Document Type

Undergraduate Syllabus

Date

Spring 2004

School

Diplomacy

Course Number

DIPL 3102 ZA

Course Description

Much has been said and written about the nature of leadership in all spheres of life and in its good and evil manifestations. Men and women have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for having "conferred the greatest benefit on mankind." Others, such as Nazi Germany's Adolf Hitler and Cambodia's Pol Pot, have become synonymous with the opposite extreme of this distinction. Fundamental questions about leadership continue to be asked: Can it be taught? Are certain people "born leaders" or can leadership be attained by all through the fullest development of each person's individual potential? Is leadership the same as character? If so, what qualities of character constitute leadership? Or is it a set of acquired skills? Is it a matter of historical happenstance: the right person in the right place at the right time? What moral standards, if any, should be observed to attain positions of leadership and in its exercise, e.g. do the ends justify the means? Such questions should be kept in mind as reference points and will be addressed with specific reference to material covered throughout the course. The second part of this course over the Spring Semester (which will build on the work already done during the preceding Fall Semester) will be divided into two main parts. During the first part the focus will continue to be on a certain number of new Classic Leadership Cases, applied to actual situations in the contemporary world. During the second part the focus will be shifted toward Leadership in the Business World in an era of globalization where the private sector now plays an increasingly determinant role. The material covered throughout the course will, however, also be applied to leadership in international public service and other non-profit careers.

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