Leadership and the Self

Course Description

Leadership is personal because it engages our values, involves trust, and instills identity. The notion of the self and its connection to the practice of leadership goes at least as far back at Plato’s Republic. Modern psychology in the 20th Century began to take up traditionally philosophical inquiry into personal authenticity and through the positive psychology movement deepened the knowledge base in the connection between self-awareness, influence, and organizational performance. This course explores the connection between knowledge of the self and leadership effectiveness. Many recent studies have established the connection between leader self-awareness and relational competencies such as teamwork, goal-performance and communication. We will explore themes such as self-disclosure, trust, power, self-regulation, and emotional intelligence in terms of the relationship to an effective leadership process. Students will use psychological assessments and tools to understand themselves and their leadership strengths and weaknesses.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:
– Explain key psychological concepts related to fostering good leadership;
– Describe the reciprocal relationship between the internal and the external dimensions of leadership;
– Synthesize the relationship between an area of psychological inquiry (e.g. narcissism) in terms of its relationship to the leadership process;
– Analyze their own personality and internal defense mechanisms that come into play when attempting to influence others toward a common pursuit;
– Articulate their own leadership philosophy—including their personal commitments and habits that flow from it;