THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN AND ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING
HOL 6704.10
Leadership in Organizations
Class Sessions: Tuesdays 6:10pm-8:00pm (January 12, 2015 to April 27, 2015) - TBD
Location: Foggy Bottom Campus, Washington DC (Main Campus)
Room: Gelman Library Room 609 - TBD
Instructor: Dr. Michael Pobát
Office Address: Suite 216, 2134 G Street, NW, Washington DC, 20052
Email: [email protected] (best way to contact me)
Phone: 703-860-4990 (h), 703-863-4990 (c)
Course Overview:
The purpose of this course is to help students appreciate current approaches to leadership
in organizations. There are many theories about leaders and leadership. For ease of
consumption, the theories are organized into four major categories of approaches
reflecting what they address regarding: the leader as an individual; the relationship
between leaders and followers; leadership as an organizational process; and leadership as
an emergent, interactive dynamic. The course also explores approaches to leadership
development and briefly addresses issues related to leadership research. Finally, the
course provides an opportunity for each class member either reflect on their leadershiprelated experiences and focus their future leadership development activities into a 1-year
personal leadership development plan, or reflect on the leadership development needs of
their organization and prepare a 1-year leadership development plan for the organization
as a whole or a business unit or sub-group within the organization.
Relevant readings, out-of-class observations, and exercise completion will precede class
time. Class time will largely be led by class members who will have the opportunity to
practice the use of co-leadership and shared leadership in facilitating class sessions, as
these practices are particularly relevant to leadership in contemporary organizational
settings. Faculty will help focus class sessions, facilitate understanding of the various
approaches to leadership, and provide feedback on class assignments.
Course Learning Objectives:
By the conclusion of this course, each class member should be able to:
1. Discuss the major approaches to leadership and the basic challenges involved in
leadership research. Achievement of this objective is assessed mainly via course
requirements 1, 2 and 5.
2. Recognize the relationship between leadership and organizational culture & change.
Achievement of this objective is assessed mainly via course requirements 1, 3 and 5.
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3. Apply principles of co and shared leadership to group learning. Achievement of this
objective is assessed mainly via course requirements 1and 2.
4. Criticize different approaches to leadership by yourself and others as practiced in
organizational settings. Achievement of this objective is assessed mainly via course
requirements 3 and 4.
5. Prepare a leadership development plan. Achievement of this objective is assessed via
course requirement 4.
Required Text:
Northouse, Peter G. (2009). Leadership theory and practice. 6th ed. Thousand Oaks:
Sage. ISBN-13: 978-1452203409 - ISBN-10: 1452203407 (Feb 2, 2012)
Other Required Reading (posted on Blackboard): In the order to be read:
1. Westberg, J. & Jason, H. (1996). Coleading small groups. In J. Westberg & H. Jason,
Fostering learning in small groups: A practical guide (pp. 110-123). New York:
Springer. PLEASE NOTE: THIS CHAPTER IS FROM A BOOK WRITTEN FOR
THOSE IN THE HEALTH PROFESSIONS BUT THE CONTENT IS GENERIC.
2. Fletcher, J. & Kaufer, K. (2003). Shared leadership. In C. Pearce & J. Conger (Eds.),
Shared leadership (pp. 21-47). Thousand Oaks: Sage.
3. Houghton, J., Neck, C. & Manz, C. (2003). Self-leadership and superleadership. In C.
Pearce & J. Conger (Eds.), Shared leadership (pp. 123-140). Thousand Oaks: Sage.
4. Cherniss, G. (2001). Emotional intelligence and organizational effectiveness. In C.
Cherniss & D. Goleman (Eds.), The emotionally-intelligent workplace (pp. 3-12). San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
5. Goleman, D. (2001). An EI-based theory of performance. In C. Cherniss & D.
Goleman (Eds.), The emotionally-intelligent workplace (pp. 27-44). San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass.
6. Kellerman, B. (2007). What every leader needs to know about followers. Harvard
Business Review, December, 84-91.
7. Schein, E. H. (2004). The concept of organizational culture: why bother?. In
Organizational culture and leadership (pp. 1-23). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
8. Schein, E. H. (2004). How leaders embed and transmit culture. In Organizational
culture and leadership (pp. 245-271). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
9. Snowden, D. & Boone, M. (2007). A leader’s framework for decision-making.
Harvard Business Review, November, 69-76.
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10.Wheatley, M. (2006). Searching for simpler ways to lead organizations. In Leadership
and the new science: discovering order in a chaotic world (pp. 3-15). San Francisco:
Berrett-Koehler.
11. Wheatley, M. (2006). The real world. In Leadership and the new science: discovering
order in a chaotic world (pp. 169-186). San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.
12. Uhl-Bien, M., Marion, R. & McKelvey, B. (2007). Complexity leadership theory:
shifting leadership from the industrial age to the knowledge era. Leadership Quarterly,
18, 298-318.
13. Yukl, G. (2006). Developing leadership skills. In Leadership in organizations (pp.
386-415). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
14. Hrivnak, G., Reichard, R. & Riggio, R. (2009). A framework for leadership
development. In S. Armstrong & C. Fukami (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of
management learning, education and development (pp. 456-475). Thousand Oaks:
Sage.
15. Antonakis, J., Schriesheim, C., Donovan, J., Gopalakrishna-Pillai, K., Pellegrini, E. &
Rossomme, J. (2004). Methods for studying leadership. In J. Antonakis, A. Cianciolo
& R. Sternberg (Eds.), The nature of leadership (pp. 48-70). Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Course Requirements, Deadlines, and Grading Values:
The course requirements include both individual and group work:
Assignment Assignment
Number
1
Class Participation: Individual
Percentage of
Grade
20%
2
Class Co and Shared Leadership: Group
25%
3
Leadership Observation Reports: Individual
30%
4
Leadership Development Plan: Individual
Either……
A Personal Leadership Development Plan OR
An Organizational Leadership Development Plan
25%
ALL
GWU – Leadership in Organizations – Fall 2015
100%
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1. Class Participation
Ongoing: 20%
Participation and involvement in class is essential to individual learning and
effectiveness. Class members are expected to read all assigned material as scheduled and
be prepared to discuss and/or demonstrate what you have learned. Those who miss more
than two class sessions will not be given credit for this course. It is therefore critical that
if you miss a session due to an emergency, please contact the instructor as soon as
possible. However, if you are unable to attend a class, or part of it, please arrange for a
“buddy” to take notes for you, collect handouts, and brief you on classroom activities.
You will then submit a 3-page review of the readings assigned for this class, including a
summary of the class discussion.
Evaluation: In order to help you understand my expectations of excellence in class
participation, below are some criteria that will be used to determine your final
participation grade:
1) Attend all classes regularly;
2) Came to all classes on time and did not leave before end of the class;
3) Submitted all class assignments on time;
4) Demonstrate that background material was read by asking thought-provoking
questions, raising interesting issues, exhibiting creative ideas and presenting
integrative solutions;
5) Demonstrated positive attitude toward learning;
6) Showed respect to classmates and the instructor; and
7) Took initiative in participating and completing new activities.
2. Class Co and Shared Leadership
Sessions 4-12: 25%
Class members will co-lead the class discussion on a leadership topic or theory set. The
session should use the assigned reading material in a manner consistent with good adult
learning practices and small group work, and represent a shared concept of leading the
class among all those present. The content should build on the main points of the
assigned readings by including a 1-page critical review for each of 3 empirical studies
and 1 measurement tool (4 pages total) selected by the co-leaders and related to the
selected topic/theories. If a measurement tool cannot be located, then a 1-page critique
how the topic was explored in the 3 empirical studies should be prepared. The empirical
studies can be focused on a particular segment of the population, situation, or industry if
desired. The other class members are not expected to read the empirical studies or review
the measurement tool, but to benefit from the critiques.
Evaluation: The following criteria will be used to evaluate your work:
1) Your session will be planned for a 1-hour presentation;
2) Plan for an additional 15 minutes for discussion;
3) Submit the following at least 1-week prior to the presentation session:
a. The agenda for the session, with activities and times delineated
b. The class handout summarizing the major points of the topic/theories and
the 4 pages of critiques, with citations.
(One class session prior to these discussions will be devoted to a discussion of article and
measurement tool sourcing and critiquing).
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3. Leadership Observation Reports
A. One of: Sessions 4-8 or 11-13: 15%
and B. Session 10: 15%
A. Throughout the course duration, each class member will observe leadership in their
workplace and retain notes of their observations. Applicable approaches to leadership
should be identified, along with your own reactions and any of the actions you
subsequently took. Class members will report on their observations in the reverse order
they complete assignment #2. The report should be a brief (5 minutes), oral, and address:
what I saw; how I reacted; what I did and how I understand it all vis a vis the approaches
to leadership we have been studying, including relevant theories/models. A written
bullet-point synopsis should be provided to the instructor. Oral and written reports should
maintain individual anonymity.
To assist with this, it is recommended that as various leadership approaches are
considered in class, class members develop a list of the behaviors/factors to be observed
with a brief definition and a space to record notes about the observation, your reaction
and your response.
B. All class members will observe and report on a specific instance of a leader
embedding culture. The report should be brief (5 minutes), oral, and address: what the
leaders did to embed culture, how others reacted, and why it was effective. A written
bullet-point synopsis should be provided to the instructor. Oral and written reports should
maintain individual anonymity. The person observed does not have to be in a formal
position of authority.
Evaluation: The following criteria will be used to evaluate your work:
1) Approaches to leadership are clearly defined;
2) You are fully prepared for your 5-minute oral leadership report;
3) Submit a written bullet-point leadership synopsis;
4) You are fully prepared for your 2-minute oral embedded culture report;
5) Submit a written bullet-point embedded culture synopsis;
6) You actively participate in class discussions
4. Leadership Development Plan
Draft: Session 14; Final: Session 15: 25%
Each class member will prepare a 1-year Leadership Development Plan EITHER for
themselves personally, or for their organization (or business unit within the organization).
The plan should be based on reflection of current leadership practices and identify actions
to be taken to enhance future leadership practices. The course instructor will provide
ungraded feedback on draft plans if desired. A 10-minute synopsis of the plan will be
orally presented at the last class.
Evaluation: The following criteria will be used to evaluate your work:
1) Your leadership plan is well-thought out;
2) Your plan reflects future leadership practices;
3) You are fully prepared for your 10-minute oral leadership development report.
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Grading Criteria
Emails/Blackboard will be used to communicate your individual grades in each
assignment. To determine your grade in the course, simply add up the points. The final
course grade will be determined on the following point distribution. Please note that
scores falling below 70 points will receive a grade of “F.”
Grade
A
AB+
B
Score Range
95-100
90-94
87-89
83-86
Grade
BC+
C
C-
Score Range
80-82
77-79
73-76
70-72
If you want to increase your chances of earning an “A,” pay close attention to the quality
of your writing. Superior writing and facilitation skills certainly can help you to earn a
better grade. The degree to which you provide authoritative support in your discussion
can also improve your chances of earning an “A.” Please refer to the readings to support
your analysis in an assignment. Since you will be expected to conduct research, use
relevant articles from scholarly journals in Gelman library’s electronic databases as
additional sources of information. An example of exceeding expectations is when you
consistently take the initiative to seek out and reference such work to help make and
strengthen your contributions to the class. In addition, you should look for opportunities
to incorporate the reading from previous courses into your assignments. Following these
suggestions can go a long way in helping you to earn and “A” for the course.
While I make concerted efforts to maintain error-free records, you are responsible for
regularly double-checking the accuracy of your marks. In case of a mistake, please email
me as soon as possible. Retain copies of returned assignments, which can be referred to
in case of confusion.
Academic Integrity
Standards of academic conduct are set forth in the GW “Code of Academic Integrity”
(see http://www.gwu.edu~ntegrity/code.html). By registering, you have acknowledged
your awareness of the Academic Integrity Code, and you are obliged to become familiar
with your rights and responsibilities as defined by the Code. Violations of the Academic
Integrity Code will not be treated lightly, and disciplinary action will be taken. In order to
encourage your commitment to academic integrity, please print and sign the following
statement at the end of every assignment you submit, “I (your name), affirm that I have
completed this assignment/examination in accordance with the Code of Academic
Integrity.”
Disability Accommodation
If you have a disability that will require accommodations in class, register with GWU’s
Disability Support Services (office Tel: 202-994-8250) and inform me. Please allow a
reasonable length of time for the necessary accommodations to be arranged. For
additional information, please refer to: http://gwired.gwu.edu/dss/.
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Writing Help
If you need help with writing, use one of the following websites:
 GW Website on Literature Reviews:
http://www.gwu.edu/~litrev/
 Purdue University’s Writing Laboratory:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
 APA Style Workshop:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/hypertext/apa/index.html
 American Psychological Association (APA):
http://apa.org
 The Writing Center – The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill:
http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/
Note: there are lots of good handouts on writing. There is a section on APA style at:
Handouts and Links: http://tutor.oit.unc.edu/campus/wc/wclibrary.nsf?opendatabase
Class Expectations
1. In terms of your performance in this class, my expectations are very high and I
expect outstanding work from all of you.
2. I reserve the right to downgrade or refuse to accept late assignments and papers.
3. Any grade appeal must be made within one week after the grade is sent or
uploaded. Appeals after that period may not be entertained.
4. All students are expected to be respectful and courteous to other colleagues and
instructor. This includes turning off cell phones and pagers before class.
5. You are expected to exercise a high level of etiquette and professionalism in this
class. Avoid improper class behaviors. For example, repeatedly missing class,
continuously arriving late to class and submitting work late, leaving class early
and in a noisy manner, talking throughout the lecture, snoozing or sleeping,
checking emails on laptops, demonstrating a lack of respect for the instructor and
peers and anything that may be disruptive to me and/or your colleagues in class.
6. Regular lateness in coming to class or checking emails or surfing the Internet may
result in downgrading of your participation grade or refusal to enter the class (or
both).
Good Luck and Enjoy the Course!!
Bibliography
Some sources for a general overview of leadership:
Antonakis, J., Cianciolo, A. & Sternberg, R. (2004). The nature of leadership Thousand
Oaks: Sage.
Kouzes, J.M. & Posner, B. Z. (2006). A leader’s legacy. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
McKenna, M. K. & Pugno, P. A. (2005). Physicians as leaders: who, how and why now?
Cambridge: Radcliffe.
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Nahavandi, A. (2009). The art and science of leadership (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River,
NJ: Pearson Education.
Sashkin, M. & Sashkin, M.G. (2003). Leadership that matters. San Francisco: BerrettKoehler.
Wheatley, M. (2006). Leadership and the new science: discovering order in a chaotic
world. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.
Yukl, G. (2006). Leadership in organizations (6th ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: PrenticeHall.
Some relevant leadership journals:
Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies
Leadership and Organizational Development Journal
Leadership
Leadership Quarterly
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Session and
Date
Session 1
Sep 13, 2015
Session 2
Sep 20, 2015
Session 3
Sep 27, 2015
Session 4
Oct 03, 2015
Session 5
Oct 10, 2015
Session 6
Feb 17, 2015
Session 7
Oct 24, 2015
Session 8
Oct 03, 2015
Session 9
Oct 09 – 14
Session 10
Oct 17, 2015
Session 11
Oct 24, 2015
Session 12
Oct 31, 2015
Session 13
Nov 07, 2015
Session 14
Nov 14, 2015
Session 15
Nov 21, 2015
HOL 6704.10 Tentative Class Schedule
Topics for Discussion
Readings & Assignments Due the
Co/shared leadership content is in italics
Day of Class
Class experiences with leadership
Course overview and organization
Syllabus review
Topic/theory selections for assignment #2
Definitions of leadership
Northouse: Chapter 1
Meaning of co-leading & shared leadership Articles #1-3
Effective small group learning
Searching leadership literature
Leadership Development
Articles 13 & 14
Observing leaders and leadership (prep for
Assignment #3)
The Leader as an Individual I:
Northouse: Chapter 2
Trait approach and emotional intelligence
Articles #4 and 5
Assignment #2 for Team #1
The Leader as an Individual II:
Northouse: Chapters 3 and 4
Skills and style approaches
Assignment #2 for Team #2
The Leader-Follower Relationship I:
Northouse: Chapters 5 and 7
Situational approach, path-goal theory
Assignment #2 for Team #3
The Leader-Follower Relationship II:
Northouse: Chapter 8
Leader-member exchange theory,
Article #6
followership
Assignment #2 for Team #4
Leadership as an Organizational Process I:
Northouse: Chapters 9 and 10
Transformational leadership, authentic
Assignment #2 for Team #5
leadership
Break
Leadership as an Organizational Process II:
Culture and its embedment
Leadership as an Emergent, Interactive
Dynamic I:
Contingency theory, decision-making
Leadership as an Emergent, Interactive
Dynamic II:
Chaos and complexity theory
Women and Leadership
Servant and Ethical Leadership
Ethical Leadership
Leadership Development Plan presentations
Course summary
GWU – Leadership in Organizations – Fall 2015
Articles: #7 and 8
Assignment #3B
Assignment #2 for Team #6
Northouse: Chapter 6
Article #9
Assignment #2 for Team #7
Articles #10-12
Northouse: Chapter 14
Assignment #2 for Team #8
Assignment #2 for Team #9
Draft Assignment # 4 (written)
Article #15
Assignment #2 for Team #10
Assignment #2 for Team #11
Final Assignment #4 (oral and written)
9
A disclaimer: The course schedule and evaluation criteria are subject to change at
my discretion. You will be notified in advance if changes are made.
Professor Michael Pobát – BIO
Dr. Michael Pobát is currently a Management Solution Architect with L-3
Communications, National Security Solutions Division providing innovative
management approaches in response to multimillion dollar Intelligence Community and
Department of Defense Business opportunities. He proudly served on active duty in the
U.S. Navy for 11 years as an Electronic Warfare (EW) Technician serving on 3 cruisers
and attaining the rank of EW Chief. He graduated from Illinois State University with a
BS in Business (1984), received his MBA from Marymount University (1986) and his
doctorate in domestic/global management from The George Washington University
(2012). Working at the Pentagon, he was the ship self defense action officer for the
Assistant Secretary of the Navy and then in 2003 became President of AKCITA LLC, a
privately owned consulting company. He is also an adjunct professor at Marymount
University and The George Washington University teaching business essentials, strategy,
and leadership.
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