Resonant Leadership (MGTS7812)

Learning Session 1: Introduction: Leadership for What?

Introduction: Leadership for what? (Module 1)

Managing in a world of opportunity and polycrisis requires business leaders to embrace the challenges they face, overcome paradoxes, and to develop an integrative mindset. This course lays the foundation on how to become a resonant leader: a leader who understands that there are different ways of viewing the world, that business must build and maintain trustful stakeholder relationships, that leadership is always relational, and that one must lead responsibly in an environment of contested values. Moreover, faced with the grand challenges of our time, new perspectives of knowing and organising are required, as are relational and cultural intelligence and clear vistas on the two great frontiers: climate change and artificial intelligence. Resonant Leadership addresses these challenges and equips students with the tools to become a responsible and resonant leader.

Learning Session 2: Executive Mindset – Framing Ways to View the World - I

Part 1 of understanding framing. Building upon Bolman and Deals – Four Frames, we explore the first two frames, focusing upon organising and the importance of ‘Place’ as Frame 1 and understanding ‘People’ and their emotions/motivations as Frame 2.

Learning Session 2: Executive Mindset – Framing Ways to View the World - II

Part 2 of understanding framing. Building upon Bolman and Deals – Four Frames, we explore the last two frames focusing upon navigating organisational ‘Politics’ as Frame 3 and the importance of culture and lived ‘Purpose’ as Frame 4.

Learning Session 4: The Ethical Foundations of Leadership

Unpacking the ethical foundations of leadership: The why, the who, the what and the how. Finding your ‘True North’. Giving followers the why of committing to the leader. Understanding leadership through followership. The ethics of power and politics. 

In this session students will acquire a clear understanding of the ethical foundations of leadership. We will unpack the relational ontology of leadership and clarify purpose, meaning, and dynamics of good leadership. In the second part of the session we will explore the faultlines of leadership: the use of power, influence, and the ever present dark side of leadership.

Learning outcomes: L02, L03

Learning Session 5: Responsible Leadership in a World of Contested Values

Leadership as relational work. Creating resonance. Reconciling dilemmas. The roles model of responsible leadership and including self-awareness and self-understanding.

Business leaders operate in multi-stakeholder environments. This means that views pertaining to the role of business in society and the wider world differ. Indeed, in recent years and with a shift towards ESG (and back) it has become clear that values are contested. Responsible leadership enables leaders to obtain clear vistas on what is important and why. Students will understand the role of purpose and vision – how to build trustful and sustainable relationships with stakeholders – how to assess and reconcile dilemmas and explore in depth the roles model of responsible leadership. 

Learning outcomes: L02, L03

Learning Session 6: Managing Stakeholders and Reconciling Dilemmas

Undertaking an in class Prendo Leadership Challenge – Leadership and getting the balance right.

1. Part 1: Prendo simulation
2. Part 2: Getting the balance right

In part 1 of this session students will engage in a stakeholder simulation and learn how to deal with conflicting and complex stakeholder demands under pressure. In part 2 we will debrief the experience and zoom in on the essentials of stakeholder management, most importantly, on who counts, why, and how conflicting stakeholder interests can be balanced in responsible ways. Students will learn how use concepts such as legitimacy, power, and urgency and engage in a tiered stakeholder assessment.

Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L05

Learning Session 7: Indigenous Perspectives on Leadership

Understanding Western and Indigenous ontology. An exploration of the root construct of leadership and how that root construct evolved along different pathways to produce Western and Indigenous conceptions of leadership. An exploration of Indigenous ontology and leadership.

A 20-minute in-class group presentation using the Four-Frames paradigm and applying indigenous ontology to identify and describe an indigenous initiative that has been successful in 'Closing the Gap'.

Learning Session 8: Group Presentations - Closing the Gap - I

Understanding what lies behind successful Closing the Gap initiatives as identified by Indigenous Stakeholders.

In Semester Break

Learning Session 9: Group Presentations - Closing the Gap - II

Understanding what lies behind successful Closing the Gap initiatives as identified by Indigenous Stakeholders.

Learning Session 10: Leading Across Cultures

Understanding the impact of cultural differences. Managing the impact and idiosyncrasies of culture. When in Rome, …Leveraging diversity.

Diversity, equity and inclusion programs are at the heart of many HR management efforts to leverage diversity in organizations. Many of these efforts fail however, because underlying cultural differences remain unexplored. Students will learn about the idiosyncrasies of culture, how to lead across culture and how to avoid the pitfalls of cultural differences. This session concludes with an inquiry into the nature of inclusion.

Learning Session 11: Governance, Board Dynamics and the Pitfalls of Power Imbalance in Organisations

What comprises good governance? How are board dynamics managed to maximise decision quality, including risk reduction and performance maximisation? 

An examination of best practice governance of organisations including understanding the organisations' mission, the exercise of independent judgement and skilled stewardship. We will further explore the importance of risk tolerance and due dilligence, including the delinetion between managment and management oversight. We will conclude with the need for transperancy and stakeholder engagement.

Session 12: CSR, Climate Leadership & Sustainable Futures

From CSR to ESG and back. The tragedy of climate change. Climate justice and the ethics of green futures. Climate action. Substantive CSR.

In session 12 students will develop an understanding of corporate social responsibility and sustainability. We will explore the history and meaning of CSR, explore the urgency of climate action and develop an integrative and substantive perspective of both, CSR and sustainability.

Session 13: Responsible Governance of Artificial Intelligence

The next frontier. How to balance self-binding and regulation. Leading human technology. Bridging past, present, and future.

In the final session of the course students will engage with the coming frontier of management. More specifically, we will explore the challenge of responsible governance of AI and thus the alignment of humanistic values and opportunities. Students will explore the role of individuals, organizations, and industries as a whole and will be equipped with a critical perspective linking responsible AI and self-binding management measures to leverage the potential of AI without irreversible harm for humanity.