Leadership 300 1 Fall 2008 LDST 300: Theories and Models of Leadership Fall 2008 Don Forsyth, Instructor Office: 233 Jepson Hall Phone: 289-8461 Email: [email protected] Office Hours: MW late morning/early PM and online A social psychologist, Don received his Ph.D. from the University of Florida. He studies groups, leadership, ethics, and a variety of other social processes. He holds the Leo K. and Gaylee Thorsness Chair in Ethical Leadership. Class Class 1:35 pm - 2:25 pm MWF Jepson Hall 107 Aug 25, 2008 - Dec 05, 2008 Description This course examines theories and models in leadership studies. Introduces role of theory in science and both classic and contemporary leadership theories/models are presented. Emphasis on critical analysis of theoretical perspectives. Mission The course is a key component of the overall University of Richmond curriculum. Hence, it sustains “a collaborative learning and research community that supports the personal development of its members and the creation of new knowledge. A Richmond education prepares students to live lives of purpose, thoughtful inquiry, and responsible leadership in a global and pluralistic society.” As a course in Jepson, this course strives to educate people “for and about leadership”. Goals Content: One of the primary aims of this course is to review, comprehensively, the science of leadership. We will examine these sorts of questions, but always seeking answers that are consistent with research evidence pertaining to leadership: • What is leadership? • What is power, and how is “power” different from “leadership?” • Do leaders have distinctive personalities? • Are leaders necessarily highly intelligent? • Why do leaders sometimes act in immoral ways? • How can leaders motivate those they work with? • Are women and men equally suited to lead? • Does leadership have genetic and/or evolutionary roots? • How do cognitive factors shape followers’ perceptions of their leaders? Process: Beyond pure content—the facts, theories, and findings—we will also examine the process of leadership study: how social scientists generate theories and do research. We will not only learn things like "Theory Y predicts this will happen" or "Such and such study supported this hypothesis," but also the assumptions that guide the research. Skills: I hope you will participate actively in this course, and so develop a number of academic and scholarly skills, including gains in critical thinking, ethical thought, writing and communication, information search and retrieval, technological skills, scientific skills, and study skills. You will may also develop leadership skills, but this course is not a “how to” course. Course topics • History of leadership theory and research • Science and its procedures • Theories and models of leadership • Research methods: Measurement • Research methods: Research procedures • Power and influence • Values and ethics • Personality • Self-conception and leadership • Authenticity and leadership • Intelligence • Motivation and emotion • Contingency theories • Charismatic leadership • Men, women, and leadership • Leadership across cultures • Social cognition and leadership • Evolutionary perspectives • Reactions to leadership • Defining leadershipLeadership 300 2 Fall 2008 Teaching and learning methods We will use a variety of structured learning experiences to achieve course goals, including in-class and extra-class activities. We will spend our classroom time in lecture, discussions, demonstrations, activities, and audiovisual events. Our in-class sessions serve several purposes: they clarify difficult topics discussed in the readings, raise questions about the scientific method, stimulate you to think critically about leadership, and provide you with the opportunity to express your understanding of leadership in your own words. If you need addition information about a topic just ask. This class also uses World Wide Web-based instruction extensively. In some cases I will email additional materials to you, and office hours will often be held on line. Many of the activities, papers, quizzes, and supplemental readings will also take advantage of the WWW, primarily Blackboard. If you do not already have decent Blackboard skills, you will have the chance to polish them in this class. Textbook and readings You will acquire much of your information about leadership, both in this class and for the rest of your life, by reading and studying texts. This course uses books, articles, and online sources. The books are: • Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. Malcolm Gladwell Little Brown 0-316-17232-4 • Transforming Leadership James MacGregor Burns 0-8021-4118-8 • Leading Minds: An Anatomy of Leadership Howard Gardner 0-465-08280-7 Readings are available on course reserves or via Blackboard. I selected these particular readings for different reasons. Blink, for example, explains how people think, sometimes too quickly, when they make decisions. Leading Minds, in contrast, is a classic in the field of leadership studies. And any scholar of leadership should read at least one of Dr. Burns’ books on leadership. The books and readings are all similar in that they ask you to think about leadership as a process, and consider how this social process can be studied empirically. All readings are “real” readings: if we aren’t going to examine the reading, then I identify the reading as “optional” and you won’t be required to know its content. Activities, assignments, quizzes, exams We will carry out a variety of projects and activities during the semester, including quizzes, exams, papers, etc: Some of these projects will be completed by groups rather than individuals. • Quizzes: usually administered online, open book, 10 questions typically • Short papers: reaction papers, summaries of extra-class talks and presentations, brief summaries of readings, self-assessments, usually 3 or 4 paragraphs submitted via Blackboard • Projects: this class will undertake several projects during the course of the semester. The “power list,” for example, will involve examining the interconnections among leaders in the local community, and presenting the results of the analysis to class. Another project, “leadership theories,” will