Leadership and Change

For anyone wishing to gather as a "leadership community" that would like to meet and build on this course whether that's engaging in further readings, working on issues with the U or in the community, please contact me at alexx001@umn.edu. If there is some interest, I'll organize a time and venue that would work for everyone. I look forward to hearing your ideas.

Thank you. Alex

I’ve just sent the editors of an academic journal my review of Barbara Kellerman’s new book Followership: How Followers are Creating Change and Changing Leaders. As you may know, Kellerman is a highly respected leadership scholar (on the Harvard faculty for one thing).

In this book she urges leadership scholars and educators to shift their focus from leaders to the other side of the equation. After all, as Harlan Cleveland has pointed out, most of us are followers most of the time. Kellerman asks, in effect, shouldn’t researchers and educators devote more of their time to understanding and developing followership, instead of being so riveted on leaders? Don’t we need to know more about what contributes to good and bad followers and followership? Perhaps we should begin with followership education and move on to leadership development.

If I comply with Kellerman’s urgings, perhaps this course should be called Leadership, Followership and Change in an Innovation Society. What do you think?

The text Sustaining Innovation by Paul C. Light was attached to the week 3 reading assingment. Per the syllabus, we are not reading it until Week 11. Just fyi. Claudia

When posting responses to the reading reflections, please click on the comments option so we have a way to keep responses organized. I've enjoyed reading all the posts so far.

Barbara

(Questions for Prof Crosby but I thought others might be wondering similar things. Sorry if this isn't an appropriate use of the blog...)

Good morning Prof Crosby -

I have a couple of questions leftover from last night. Had to scoot out after class to get a bus so I couldn't linger to ask...

About the blog - How public is "public?" Just wondering for no real reason other than curiosity whether the blog is accessible to people outside the U or only to folks with x500 IDs...?

Also wondering what happens to all the info in the blog when the course is done? It sure seems like something I might like to have an archive of for my own personal and professional "files."

Finally, about the reading on WebCT - Is there a way to get the journal articles as PDF files that we can actually download to our computers as opposed to just being able to access them thru WebCT? Th reason I ask is that an actual PDF download would make it possible for me to make comments on my screen as opposed to having to print out articles and handwrite comments in the margin, etc. Just trying to save all the printing and keep everything on my computer if I can.

Sorry for the early morning tech barrage. Thanks for whatever answers you can dig up.

scott marshall

Oral and written communication is a prime leadership skill. I will try to help you improve this skill via comments and suggestions on your written and oral work. I hope to help you make your messages clearer and more compelling. I’ll suggest pruning, more apt or vivid word choice, precise punctuation and grammar.

Some guidelines:

1. Be clear and concise.
2. Gear your message to your audience. Speak to your classmates as well as the instructor. You may have other audiences in mind, as well.
3. Help the reader; don’t make him or her work too hard.
4. Engage the reader through vivid language, story lines and road maps.
5. Think of punctuation as a sheepdog herding words into sentences, phrases, clauses, and quotes.
6. Think of grammar as the master’s commands that help keep meaning and timing straight, help us convey what fits with what, and where the action is.

Leadership and change are frequently linked in this year’s presidential sloganeering. In this case, they are code words, signaling change from the current regime, or possibly generational change. Do you wonder why the candidates aren’t promising innovation?

PA 5103; LS 5100; IS 5100 Spring 2008

Tuesdays 6:20 – 8:50 p.m., 3 credits Humphrey 25

Instructor: Barbara C. Crosby, associate professor, Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs

Office hours 3-5 p.m., Mondays and by appointment, Rm 240 HHH

Change is often built into definitions of leadership, and certainly lots of scholars and practitioners have written about how leaders can foster change in their organizations or communities. As the United States and other countries move more fully into the “innovation economy,” understanding the links between leadership and change takes on increased urgency. Leaders will need conceptual tools and practical skills to promote innovative organizations that thrive in and contribute to an innovative society. Accordingly, this seminar will examine models of change and models of leadership and investigate how leaders can promote personal, organizational and societal change. Case studies and action research will be emphasized.

An important class product will be a framework for leadership and change in an innovation society. At the end of each class session, two or three learners will be responsible for summarizing and synthesizing the evening’s conversation in order to add to the framework.

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Course Syllabus