Faculty
Professor Elizabeth J. Winslow
Objectives
Overall Objective
Tuck strives to teach students to become better leaders. But leadership is a multi-faceted and often controversial topic. What makes a great leader? Even more basically, what is leadership? What can we learn through a careful examination of the lives and practices of those individuals society generally labels “great” leaders? What traits, skills, and behaviors do leaders like Margaret Thatcher, Orit Gadiesh, Bobby Knight, Earnest Shackleton and Michael Eisner share, and how applicable are these behaviors in a business setting? These are questions great thinkers have tackled—often in surprising and non-intuitive ways. This course will help you to explore these issues and answer these questions.
The purpose of the course is to give you a better understanding of leadership from multiple angles and perspectives. Participants in the course will explore the different ways leadership has been defined and studied over the last century and more, the similarities and contradictions among the most common leadership theories, and the way that leadership has been exercised in business, military, athletic and political contexts. We will read leadership theory and discuss cases portraying leaders who exemplify or challenge these theories. We will benefit from the experiences of visitors who are proven leaders, and we will explore, through case studies, class discussions, and written assignments, the relevance of leadership theory to the work that you will do as leaders in your careers and communities.
Course Description
The first three class sessions are devoted to a close look at major milestones in the history of leadership theory. Through case studies examining actual leaders, students will learn about the progression from Trait, Skill and Style Theories to Situational and Contingency Theory, to the more current theories that define leadership as a social relationship.
Two classes are devoted to the study and discussion of leaders in the military and athletic arena. By reading about and discussing such leaders, students will gain an appreciation for the lessons they can learn that can be applied to leadership in a business or professional organization—as well as the limits of such metaphors for other contexts in which they will exercise leadership. We will interact with visitors from these arenas who will help explore leadership lessons from their particular life experiences.
Three classes then explore crucial leadership tasks encountered by all leaders. We will examine and discuss cases where individuals have to (1) lead change efforts, (2) make decisions, and (3) deal with conflict. Students will analyze the actions of leaders who faced and acted in these situations, and pose and defend alternative courses of action and their consequences for the organization, for the individuals, and for the leader.
The last class will be devoted to integration, synthesis, and application of all the core ideas of the course. We will explore in vivid detail the leadership accomplishments –and failings—of Earnest Shackleton. We will examine the ways in which Shackleton did (or did not) lead effectively using the theories, ideas, and frameworks developed throughout the course.
Specific Learning Goals
The course is intended for students who envision that they will be working in environments where both leadership and teamwork will be critical. It will teach these students to:
Understand the major academic theories of leadership, individually and as part of a historical continuum.
Develop the ability to asses a leader’s actions (or their own actions) objectively and through the multiple lenses that these theories provide.
Understand the applicability (or lack thereof) of these theories in their own lives as leaders. Improve their own ability to make good leadership decisions and, simultaneously, develop a better understanding of the ways that various constituents might interpret and judge these decisions and their outcomes.
Practice the utilization of these lessons to accomplish certain specific leadership tasks, such as making decisions, resolving conflicts, and setting a vision and leading a change effort.
There are a number of resources that will be used to achieve these learning goals. They are:
A textbook, Leadership: Theory and Practice, by Peter Northouse, which will provide an explanation of the major leadership theories studied in the course.
HBS Cases used to provide examples of individuals who either personified certain aspects of these theories, or who attempted to accomplish some of the leadership tasks that the students will practice.
Visitors who will share their experiences and augment the discussion.
Written assignments that will allow students to practice the leadership principles they are learning (daily assignments), and then synthesis these lessons in an end-of-course exercise (final project).
Requirements
There are two kinds of written assignments for this course:
Daily assignments- On 6 of the 9 days a 2 page written assignment is required. These assignments ask students to demonstrate their understanding of the day’s key lessons by making practical applications of the material to leadership situations they have observed, encountered or anticipate in their lives. These assignments are due at the beginning of each class, and will be used as the genesis for discussion aimed at deep collective analysis of the strengths and uses as well as the limitations of our leadership perspective for that day. Each assignment is explained in greater detail later in the syllabus.
Final Project- Students submit an individual final project by Monday, April 27th at 5:00 pm. Each student chooses to complete either a detailed case-analysis, or an in-depth analysis of their own leadership behaviors. Regardless of which option students’ choose, the paper will be 7-10 double-spaced, typed pages. A detailed explanation of the two options appears at the end of the syllabus.
Materials
There will be one required text for the course:
Leadership: Theory and Practice by Peter Northouse
[Northouse, Peter G. (2007). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Fourth Edition]
All other course materials are in the course packet
Grading
The components of the course will be graded as follows:
Daily Assignments 30%
(There are 6 daily assignments; each one will be worth 5% of the total grade)
Final Project 40%
Class Participation 30%
Schedule
Session #1 March 24th
Course Introduction and Introduction to Leadership Theories: Focus on the Leader
Class Objectives:
Discussion of the first group of theories, all of which focus on the characteristics of the individual leader (Trait Theory, Skill Theory, Style Theory).
Analysis of Margaret Thatcher’s approach to leadership: What did she “bring to the party?”
Overview of Leadership Theories and Organizing Framework for the course
Leadership: Theory and Practice Chapter, Chapter 2 p. 15-26, Chapter 3 p. 39-56, Chapter 4 p. 69-79.
Margaret Thatcher HBS Case 9-497-018 (May 13, 1998)
Moments of Greatness: Entering the Fundamental State of Leadership, Robert E. Quinn, Harvard Business Review, July-August 2005.
Discussion Questions:
What traits, skills or styles did Thatcher use effectively? What traits or behaviors got in her way?
What other leaders can you cite who excelled because of specific skills or behaviors?
How can (or should) we differentiate the concepts of skill, trait, behavior, and style, in the context of leadership?
What do you think is missed when we focus solely on the characteristics of the person? Justify your view with evidence from the Thatcher case.
Session #2 March 25th
Focus on Leadership in Context: The Case of Orit Gadiesh at Bain
Class Objectives
Identify the leadership challenges Gadiesh faces at Bain
Review of Situational Leadership: What is the role of situations in driving-or undermining-leadership effectiveness?
Review of Contingency Theories—the person meets the situation
Action implications: Your advice for Ms. Gadiesh
Leadership: Theory and Practice Chapter 5, p. 91-100, Chapter 6, p. 113-120.
Orit Gadiesh: Pride at Bain & Co. (A) HBS Case 9-494-031
Zeigeist Leadership HBR reprint R0510B Anthony J. Mayo and Nitin Nohria
Discussion Questions:
What does Gadiesh need to keep in mind about the culture at Bain that poses particular challenges to leaders?
How important is context in this case? How are we defining “context” in this case? What specific elements of the situation call for careful attention by a leader?
How important is Gadiesh’s personal preference for how she exercises leadership?
Imagine you were writing that speech? What key points would you be certain to emphasize?
What elements of situational leadership and contingency theory do you find useful? Why?
Daily Assignment:
Describe a time when you think you altered your approach to either leadership or team facilitation. What was the situation? Why did you feel you needed a different approach? What specific steps did you take to ensure that your approach fit what you perceived the situation needed? How did it work? What would you do differently, in hindsight?
Session #3 March 30th
Focus on the Followers— Leadership as a Relationship and the Case of Thurgood Marshall High School
Class Objectives:
Understand the lessons of Leadership Theories that focus on relationships:
Path-Goal Theory
Leader-Member Exchange
Servant Leadership
Transformational Leadership
Use the Thurgood Marshall High School Case to explore this perspective on leadership and its action implications
Leadership: Theory and Practice Chapter 7, p. 127-137, Chapter 8, p. 151- 161, Chapter 9, p. 175-194.
Thurgood Marshall High School HBS Case 9-494-070 (November 19, 1993)
Level 5 Leadership: The Triumph of Humility and Fierce Resolve, Jim Collins, Best of HBR 2001
Discussion Questions:
If you were David Kane, what would your most important long-term goals be, both for the school, and for yourself? What did you think they would be when you took the job? Has that changed since the meeting on Friday? Why or why not?
Which relationships do you consider most important, and why? Which are least important and why?
What are your main objectives in establishing your own credibility and restoring good working relationships among the faculty and staff?
What tasks will you place first on your priority list? Which ones will be most difficult?
What elements of these leadership theories do you find useful? Why?
Daily Assignment:
Pick two relationships with current faculty or staff that you think David Kane should focus on. Explain, in each case, why the relationship is important, how it is currently flawed, and what steps you would advise Kane to take to improve it. When appropriate, include references to either Path-Goal Theory or Leader-Member Exchange (from the daily readings)
Session #4 March 31st
Lessons Learned from Athletic Leaders: The Case of Bob Knight and the Case of the Army Crew Team
Class Objectives:
Begin to explore the appropriateness of leadership lessons from non-business contexts
Discuss both the benefits and drawbacks of using leadership principles from athletic contexts in a non-athletic setting
Analysis of Coach Knight’s approach to leadership, including how personal, situational and contingency approaches help us understand his effectiveness
Discussion of the challenges facing the Army crew coach
Discussion of the usefulness of judging leadership effectiveness based on processes, relationships, and outcomes
Coach Knight: The Will to Win HBS Case 9-406-043
The Army Crew Team HBS Case 9-403-131
Discussion Questions:
What are Coach Knight’s strengths as a leader? What are his weaknesses? What aspects of that list strike you as unique to sports settings, and which tend to be relevant in other contexts?
How do you, as a leader, decide when the ends justify the means, and when they do not?
If your son was on Coach Knight’s team, what tips would you give him?
Do you think that Coach Knight’s approach to leadership is more effective with men than with women? Can you think of female coaches who have used the same approach? Should a leadership behavior be gender-neutral, or are there times when it is appropriate to match the approach to either men or women?
What are the challenges facing Col. Preczewski?
Why do you think the varsity boat is underperforming? What would you do about it?
What are the different ways a leader can motivate in this case? What aspects of that list strike you as uniquely suitable to sports settings, and which tend to be effective in other contexts?
What (if any) are the benefits of using leadership lessons from the sports arena in other settings? What (if any) are the drawbacks? What ways can you think of to ensure that you, as a leader, are using them when appropriate and avoiding them when they are not?
Daily Assignment:
Complete 1 of the following assignments:
Imagine that you are the Athletic Director at Indiana University, that it is Monday morning, May 15th, 2000, and that your university president has just announced the “zero tolerance policy” by which Coach Knight must abide in order to retain his coaching position. It is your job to communicate this policy to Coach Knight in clear, specific terms. Write a memo to Coach Knight that you will explain to him at a follow-up meeting Monday afternoon. This memo can be in whatever format you find most useful (outline, matrix, bullet-points, etc) but must answer the following questions:
What does “zero-tolerance” mean? How will we know we are achieving it?
What are his strengths, and how will we leverage them?
What areas most need improvement, and how will we address these?
What is the institution’s responsibility, and what is Coach Knight’s responsibility, in terms of achieving this policy?
You know that he will come in with many questions, not the least of which will be “What about my record, doesn’t that justify what I have to do to get it?’ and “What about all of the players I’ve had who have loved me?” You must also jot down notes about how you will handle these questions.
OR
Imagine you are Col. Preczewsik. Your Athletic Director has just informed you that you must “either improve the varsity boat’s performance, or promote the JV boat” as soon as possible. Write a memo back to the AD explaining how you will address the situation. Make sure you mention (1) what option you will use to correct the situation, (2) how you will explain this to both boats, and (3) what you will do, in the coming weeks, to reinforce your decision with the rowers. Also include your thoughts on why this might have happened, and what you plan to do, in future seasons, to prevent it from happening again.
Session #5 April 6th
Leadership Lessons Learned from the Military
Guest Lecturer LTC Iriving Smith
Director, Leadership and Management Programs
Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership
United States Military Academy
Readings to be announced
Session # 6: April 7th
Leadership Task One: Driving Change
Class Objectives:
Develop a framework for leading organizational change.
Discuss both Steve Rothmeier and Ken Myer’s perspectives on the Northwest change effort
Understand and apply the principles of Tipping Point leadership
Northwest Airlines Confronts Change, HBS Case 9-491-036
Tipping Point Leadership, W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne, Harvard Business Review Reprint R0304D
Discussion Questions:
What are Rothmeier’s strengths as a leader for this organization? In what ways is he not ideal?
Describe Rothmeier’s vision for change. How is it different from Dr. Ken’s vision? Which one would likely correspond to your vision? Why?
How would you compare Rothmeier to William Bratton? What could they learn from each other?
Choose a case we have previously discussed and show how the idea of “tipping point leadership” can provide additional insights into the case.
Daily Assignment:
Write a 1-2 page memo analyzing the Northwest Airlines change effort. What are the differences between Rothmeier and Myer’s accounts of this effort? What did each of them do right? What did each of them do wrong? What could they learn from each other?
Session #7 April 13th
Leadership Task Two: Making Decisions
Class Objectives:
Discuss and compare different approaches to decision-making
Identify opportunities for decision-making in the HBS case “Columbia’s Final Mission”
Discuss students’ experiences with and approach to decision-making
Columbia’s Final Mission, HBS Case 9-304-090
What You Don’t Know About Making Decisions, David A. Garvin and Michael A. Roberto, Harvard Business Review Reprint
Ethical Leadership and the Psychology of Decision-Making, David M. Messick and Max H. Bazerman, Sloan Management Review
Discussion Questions:
What decisions were made in the Columbia case that you might have made differently? Why?
What were the competing constituents or priorities in this case? How might these issues have influenced the outcome?
How could the concepts of advocacy and inquiry be applied to this case?
How would you describe your decision-making style? How would you like to improve it?
Daily Assignment:
Explain a situation that required you to make a decision, in a professional context. What factors did you consider? Who or what were the constituents? What did you decide? Did you use inquiry or advocacy? How would you assess the decision, in hindsight?
Session# 8 April 14th
Leadership Task Three: Dealing with Conflict
Class Objectives:
Develop a protocol for dealing with conflict
Explore specific conflict-resolution actions through The Case of Siblings and Succession in the Family Business
In-class Exercise- The class will take the roles of the Board of Benson Electric, and will debate the candidates for new CEO. By the end of class, a new successor must be named and the vote must represent a 2/3rd’s majority. We will then debrief the exercise by discussing the tactics a leader can use to diffuse a tense situation, deal with opposing constituents, make and communicate difficult decisions, and manage the results of and reactions to those decisions.
Siblings and Succession in the Family Business, Warren Miller, in Harvard Business Review, Jan.-Feb. 1998, p. 22-36.
Exercising Influence HBS Case 9-494-080 Linda A. Hill
Power Dynamics in Organizations HBS Case 9-494-083 Linda A. Hill
Discussion Questions:
From the perspective of an outsider, what are the major conflicts evident in this case?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of each of the major candidates for CEO? For whom would you vote? Why?
Once a new CEO is selected, what will be the most important priorities for that person during his or her first 6 mos. in the position?
Imagine that you are the Chairman of the Board of Benson Electric, and you have just officially named the new CEO. What three action-items will you ask him or her to work on first? What three items will you work on first? Be prepared to justify both lists in class.
Daily Assignment:
Identify a professional conflict you recently faced. Explain: a) what made it a conflict, b) what the various positions and interests of each party were, c) how you participated in or handled the conflict, and d) how you could have improved your handling of the situation.
Session #9 April 20th
Putting it all together: The Case of Ernest Shackleton
Class Objectives:
Synthesis of the Leadership Framework we have developed throughout the course
Use Shackleton’s case to apply the lenses of the range of leadership frameworks we have developed throughout the course
Collective generation of main lessons from the course
Review students’ progress on final project and take questions
Leadership in Crisis: Ernest Shackleton and the Epic Voyage of the Endurance, HBS Case 9-803-127, June, 2003.
Discussion Questions:
Apply each leadership “lens” to Shackleton. These include traits and behaviors, context, relationships, and outcomes. What lessons about leadership—positive and negative—do each of these perspectives teach you as you explore this case?
What do your analyses help you conclude about what Shackleton did well? About what he could have done better?
What are the main similarities and differences you see between Shackleton and other leaders we have examined in this course?
What aspects of leadership are applicable, in your view, to business settings? Which are not, and why not?
No Daily Assignment due today- Students should be preparing the Final Project
Final Project- Due on Monday, April 27th by 5:00 pm.
For the Final Project, you have a choice of 3 written assignments. Regardless of which one you choose, the project should be in written, essay-format, and be 7-10 typed, double-spaced, single-sided pages (1.5 inch margins, 12-point type), not including notes or appendices.
Option A:
Read and analyze the HBS case Saving Disney [HBS Case # 9-905-014] which is in the course packet. Analyze the three leaders in this case: Michael Eisner, Roy Disney and Stan Gold. Your paper should: (1) identify the situational challenges each faced; (2) analyze the quality of their leadership response (or lack of response) to those challenges; and (3) include a list of suggestions for future Disney leadership.
Option B:
Read and analyze the HBS Case on Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War [Case # 9-805-115] which is in the course packet. Analyze Lincoln as a leader based on the leadership framework we have developed in the course. How did he manage his own skill set, the situation, his relationships, and his outcomes? Please use direct reference to his words and actions from the case.
Option C:
An in-depth analysis of your own leadership skills and potential using personal examples and the framework developed in the course. If you chose this option you must identify 4 instances where you exercised leadership, one which focuses on your use of skills and behaviors, one which focuses on the development of relationships with followers, one which focuses on your successful management of a context, and one in which you are proud of the outcome. You must adequately explain each scenario, how it illustrates either successful or unsuccessful handling of the situation using the theories outlined in the course, and how you would alter your approach, in hindsight.
Monday, April 27th - Final Project Due TODAY by 5:00 pm
