Perspectives on Leadership - PGP

Name of the Faculty

Smita Kumar

Area
Long duration programmes to which this
course may be offered
(PGP, FPM, PGPEM, PGPPM, EPGP)

Perspectives on Leadership

Credits (No. of hours)

PGP

Term / Quarter
Attendance criteria

Yes

Grading & Evaluation

Yes

Financial implications, if any

Course objective

Yes

Course outline (attached or not)

Yes

Course Type

Regular

Session-wise plan

Yes
o Please attach a brief profile of the
guest / adjunct faculty teaching in
the programme.
o If there are more than one faculty
teaching in the programme, please
mention the no. of sessions
allocated for each faculty.

Additional information

Course Outline Template_v2015

Learning objectives and goals

The course is designed with the following main objectives:
1. Discuss the evolution of major perspectives of leadership (foundational and emerging
perspectives) and underpinnings of environmental factors that influenced the
conceptualization of leadership.
2. Understand the strengths and limitations of various leadership perspectives and
critically evaluate their application to address current and future organizational
challenges.
3. Explore your personal leadership approach.

Course Outline
Pre-requisites (if any): NA
Course Overview:
This leadership course provides a comprehensive overview of foundational, contemporary
theories and models, and an exploration on emerging leadership perspectives to deal with
changing complex work environments. The goal of the course is to expose students to the
various ways in which leadership has been conceptualized over the last century and to discuss
possibilities of its application in current and emerging organizational contexts. Crossdisciplinary and integrative views of the leadership perspectives are adopted to highlight how
different disciplines inform leadership studies are used for understanding and assessing the
concept of leadership. Reflections on students own leadership provides a framework for selfawareness and students ongoing development as leaders. Students system thinking and
critical reflection will be stimulated by questioning and evaluating assigned readings, by
meeting leaders in the field, by examining how theory relates to practice and exploring new
approaches for its application.
The course will focus on four key areas: understanding the foundations of leadership,
developing assessment skills, examining leadership in organizational contexts, and exploring
new directions in leadership perspectives.

Course Outline Template_v2015

I. Understanding
Foundational
Perspectives

II. Developing
Assessment
Skills

Foundational
perspectives in
leadership
Role of power,
influence and
followers in
leadership

Understand
your own
leadership
approach
Examine
leadership
models and
its
application

III. Examine
Leadership in
Organizational
Contexts
Leadership &
Organizational
Change
Leading Groups &
Teams across
cultures

IV. Exploring New

Directions in
Leadership
Ethics & Values in
leadership
Diversity and
leadership
Emerging
perspectives in
leadership

Readings:
Required Text:
Yukl, G. (2013). Leadership in organizations. 8th Edition. Prentice Hall: New Jersey.
Evolution of thought and the major perspectives of leadership
1. Bennis, W. (2007). The challenges of leadership in the modern world. American
Psychologist, 62, 2-5.
2. * Yukl, G. (2012). Effective leadership behavior: What we know and what questions need
more attention. Academy of Management Perspectives, 66-85.
3. Hackman, J.R. & Wageman, R. (2007). Asking the right questions about leadership.
American Psychologist, 62, 4347.
4. Cappelli, P., Harbir, S., Singh, J. & Useem, M. (2010). Leadership lessons from India,
Harvard Business Review, 90-97.
Critical examination of leadership perspectives in organizational contexts
5. Kellerman, B. (2007). What every leader needs to know about followers. Harvard Business
Review, December, 84-91
6. Wheatley, M.J. (2007). Leadership of self-organized networks: Lessons from the war on
terror. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 20, 59-66.

Course Outline Template_v2015

7. Snowden, D.F. & Booone, M. (2007). A leaders framework for decision making. Harvard
Business Review, November, 69-76.
8. Useem, M., Cook, J., & Sutton, L. (2005). Developing leaders for decision making under
duress: Wildland firefighters in the South Canyon fire and its aftermath. Academy of
Management Learning and Education,461-485.
9. Javidan, M., Dorfman, P. W., Luque, M. S. D., & House, R. J. (2006). In the eye of the
beholder: Cross cultural lessons in leadership from project GLOBE. Academy of
Management Perspectives, 20(1), 67-90.
Exploring emerging leadership perspectives and it application
10. Wheatley, M. J. (2006). The real world. In M.J. Wheatley, Leadership and the new science:
Discovering order in a chaotic world (pp. 169-186). San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler.
11. Arnone, M. & Stumpf, S.A. (2010). Shared leadership: From rivals to co-CEOs. Strategy &
Leadership, 38, 15-21.
12. Gibson, C. B. (1995). An investigation of gender differences in leadership across four
countries. Journal of International Business Studies, 26(2), 255-280.
13. Wheatley, M. J. (2006). Change, Stability and Renewal: The Paradoxes of Self-Organizing
Systems. In M.J. Wheatley, Leadership and the new science: Discovering order in a chaotic
world (pp.). San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler.
14. Lichtenstein, B. B., Uhl-Bien, M., Marion, R., Anson, S., Orton, J. D., and Schreiber, C.
(2006). Complexity leadership theory: An interactive perspective on leading in complex
adaptive systems. Emergence: Complexity and Organizations, 8(4), 2-12.

Pedagogy
The course is designed both in structure and process to engage students in dialogue at the
individual, group, and collective level. Class format is built to engage students in discussions on
course material and its application to practice. Class discussions and assignments are designed
to encourage collaborative learning using creative & self-directed approaches with an aim to
foster critical thinking, problem-solving and exploration for individual fulfillment. Students
will have the opportunity to maximize learning through different approaches such as
interviewing practitioner from the field, presenting their understanding using a creative
method, interactions with practitioners (guest speaker and panel discussion) and more.

Course Outline Template_v2015

Grading and Evaluation

Students will ultimately be evaluated on understanding and new learning of leadership that
occurs over the course term.
1. Class facilitation [25%] Assignment 1
Students will facilitate a class discussion as per the session plan and will cover the
assigned material (papers / chapters) and use additional references. Emphasis is given
on using creative ways to promote learning for self and peers. You can design class
exercise or activity to promote class participation. Students will co-ordinate with the
faculty for selection of articles, class facilitation design and share the presentation
material with references at least 4 days prior to the class. (Group assignment and peer
evaluation)
2. Interview a leader & Reflection Paper [30%] - Assignment 2
Students will conduct an interview with a leader on two aspects of leadership (such as
team management, organizational change, cross-cultural leadership, ethics and values,
failure and resilience, difficult conversations, and more). The content of the interview
will remain between the student and their participant, as the assignment is to write a
reflection paper on the students experience with the interview process, students
understanding of leadership and anything new or different that the student learnt and
how that impacts students personal leadership approach. Assignment is geared
towards encouraging students to become aware of their own leadership approach. This
assignment is spread across the course in two parts, (a) students will submit the
interview questions (10%) and (b) reflection paper (20%), followed by in class
discussion. Page limit for the reflection paper - 4 pages (double space, 12 Font, New
Times Roman) (Individual assignment)
3. Final assessment - Multimedia Presentation [25%] - Assignment 3
Students will present their own contribution to the field of leadership across cultures or
sectors. This can incorporate aspects of previous assignments, extensions to or critiques
of existing literature, or other new contributions based on personal learning. Students
can use oral, written, visual, theatrical, other media or a case study for their
presentation. (Group assignment and peer evaluation)
4. Class participation [20%]

Course Outline Template_v2015

Students are expected to engage in thoughtful, insightful and reflexive communication

with each other and the faculty throughout the course duration. Students show respect
in speech and manner at all times. Class contributions are a reflection of careful reading
and understanding; supported by evidence and secondary points. Students remind
others of pertinent points made earlier and work on regularly building on comments.
Students are encouraged to question and engage in arguments to deepen the inquiry
and learning. They will challenge ideas respectfully, deepen arguments by taking it
beyond the text, recognizing implications and extension of the text. Students take
responsibility for class discussions and learning, they give constructive feedback and
support to others. Emphasis is given to collaborative and self-directed learning,
(Individual)

Session-wise plan
Session No.

Session 1
Session 2
Session 3

Session 4

Session 5

Session 6

Session 7

Session 8

Date /
week
(Optional)

Topic

Course overview, learning objectives, expectations and approach to

learning, review readings & assignments Yukl chapter 1
Foundational Perspectives on leadership
Reading 1, Yukl chapter 2, 3 & 6
Foundational Perspectives on leadership
Yukl chapters 7 & 8
(Assignment 1 Group 1)
Foundational Perspectives on leadership
Yukl chapter 12 & 13
(Assignment 1 Group 2)
Examine your personal leadership approach
Situational leadership, Dyadic Relations & Followers
Yukl chapter - 7 & 9
(Assignment 1 Group 4)
Strategic leadership and decision making
Yukl chapters 4 & 11, Reading 8
(Assignment 1 Group 3)
Guest speaker TBA
Understanding leadership asking right questions - submission Assignment 2(a) Students to share their interview questions and
identify a leader for the interview (in-class presentation, peer
feedback on questions and discussion)
Reading 3
Leading Groups and Teams, decision making
Readings 5 & 7, Yukl chapter 10
(Assignment 1 Group 5)
Course Outline Template_v2015

Session 9

Session 10

Session 11

Session 12

Session 13
Session 14

Session 15

Session 16

Session 17
Session 18

Session 19
Session 20

Leading Groups and Teams, cultural factors

Yukl chapter 9 & 14 & Reading 6
(Assignment 1 Group 6)
Learning from leaders leading teams, managing change & lessons
for new leaders
Panel Discussion TBA
Examine leadership theories and practice application, synergies
and differences; synthesis of material covered till session 10
Lessons on leadership through movies
Leadership and the New Science (Wheatley)
Readings 10 & 13
(Assignment 1 Group 7)
Guest Lecture TBA
Leadership & self-care preventing burnout
Leadership challenges Global and Indian Perspectives
Readings 4 & 9
Guest speaker TBA
Emerging Perspectives on Leadership
Readings 11 & 14
(Assignment 1 Group 8)
Ethics and values in leadership
Class exercise
Diversity & Inclusion
Yukl chapters 14 & 15, Reading 12
(Assignment 1 Group 9)
Panel Discussion TBA
Submission
Assignment 3 multimedia presentation (4 groups)
Submission Assignment 2(b) reflection paper and share learning
(class discussion)
Assignment 3 multimedia presentation (2 groups)
Assignment 3 multimedia presentation (3 groups)
Synthesis of course material
Course closure, sharing individual reflection, feedback and
questions

Faculty Contact Details

Office days: Wednesdays & Thursdays. Room A-112
Contact details: Mobile: +919886110654;

Email: smitakumar1@yahoo.com

Course Outline Template_v2015