Harvard Extension School

Management E-3010 Leadership Communications

Course Syllabus
Fall 2016

Course Time and Location

Tuesdays, 7:40-9:40pm
Harvard Hall 202
Instructor
Michelle Ehrenreich
Founding Partner
Acuity Partners
Office Hours: By appointment
Teaching Assistant
Jennica Hawkins

908.337.1571 (cell)
mehrenreich@acuitypartners.com

646.479.4145 (cell)
jhawkins@acuitypartners.com

Course Description and Overview

Persuasive business written and oral communications are essential skills that are required for career advancement
in nearly every management profession. In this class, students will learn how to communicate clearly and
persuasively, and to connect with their audience, in a way that inspires action.
Specifically, you will learn how to:
Inspire action through compelling, high-impact presentations and communications
Generate insights, with meaningful conclusions and recommendations
Understand and apply the principles of logical reasoning to lead your audience to action
Develop your unique leadership style and use it to authentically connect with your audience
Present information simply and clearly, in PowerPoint, full-text memos and emails, and other formats
Class sessions will be highly interactive, since best practices in communications are most effectively learned
through practice rather than lecture. Therefore, we will:
Spend most of the time in each session working through hands-on, relevant exercises
Practice writing and presenting
Draw on real life examples from a variety of industries and situations, including your own work or
academic experience
Use brief case studies from the wine industry as the basis for some in-class exercises and projects
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The training will be organized around the following key concepts:

Understanding your audience
Synthesizing and structuring communications
Writing killer charts and memos
Developing your leadership style
Presenting effectively
This course requires students to work continually throughout the semester and entails a fair amount of writing, class
discussion, and presentation. The class concludes with the Final Project, which will require researching, structuring,
writing, and delivering a presentation.

Required Course Materials

Listed below are the required books and cases for the course, which are most easily purchased online. There are
many versions of the Minto book; it does not matter which version you purchase. The pages to read can be
adjusted to your version. Each of these books and articles must be purchased separately.
The Minto Pyramid Principle: Logic in Writing, Thinking, and Problem-Solving: Barbara Minto
Leadership Presence: Dramatic Techniques to Reach Out, Motivate, and Inspire: Belle Linda
Halpern and Kathy Lubar
HBP: Crafting Winning Strategies in a Mature Market: The US Wine Industry in 2001
HBP: The Wine Industry by Andrew Inkpen and Rod Philips
HBP: Mondavi Winery by Gregory Miller
HBP: Rob Parson at Morgan Stanley (A) and (B) cases by M. Diane Burton

Grading
Your final grade in this course will be based on the following weighting:
30% Class Participation
40% Short Assignments, as follows:
10% Short Assignment #1
10% Short Assignment #2
20% Short Assignment #3 (in-class presentation)
30% Final Project
Class Participation. This is a graduate-level course that requires active participation in class. Much of the
learning comes from in-class exercises and discussion; students are expected to attend all class sessions,
complete all assigned readings and come prepared to participate. Attendance will be taken and participation will be
evaluated at each class session. You may miss up to two class sessions without penalty, for reasons such as
illness or work travel, but all other absences will result in a negative score for class participation for that session.
Please notify the Teaching Assistant by email prior to the start of class if you will not be in attendance.
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Short Assignments. There are 3 graded Short Assignments due on or before several class sessions. The Short
Assignments are designed to build upon class exercises, class discussions, and assigned readings, and to be
building blocks for the Final Project.
Final Project. The Final Project will entail researching, synthesizing, writing, and presenting approximately 6-8
slides, incorporating all of the learning from the semester.

Academic Integrity
Please take the time to familiarize yourself with Harvards policies on academic integrity. Other resources, including
Writing with Sources: A Guide for Harvard Students and Writing with Internet Sources, are also available on the
Harvard Extension School site. It is important to understand the standards to which you will be held; ignorance of
the standards will not be considered an excuse for violating them.

The Fine Print

Questions and Out-of-Class Communication. We will communicate with you regularly through email, so make
sure to keep your email address up-to-date with the Harvard Extension School and check your email frequently.
Emails will be answered within 48 hours, except over the weekend. Questions about assignments are best
addressed on the course website, so that everyone can benefit from the answers.
Workload. The value you receive from this course will be commensurate with the thought, effort, and reflection that
you put into it. Students should expect to spend 2-8 hours outside of class each week to read the assigned
materials, complete assignments, and prepare for the next class session.
On Time. Students are expected to be on time for class and to stay for the duration. In addition, please refrain
from distractions during class, such as texting, emailing or web surfing.
Deadlines. All assignments must be submitted by the specified day and time. True medical or family emergencies
will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
Professional Conduct. Professional behavior is expected throughout the class. This means respectful
communication both inside and outside of class. During discussions, civil discourse should be maintained at all
times and comments should be aimed at moving the discussion forward. Reasoned, respectful dissention is part of
the learning process.

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Course Outline and Schedule

Session 1: August 30, 2016
Understanding Your Audience
Due in class:
In class exercise. Students will develop and give a brief oral presentation to provide a baseline
understanding of their communications style and approach. This is not graded.
Session 2: September 6, 2016
Understanding Your Communication Style (Myers-Briggs Self Assessment)
Read prior to class:
The Minto Pyramid Principle: Logic in Writing, Thinking, and Problem-Solving, pages 1-33, by Barbara
Minto
Due by 11pm on September 5:
Complete a free online Myers-Briggs Self Assessment at:
http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp
Upload your summary level assessment only, e.g.:
ENTJ
Extravert(1%) iNtuitive(100%) Thinking(12%) Judging(89%)
Session 3: September 13, 2016
Synthesizing Qualitative Data
Read prior to class:
HBP: Crafting Winning Strategies in a Mature Market: The US Wine Industry in 2001
HBP: The Wine Industry by Andrew Inkpen and Rod Philips
Due in class:
In class exercises. We will practice active listening to conclude our module on Understanding Your Audience.
Then, we will complete a variety of exercises to improve our ability to synthesize qualitative information, and
generate meaningful insights and recommendations. Some of these exercises will be based on the wine
industry notes.
Session 4: September 20, 2016
Synthesizing Quantitative Data
Due in class
In class exercises. We will learn and apply best practices in synthesizing quantitative data using a variety of
real-life examples.
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Session 5: September 27, 2016

Applying Deductive Reasoning
Read prior to class:
The Minto Pyramid Principle: Logic in Writing, Thinking, and Problem-Solving, pages 60-68, by Barbara
Minto
HBP: Crafting Winning Strategies in a Mature Market: The US Wine Industry in 2001
HBP: The Wine Industry by Andrew Inkpen and Rod Philips
Due in class
In class exercises. We will learn and apply best practices in applying deductive reasoning.
Session 6: October 4, 2016
Applying Inductive Reasoning
Read prior to class:
The Minto Pyramid Principle: Logic in Writing, Thinking, and Problem-Solving, pages 68-72, by Barbara
Minto
HBP: Crafting Winning Strategies in a Mature Market: The US Wine Industry in 2001
HBP: The Wine Industry by Andrew Inkpen and Rod Philips
Due by 7pm on October 4th :
Short Assignment #1.
Read: Crafting Winning Strategies in a Mature Market: The US Wine Industry in 2001
Answer: Should a company enter the US wine industry in 2001? There is no right or wrong answer.
Please take a point of view using information from the case study and note, in 1 Word page:
- Consider what is happening in the US wine industry in 2001
- Consider the key issues to evaluate
- Develop point of view using the deductive structure
Due in class
In class exercises. We will learn and apply best practices in applying inductive reasoning.
Session 7: October 11, 2016
Writing in PowerPoint
Due by 7pm on October 11th:
Short Assignment #2:
Read: Crafting Winning Strategies in a Mature Market: The US Wine Industry in 2001
Answer: Should a company enter the US wine industry in 2001? There is no right or wrong answer.
Please take a point of view using information from the case study and note, in 1 Word page:
- Consider what is happening in the US wine industry in 2001
- Consider the key issues to evaluate
- Develop point of view using the inductive structure
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Due by 11pm October 10th:

Required, but not graded. Please submit an example of a best-in-class killer chart from work or school.
Due In class:
In class exercises. You will rewrite and improve PowerPoint slides drawn from real-life situations. This will not
be graded.
Session 8: October 18, 2016
Developing Your Authentic Leadership Style
Read prior to class:
Leadership Presence, Pages 1-69, 71-248, by Belle Linda Halpern and Kathy Lubar
Due in class:
In class exercises. We will explore ways to become a persuasive leader and communicator, drawing on a
variety of techniques from improvisational acting such as: being present in the moment, reaching out and
connecting, storytelling, being expressive, and knowing yourself and being authentic.
Session 9: October 25, 2016
Writing Style for Memos, Emails, and Social Media
Read prior to class:
The Minto Pyramid Principle: Logic in Writing, Thinking, and Problem-Solving, pages 170-188, by Barbara
Minto
Due by 11pm October 24th:
Required, but not graded. Please submit an example of a well-written blog that you enjoy reading.
Due in class:
In class exercises. We will practice techniques for improving written communications, for example, for emails
and memos.
Session 10: November 1, 2016
Short Presentations
Due by 7pm November 1st:
Short Assignment #3. Please be prepared to present a short, persuasive PowerPoint presentation drawing
from your own professional or academic experience, applying best practices, with your unique leadership
style.

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Session 11: November 8, 2016

Using Body Language to Communicate Effectively and Persuasively
Read prior to class:
HBP: Mondavi Winery by Gregory Miller
Due in class:
In class exercises. We will explore ways to use body language to become a more persuasive communicator.
We will also discuss the Mondavi case and review specific questions in preparation for the Final Project:
- Why did Mondavi decide to go public?
- Why did the stock price drop soon after the IPO?
- What information do investors need to understand Mondavis long-term value as a business?
Session 12: November 15, 2016
Developing a TED talk
Due in class:
In class exercises. We will review best practices in TED talks and then create our own TED talks.
Due by 11pm November 14th:
Required, but not graded. Please submit an example of a TED talk that you like.
No class: November 22, 2016
Thanksgiving break
Session 13: November 29, 2016
Developing a Coaching Style of Leadership
Read prior to class:
HBP: Rob Parson at Morgan Stanley (A) and (B) cases by M. Diane Burton
Due in class:
In class exercises. We will discuss best practices in developing a coaching style of leadership and having
difficult conversations
Session 14 and Session 15: Dec 6th and Dec 13th 2016
Final Project presentations
Assume the role of Robert Mondavi, and communicate the vision of your company to recruit new investors, in 5-8
slides.
All final presentations are due before class on Dec 6, 2016 at 7pm, regardless of whether you present on Dec 6th or
Dec 13th. You will only attend class on the day you are presenting.
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