COURSE NUMBER: MBA291T.1B

 

COURSE TITLE: Interpersonal Skills and Embodied Leadership

 

UNITS OF CREDIT: 1

 

INSTRUCTOR: Erica Peng

 

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

 

MEETING DATES: Spring B only (3/15-5/3)

 

CLASS WEB PAGE LOCATION: TBD

 

PREREQUISITE(S): None.

 

ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS: Attendance at the first class is mandatory! In our first meeting, we immediately begin laying a foundation of skills, shared experience, and safety that we will build upon in subsequent classes. If you are unable to make the first class, this will result in being dropped from the course.

Participation in all seven classes is also required.  If you know you will be missing a class due to a prior commitment, please inform me now so I can plan accordingly for your absence in the class. Note there is a grade penalty for absences.

 

CLASS FORMAT: In-class lecture, experiential exercises, “Partner Practice” skill-building, “Reflection Journals” to capture learning and developmental progress.

 

REQUIRED READINGS: Articles and several short videos on interpersonal development topics and research.

 

BASIS FOR FINAL GRADE: Attendance to every class session, class participation, weekly assignments, final reflection paper and assessment

 

ABSTRACT OF COURSE'S CONTENT AND OBJECTIVES:

 

Whether you lead organizations, teams, or even just your individual self, the underlying skills of leadership need to be developed, practiced, and ultimately embodied. This takes concrete practice, which occurs over time and in distinct stages. To that end, in a spirit of fun and discovery, this course 1) facilitates your developing self-awareness and interpersonal skills and 2) improves your ability to cultivate rapport and influence—as an individual contributor, team member, or leader—during your time at Haas and beyond.

 

CORE ELEMENTS OF COURSE:

 

Experiential activities and skill-building through weekly “Partner Practice”

Increase your awareness about your own reactions and tendencies, as well as how your verbal and non-verbal behavior impacts others.

 

Whole-body approaches and practices

Viscerally experience grounded presence that you can integrate and embody over time.

 

Feedback from the teaching team and classmates

Assess your impact and consider what skills and behaviors to focus on for practice and application.

 

Readings and materials grounded in empirical research

Topics include neuroscience, emotions and emotional intelligence, cultural differences, interpersonal communication, bias, and leadership.

 

Weekly “Reflection Journal”: Deepen your self-awareness and integrate insights from readings, partner practice sessions, other experiences from life and at Haas.

INVENTORY OF SKILLS

The skills and competencies introduced in each class build upon each other. They include the following:

Awareness of Self and Others

Physical and emotional reactions

Stories and assumptions I hold

How social context shapes what I’m aware of and what I’m “blind” to

Interdependency with systems, including organizational, ecological, etc.

 

Influence of Self and Others

Grounded presence

Empathic listening

Self-regulation (managing emotional “triggers” and “hot buttons”)

Comfort with discomfort

Personal disclosure / building trust and rapport

Taking generative risks towards learning

Acknowledging appreciation and positive influence

Expressing curiosity and openness  

 

Learning from Feedback

Giving: assessing and communicating how I am impacted by others

Receiving: acknowledging and owning the impact I have on others

Requesting: proactively seeking feedback for learning and growth

 

CAREER FIELD: Developing interpersonal skills is foundational to being more effective and successful across all career fields, and in both personal and professional arenas.

 

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH: As a leadership development consultant, instructor, and coach, Erica’s expertise is cultivating "internal" grounded presence, along with "external" skills and competencies.

 

She incorporates somatic/whole body practices that transform internal barriers (i.e. self-criticism, insecurity, perfectionism, etc.), into embodied interpersonal and leadership behaviors. Having lived, worked, and traveled extensively in Asia, Latin America and Europe, Erica brings nuanced awareness and skill in navigating leadership and performance issues across language, culture and other dimensions of difference.

 

Erica facilitates and delivers interpersonal development courses at Haas School of Business, Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB), and University of San Francisco School of Law. Erica coaches senior executives through Stanford’s Executive Education Leadership Programs as well as women’s leadership groups. At Haas, Erica also works with students as a career coach, helping them clarify core skills, purpose, and values.

 

Through her coaching and consulting firm, Deep Stream Leadership (www.deepstreamleadership.com), Erica partners with teams and emerging leaders to senior executives, and has a deep commitment to supporting women and Asian leaders. She offers high-impact leadership development workshops based on the interpersonal dynamics "T Group" course at Stanford GSB. Erica also brings her skills and sensibility as an award-winning digital storyteller, and performing singer and dancer, to support students and clients to convey compelling personal leadership stories with engaging and grounded presence.