This course examines contemporary and historical leadership and decision-making in the public and not-for-profit sectors. It is designed to explore various perspectives of leadership in contemporary and historical contexts. Students will be introduced to three ways of "seeing" leadership—leadership as position, leadership as relationship, and leadership as self-development. The primary goal of the course is to move students towards their own sense of what leadership is and to learn negotiating and decision-making techniques that may benefit them as future leaders of public sector agencies. To this end, students will:

1. examine, investigate, and deconstruct what is typically viewed as leadership in our culture;
2. construct a notion of leadership that reflects the challenges of our times; and
3. begin to develop the skills, self-awareness, reflexivity, and understanding needed to become an effective leader.

1. Exploring Leadership: For College Students Who Want to Make a Difference by Sosan R. Komives, 1997, Joseey-Bass Publisher;
2. Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In, 2^nd ed. 1991, by Roger Fisher and William Ury & Bruce Patton of the Harvard Negotiation Project, Penguin Books;
3. Getting Ready to Negotiate: The Getting to Yes Workbook, 1995, by Roger

Fisher and Danny Etel, Viking Penguin;

4. Contemporary Issues in Leadership, by Rosenbach & Taylor, 1993, Westview

Students are expected to:

1. Attend all class sessions. Be on time. No exceptions.
2. Complete all writing assignments on time. No exceptions.
3. Prepare and present a case study to the class.
4. Prepare and present a supplemental reading to the class.
5. Be fully engaged in the class.
6. Be prepared to participate in seminar discussions and make a contribution to the course.
7. Conform to the standards of conduct as outlined in the UA Student Code of Conduct Manual.

Students can expect the instructor to:

1. Be fully engaged in the course.
2. Be available to students at regular office hours posted.
3. Provide immediate feedback to students as often as possible.
4. Conform to appropriate codes of conduct.

Class participation (25% of grade): Participating in class means being prepared by reading and thinking about the material; taking the time and energy to think about and respond to the individual case studies and suggested readings assignments presented by your classmates; being awake, aware, present, and engaged in class; being a willing participant in group activities; and taking full responsibility as a member of your seminar group.

A portion of time in each class (not less than one hour) will be devoted to seminar group discussions of the readings and weekly topics. Seminar discussions are based on the required readings, case studies, and individual presentations. They provide an opportunity for you to reflect on leadership at local, state, and national levels, as well as engaging in contemporaneous decision-making dilemmas and their resolution. Seminars will begin with a review of the readings; themes, author(s)’ main points, theses, etc. Discussion should be lively. At the end of each seminar, students will have an opportunity to critique the assigned readings. Small group seminars are formed the first day of class.

Seminar discussions should be inclusive (everyone in the group should participate) and different styles of presentation and participation should be respected. Good leaders learn from those around them. Speaking up is a crucial and important skill to develop. Monopolizing class time with little to offer is a practice that should be avoided. Learn to add something to the ensuing discussion. Ideas may be challenged, but the classroom should be a place of civil discourse. Ideas, not people, should be challenged. Discussions should focus on substantive matters.

All seminar group members are equally responsible for the success of the group discussion. Sharing leadership roles in your group is a good way to permit everyone an opportunity to practice their leadership skills.

Case studies (25% of grade: 1 - 3 pages): Students are expected to describe, in oral and written forms, a situation in his or her organization (past or present) where an important decision was made. It must be a situation in which the student’s agency is directly involved. It cannot be mythical or fictitious.

Students should provide the facts of the case, including (but not limited to):

1. a statement of the problem,
2. the intergovernmental agencies involved,
3. perceived or real stumbling blocks, i.e. special interest groups (corporate, community, or political lobbyists),
4. personality or interagency conflict and,
5. leadership—who was the perceived leader and,
6. the ultimate decision made.

The paper should include a description of the dynamics of decision-making processes. It should end with the student’s judgment whether the situation was resolved—satisfactorily, unsatisfactorily, or deadlocked. The student is expected to lead classs discussion by articulating what could have been done better to reach agreement.

A case study is not a formal research project. Case studies describe real-life situations. Your case study is not meant to be a library research. This is an opportunity for you to describe and analyze decision-making and leadership within your organization. If your case study is a current situation, your classmates may offer suggestions to help reach a satisfactory decision. Remember your classmates are "in-the-field" professionals. They can be valuable resources for you.

Vision of Leadership Paper (35% of grade – 5 – 10 pages): a succinct research paper (no more than 10 pages, double-spaced, #12 font, not including figures, charts and bibliography) which cogently states your vision of leadership. It is due no later than the beginning of class December 7^th. The paper should include all the elements of a solid research paper. It should be based upon respected theory and scholarship and reference appropriate theory. It should contain a thesis and supporting arguments. In addition, the paper should be creative; if a metaphor, story, picture, poem, or other materials are most reflective of your leadership vision, use them as your guiding theme. STRIVE TO BE A REFLECTIVE SCHOLAR.

The vision of leadership paper should reflect your vision. It is not, however, a personal paper (personal anecdotes belong in the case study). It is the place where you can develop a "theory" of leadership, talk about your unique leadership vision, or compare and contrast strengths and weakenesses of theories found in the literature.

Supplemental readings (1-2 pages; 10% of grade): Students are expected to select and review one journal article or book chapter on leadership. You may select something from this list or you may choose an article or book that was especially helpful to you as a professional engaged in doing public administration. The book or article must be current (1990 or newer) and relevant to the course. You are responsible for preparing a 1-2 page abstract of the article/chapter and bring a copy for each member of the class. The abstract should include the complete journal/book citation such as title, author(s), and publisher information. Students may use the abstract to lead discussion.

Leadership is…. (1-2 pages; 5% of grade): This is the first paper you will write. It is due NEXT WEEK—the 2^ND DAY OF CLASS, September 7th). This paper is a brief 1-2 page statement of what you think leadership is. It is not a research paper or library search. You may, however, reference anything you have learned or read about prior to taking this course. The purpose of the paper is to encourage you to think about leadership and form your own views. Each of us has views of just what leadership means, what qualities a good leader exhibits, and some of us can name people we consider good leaders. Reflect on your views of leadership, write them down, and be prepared to share your ideas in class.