (1998). Same Kentucky Chicken, Different Taste: Cross-cultural Leadership Studies at KFC in Beijing, Unpublished Manuscript, Virginia Polytechnical Institute.

Submit response to case study and related questions. (Online course room)

Submit introductory paragraph for course paper (e-Portfolio)

Submit reply to another student’s case study response. (Online course room)

Dec. 3

Dec. 5

Dec. 7

Dec. 8

Dec. 10

COMMUNICATION

Read: Barrett, D.J. (2006). Leadership Communication: A Communication Approach for Senior-Level Managers, Handbook of Business Strategy, pp. 385-390.

Submit reading summary and reflection (Online course room)

Complete Action Plan Worksheet (e-Portfolio)

Submit reply to another student’s reading summary (Online course room)

Dec. 10

Dec. 12

Dec. 13

Dec. 15

Dec. 17

SERVANT LEADERSHIP

Read: Han, Y. et al., (2010). Servant Leadership in the People’s Republic of China: A Case Study of the Public Sector, Journal of Management Development, 29(3): 265-281.

Submit response to case study and related questions. (Online course room)

Summarize feedback from course paper readers (e-Portfolio)

Submit reply to another student’s case study response. (Online course room)

Dec. 17

Dec. 19

Dec. 21

Dec. 22

Dec. 24

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Read: Prati, L.M. et al., (2003). Emotional intelligence, leadership effectiveness, and team outcomes, The International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 11(1):21-40.

Complete personal development plan (e-Portfolio)

Submit course paper

Dec. 26

Dec. 28

Dec. 29

Dec. 31

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Group Project Presentations (both sessions)

Submit Unit 3 (Conduct) group leader assessments and reflections (see instructions in online course room)

In class

Jan. 4

ERNIE BEAL: Between Friends

About Me

United Church of Christ News

Blog Archive

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Invitation to connect on LinkedIn

Friday, April 26, 2013

Invitation to connect on LinkedIn

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Invitation to connect on LinkedIn

Friday, November 02, 2012

Buyer beware.....

Tuesday, September 04, 2012

You can spot the Freshmen

Monday, September 03, 2012

School Begins!

For Children Everywhere

Sunday, August 26, 2012

CHINA: Arrival