Course Title: Leadership

Part A: Course Overview

Course ID: 001392

Course Title: Leadership

Credit Points: 12


Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

BUSM1164

City Campus

Postgraduate

630H Management

Face-to-Face

 Sem 1 2006

Course Coordinator: Georgina Caillard

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 1302

Course Coordinator Email: georgina.caillard@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 108.16.48


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

Admission into Master of Business Leadership or Graduate Diploma in Business (Human Resource Management & Industrial Relations) or equivalent


Course Description

This course aims to develop students’ awareness and understanding of their preferred leadership style, personal traits and strengths and development needs in the domain of leadership.

It focuses on the role of both the formal and the informal leader, the role of followers, the notion of leaders as followers, the importance of leadership communication, the notion of transformational leadership in relation to change and diversity, and it focuses on the importance of culture, symbol and myth for leaders.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

This course has been designed to assist students in the development of capacities associated with superior performance in this area. The capacities and how the course addresses them are given below:

  • Knowledgeable: Students will gain knowledge about leading others from the workshop, readings, case studies, diagnostic exercises, class and learning group discussions. A comprehensive competency framework for leading others will be the main theoretical underpinning.
  • Creative: During the workshop, students will be given the opportunity to explore – through a variety of exercises – leadership issues and problems, by applying theory and personal reflection to their own experiences in both the learning group and organisational situations.
  • Critical: Students are encouraged to critically analyse theories including the associated research methods. The students are also expected to explore the practical problems in applying the theory and evaluate outcomes.
  • Responsible: Students explore the theory and practice of the managerial responsibilities involved with leading others. The students’ own responsibilities are also emphasised. The importance of integrity and ethical conduct is stressed.
  • Employable: By its very nature, courses with substantial self-directed learning require people to be self-motivated, adaptable, with good communication skills. This course also has a strong practical focus.
  • Life-long Learners: The course presents the concept of life-long learning in relation to the competencies required to lead others. The importance of refinement and on-going professional and personal development through reading, experience and reflection is stressed.
  • Potential Leaders: Not only does the theory stress the importance of the skills of leading others, but also how these attributes can be developed in managers is a major focus.


On completion of the course, students will have:

  • Understood and applied a diverse range of conceptual frameworks and models of leadership.
  • Explored the relationship between leadership, followership and the organisational operating environment.
  • Begun to assess their preferences in leadership styles and their current strengths and developmental needs in leadership competencies.


Overview of Learning Activities

This course focuses on the management competencies relevant to leading and following in the workplace. It is underpinned by the philosophies and methodologies of self-directed learning, emphasising the key supportive roles of Professional Development Teams (PDTs) and contract learning in management development.
Learning processes provide the opportunity for students to explore a range of competency frameworks for leading others, to undertake preliminary diagnostic assessments and to practise techniques particularly related to leadership styles, followership styles, the gaining and maintenance of trust, and the understanding of symbols and organisational stories. Regular PDT meetings will assist students in the preparation, implementation and evaluation of their individual learning contracts.
The practical experience of lecturers, guest presenters and other workshop participants, shared during interactive group discussions, will provide a rich source of real life examples of applications of leading in complex situations. The student’s individual research skills are also a crucial aspect of their own learning and a significant contribution to the learning of their team members.

Facilitated by the two course coordinators, the PDT meetings are an opportunity for students to share theoretical resources, seek and provide peer feedback on learning contracts, and get assistance with analysing critical incidents in the workplace.

In summary, the subject incorporates all aspects of Kolb’s Learning Cycle, that is, Experience, Reflection, Theorising and Experimentation.


Overview of Learning Resources

There is no prescribed text for this course.
Workshop sessions are supplemented by printed/DLS resource material. In keeping with the principles of self - directed learning, students are also required to read widely, that is, beyond the materials provided during the workshops.


Overview of Assessment

Assessment in this course is concerned with your ability to demonstrate movement through the four steps in Kolb’s Learning Cycle (mentioned above) with respect to leadership competencies. This will occur through written work and oral presentation.  To help you to meet the assessment requirements you will receive feedback from staff and be expected to give feedback to and receive feedback from your peers.

No higher grading than a pass is awarded to assessment tasks.  All assessment tasks must be passed in order to obtain an overall pass for the course.