COURSE NUMBER: EWMBA257-11

COURSE TITLE: Leadership Competencies

INSTRUCTOR: Frank Schultz

E-MAIL ADDRESS: fschultz@haas.berkeley.edu

CLASS WEB PAGE LOCATION (HTTP URL): bSpace

MEETING DAY(S)/TIME: Monday (online sessions) 6:00-9:00PM and Sundays (9/7, 10/26, 12/7) 1:00 – 4:00PM

Note that this course will be taught in a new hybrid fashion, with asynchronous online work, “live” synchronous online sessions with Professor Schultz on Monday evenings and Sunday  in-class sessions on the Sundays noted above. While you must be available during the scheduled “live” online sessions, you do not have to come to campus except for the in-class Sunday sessions.


System Requirements for Students: This class requires students to have access to reliable broadband access and a modern browser. The supported browsers are: Internet Explorer 7or above, Safari 4or above, Firefox 4or above, Chrome 5or above. You'll l also need JavaScript and cookies enabled. A student’s computer should also have a webcam. We have tested and recommended: Logitech C910. The course also requires audio. For best audio experience we recommend using a standard headset with microphone and speaker (Ex.: Logitech H530). The students computer will need 256MB RAM with Windows XP or higher of Mac OS X Leopard or higher installed.

PREREQUISITE(S): EWMBA Core Curriculum

CLASS FORMAT: A combination of class/case discussions, lectures, experiential exercises, assessments, and guest speakers

REQUIRED READINGS: Reading packet and cases

BASIS FOR FINAL GRADE: The final grade will be based on class participation, two short Leadership Challenge Papers, a Personal Leadership Profile paper and a CEO Leadership Paper

ABSTRACT OF COURSE'S CONTENT AND OBJECTIVES:
Outstanding leadership is at the core of any successful enterprise. It is not surprising that one of the most popular topics of business research and writing is leadership. Yet why is it that we see so many case studies of poor leadership? And these are not just examples of what many might call "leadership gone bad" (i.e. fraud, white collar crime). We also see countless examples of highly ethical and talented individuals who were unable to achieve the desired performance outcomes for their organizations. The reason for these frequent observations of "leadership failures" is that leadership itself is a nebulous concept. It is a very difficult topic to appreciate and even harder to develop. As leadership researcher Warren Bennis has written, "leadership is like beauty: it's hard to define, but you know it when you see it." Despite leadership's complexity and challenge, few would argue, however, that outstanding leadership is of critical importance to organizations.

In this course, we will examine in depth the topic of leadership. We will discuss the essence of leadership at multiple levels within the organization - from the first line manager to the CEO. What is the difference between managers and leaders? What are the characteristics of superior leadership? What is the difference between leadership and strategic leadership? Are there "universal" leaders who can lead under any circumstance, or are there only "situational" leaders? What are the tools that strategic leaders have at their disposal? And perhaps most importantly, what can you do to achieve the highest levels of your leadership potential?

Through a combination of course readings, case discussions and guest speakers, we will explore traditional and leading edge perspectives on the topic of leadership. You will also complete two term projects. The first of these, the Personal Leadership Profile, will encourage you to take a hard look at your own leadership strengths and weaknesses and to outline a personal leadership development plan. Throughout the term, you will complete leadership assessment instruments and participate in experiential exercises to help you better understand your leadership potential. The second project, the CEO Leadership Paper, will encourage you to examine the leadership characteristics of a senior executive of your own organization or another organization that you admire.

By the end of this course, you will have developed a deeper appreciation of the concept of leadership. You will be better able to identify leadership characteristics in others. You will also have developed an honest assessment of your own leadership potential. This course is applicable to students who aspire to higher leadership positions within their own organization.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH:
Frank Schultz is a Full-Time Lecturer in the Management of Organizations and Economic Analysis and Policy Groups in the Haas School of Business. In 2010, he was honored by the Haas School with the Earl F. Cheit Award for Excellence in Teaching. Over the past twenty years, he has taught in the Executive Education, Executive MBA, Weekend MBA, Evening MBA, Full-Time MBA and undergraduate programs in business schools including the Haas School of Business at the University of California Berkeley, the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, the Eli Broad Graduate School of Management at Michigan State University and the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, as well as the Advisory Board Company’s Physician Leadership Academy. His teaching has included courses in Leadership, Strategic Management, Advanced Competitive Analysis, Organizational Behavior, Accounting, Finance, Marketing, Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Statistics, and Sales Force Management. Dr. Schultz also consults regularly in the areas of leadership and strategy. His clients include a variety of companies such as a Chinese telecommunications company, a national home builder, an emerging medical device research and development firm, a global food manufacturer, a medical device manufacturer, a Swiss multinational manufacturer and numerous healthcare systems.

Dr. Schultz' educational background includes a B.A. in Accounting from the University of Washington, an MBA in Finance/General Management from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. in Strategic Management from the University of Minnesota. Prior to pursuing his Ph.D., he worked in a variety of functional areas for Fortune 500 companies such as IBM, Chevron and Pillsbury.