Leadership and Change

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2014:

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

Leadership & Change explores the role of leaders and the process of leadership in impacting and influencing organisational performance. In today’s leaner and flatter organisations, leaders require much more than just the authority associated with their position to be effective. The aim of this course is to examine the theory and practice of how leaders and leadership make a difference, with the explicit goal of having students reflect on their own leadership challenges and capabilities. Three themes underpin the subject content, process and assessment: 1. personal reflection is the basis for growth, learning and development as a leader; 2. learning comes from experience, and experiential activities and insights from the “here and now”; and 3. leadership involves questioning premises and initiating new directions rather than just implementing pre-determined trajectories.

On completion of this subject, students should be able to:

• Critically evaluate theories and concepts of leadership
• Identify individual leaderships values, strengths and weaknesses
• Have insight into interpersonal and group dynamics, being able to intervene to improve overall group learning about leadership
• Apply insights and ideas about leadership, power and change in the group context
• Practice various influencing and mobilising strategies to adopt in current and future leadership work
• Improve capacity to inspire and lead others by clarifying how personal values and purpose are linked to leadership
• Develop a sustainable development plan for personal leadership including identifying self-care strategies for managing stress and work

Anne Lytle:

• In-class experiential activies results (30%)
• Throughout subject
• Syndicate presentation (20%)
• 10 minutes
• End of subject
• Individual reflective written assignment (50%)
• Hurdle requirement
• 4,000 words
• End of subject

Amanda Sinclair:

• Contribution to class learning (10%)
• Lecturer, peer and self-assessed
• Throughout subject
• In-class excercises (10%)
• Throughout subject
• Individual reflection (10%)
• 800 words
• Beginning of subject

• Individual assignment (30%)
• 2,000 words
• Midway through subject
• Individual personal leadership extended essay (40%)
• 2,800 words
• End of subject

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.