Modern Leadership Skills (5 cr)

Objectives (course unit)

The course is focused on contemporary leadership theories, practices and skills that are needed to lead oneself and others ethically and effectively in a fast changing business environment.

After completing of the course, students will be able to:
1) define the role and responsibilities of a manager and leader in different organisations
2) understand their individual life motives that impact their leadership behaviour
3) create strategies for motivating and leading others in different situations
4) apply some essential leadership theories and practices in a fast changing environment
5) help other succeed by using some coaching techniques

Content (course unit)

- Motivation theories and 16 life motives
- Leading yourself & stress management
- Modern leadership theories, practices and styles
- Change management
- Coaching skills

Prerequisites (course unit)

First year BBA studies

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1-2) (course unit)

The student defines the role and the responsibilities of a manager and a leader. He/she has a vague knowledge of his/her own individual life motives and superficial understanding about motivating and leading others. With the help of others, he/she can solve simple people-related problems using some of the leadership theories and practices. The student is able to apply some very basic coaching skills to certain extent. He/she can give feedback but mainly considers and assesses things from his/her own point of view without being able to assess his/her own behaviour critically or showing strong empathy towards others.

Assessment criteria, good (3-4) (course unit)

The student explains the role and the responsibilities of a manager and a leader. He/she identifies some of his/her individual life motives and is able to draw conclusions to his/her actions based on the information. The student applies usual strategies for motivating and leading others. He/she can solve some people-related problems with the help of the most common leadership theories and practices. The student is able to apply some coaching skills but still needs a lot of practice to help others develop better. He/she can give feedback actively and constructively but is not very well able to assess his/her own leadership behaviour critically.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5) (course unit)

The student understands the role and the responsibilities of a manager and a leader. He/she analyses his/her own actions and behaviours with the help of his/her individual life motives. The student creates new strategies for motivating and leading others. He/she combines leadership theories and practices for solving challenging people-related cases. The student is able to apply some coaching skills in a professional manner. He/she uses feedback systematically to help others develop and is able to assess his/her own leadership behaviour critically.

Location and time

The course will start on Monday August 24th at 9:00 and end on October 7th. Lectures on 1-2 times a week.

The course will be run fully online in this Zoom link:
https://tuni.zoom.us/j/61759417617?pwd=T0JGdkZSTk5pa3NNcEZRU21SOXkrZz09 (permanent for the whole course):

You need to login with your TUNI account to access the meeting (SSO)

All participants are asked to regularly keep both the cameras and microphones on unless asked differently by the teacher.

Exam schedules

Mandatory open book group exam on "Challenging leadership cases" on September 30, 2020.

Assessment methods and criteria

1) Open book group exam "Challenging leadership cases" - Grading: 0-5
The group exam consists of several realistic cases where the students can apply their knowledge about different aspects of leadership. The cases will be solved in small teams that are created in the beginning of the course.
2) Individual "My Leadership Handbook" - Grading: 0-5
The handbook is good (3) if
• Lectures and discussions are clearly utilized
• Three of the suggested sources have been used
• The topics have been reflected through the person's own life and/or work experiences
• Peer group feedback has been used for the final version of the Handbook¨
• References have been used and marked correctly

Assessment scale

0-5

Teaching methods

Interactive lectures
Reading
Exercises
Group exam
Writing "My Leadership Handbook"

Learning materials

Kouzes and Posner - The Leadership Challenge
Cameron and Green - Making Sense of Change Management
Articles and other resources as given during the lectures

Student workload

135 hours, 5 cr, consisting of about 40 hours of online lectures and 95 hours of individual and group work.

Content scheduling

- August 24: Introduction of the course, team building, leading a team
- August 26: Leadership theories, line management
- August 31: Leadership practices
- September 2: Leading yourself, model the way
- September 7: Inspire a shared vision
- September 9: Encourage the heart: Motivation
- September 14: Enable others to act: Coaching skills
- September 16: Enable others to act: Changing individual behaviour, giving and receiving feedback
- September 21: Challenge the process: Leading change
- September 23: Challenge the process: Leading change
- September 30: GROUP EXAM
- October 7: Feedback and next steps

Completion alternatives

None.

Practical training and working life cooperation

This course will build on the students' current and previous practical leadership experiences.

International connections

International cases and the experiences of interational participants will be used.

Further information

In this interactive online course, all participants are asked to regularly keep both the cameras and microphones on unless asked differently by the teacher.

Assessment criteria - fail (0) (Not in use, Look at the Assessment criteria above)

The student has not participated in the group exam or has not submitted a complete "My Leadership Handbook".

Assessment criteria - satisfactory (1-2) (Not in use, Look at the Assessment criteria above)

The student can describe the role and the responsibilities of a line manager. The student remembers some leadership practices and change models and is able to mention them in the group exam. The student analyses the leadership cases, including the motivation factors, but the analysis stays on a superficial level. Suggestions are given for improving the leadership situations but they remain quite shallow and simple. The student has participated in the mandatory lectures but the reflection in the Handbook about the topics shows only superficial understanding of the course topics. The student participates in the team tasks but does not contribute very positively to the team's exam outcome as evaluated by the other team members.

Assessment criteria - good (3-4) (Not in use, Look at the Assessment criteria above)

The student can apply the different roles and the responsibilities of a line manager when solving challenging leadership cases. The student uses leadership practices and change models in a constructive and logical way in the group exam. The student analyses the leadership cases, including the motivation factors, and the analysis is quite detailed. Concrete, realistic and understandable leadership suggestions are given for improving the situation. The student has participated in all or most lectures and the reflection in the Handbook about the topics shows quite good understanding of the course topics. Main leadership theories and practices have been compared with student's own prior experiences about leadership. The student participates well team tasks and contributes positively to the team's exam outcome as evaluated by the other team members.

Assessment criteria - excellent (5) (Not in use, Look at the Assessment criteria above)

The student can justify the different roles and the responsibilities of a line manager when solving challenging leadership cases. The student uses leadership practices and change models in a constructive and very logical way in the group exam. The student analyses the leadership cases, including the motivation factors, and the analysis is detailed. Realistic, creative and understandable leadership suggestions are given for improving the situation. The student has participated in all or most lectures and the reflection in the Handbook about the topics shows thorough understanding and critical thinking about the course topics. Main leadership theories and practices have been compared with student's own prior experiences about leadership and new interpretations and and solutions for the future have been developed. The student leads him/herself well under pressure and contributes very positively to the team's exam outcome as evaluated by the other team members.