Preface
Why did we write this book? We recognize that there are other textbooks that address leadership in organizations. In addition to presenting leadership content (i.e., based on theory, research, and practice), the common approach for traditional textbooks is to also provide experiential material in the form of written cases and exercises (e.g., self-assessment instruments). However, we argue that this traditional approach, while helpful, does not sufficiently engage student learning.
We all learn from experience. But with that said, many students approach leadership development with only limited experience. Accordingly, our approach is to share the experiences of real-life leaders who have faced challenging situations involving the types of learning concepts that are featured in this book. That sharing helps students to learn vicariously through the leadership actions of others. We do so through a story-telling approach that employs a video-based, case method to engage students’ visual and audio senses, which are critical to their learning. Specifically, we include twenty-eight video cases of people in leadership positions who describe examples of a wide variety of problems with which they have dealt—sometimes successfully and sometimes unsuccessfully. These video cases are designed respectively to: (1) expose the beliefs and values of people in leadership positions; and (2) provide case examples of leadership challenges faced by these real-world leaders. The individuals who are featured in the videos come from a number of sectors, including business and the public sector (e.g., military). Moreover, they represent leaders at different levels of organizations and at different career stages.
Each video case is approximately 5 to 10 minutes in total length. It typically involves separate segments in which a leader describes a problem, talks about how they handled the problem, reports the outcomes of actions taken, and reflects on lessons learned. A unique advantage of the video cases is that they can be used to highlight learning material in respective chapters, and they can stimulate student thinking about how, if at all, their actions to solve the leadership challenges in the videos might have been different.
To accompany these videos, we have text and other material (e.g., written cases, self-report inventories) comprising thirteen chapters. The goal of our writing was to get to the point in a comprehensive, but concise, manner so that students can have an adequate conceptual basis for approaching the topic of leading in organizational settings. In sum, the written materials in the various chapters are meant to provide a conceptual framework for fostering learning that is associated with the video cases.
What’s New in 2.1
Version 2.1 includes five new video cases drawn from Stanford Graduate School of Business’s “Medal of Honor” video collection as well as substantive updates to Chapter 9 “Dealing with Diversity in Leadership Roles”, which has been expanded to further explore the broader topics of diversity and leadership. Chapter 13, Section 5 “Appendix: Over Twenty Years of Leadership and Change—The Case of Michael Crow and Arizona State University” reflects the most recent changes and advances Crow has managed in his tenure at the university including, but not limited to, the approval from the state for plans to create a new medical school at ASU.
Supplements
Leadership for Organizations, v2.1 is accompanied by a robust supplements program that augments and enriches both the teaching and student learning experiences. Faculty should contact their FlatWorld sales representative or FlatWorld support at support@flatworld.com for more information or to obtain access to the supplements upon adoption.
Sample Syllabus
An author-created sample syllabus to accompany this book is available. It is designed for a 15-week, semester-based schedule and is designed based on a hybrid model—50 percent online, and 50 percent face-to-face. However, it could be readily modified for a 100 percent face-to-face class, or some form of 100 percent online class.
Instructor’s Manual
A key purpose of this book is to engage the student in terms of their visual and audio senses, which are critical to learning. Our overall approach is based on two key learning principles. First, students learn best about leadership through the role modeling of actual leaders. Role modeling is known to be an effective means of developing leaders, and our video-based approach is equipped to take advantage of this principle. Second, students will learn through storytelling, which is not only an effective means of practicing leadership, but also developing one’s own leadership capabilities. In other words, students can develop insights and skills (and role model) by hearing the stories of individuals who have faced leadership challenges, and then made decisions or took actions to deal with those challenges.
We emphasize a video-based, case approach to learning and developing leadership. These video cases involve the stories of leaders at individual/dyadic, team, and organizational levels. As a feature of our approach, each chapter is typically illustrated by one or more video cases that were originally produced at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. More information about the videos and teaching notes for each respective video are in the third section of the Instructor’s Manual.
The four sections of the Instructor’s Manual are below.
Overview
Supplemental chapter materials and notes
Teaching notes for video cases
Sample Syllabus
PowerPoint Slides
PowerPoint lecture slides provide detailed Learning Objectives for each chapter and key points of interest, research and discussion to facilitate class interactions, whether virtual, in-person, or asynchronous. Instructors can use the slides as composed to support lectures or customize and build upon them to suit their particular teaching needs.
Test Item Files
The Test Item File (TIF) includes more than fifty questions per chapter in multiple-choice, completion, true/false, and essay-question formats. All answers are provided, including possible responses to the essay questions. The items have been written specifically to reinforce the major topics covered in each chapter and to align with FlatWorld Homework and in-text quiz items. The Test Item File questions are also available in pre-formatted form for easy export into popular learning management systems such as Canvas or Blackboard.
Test Generator—Powered by Cognero
FlatWorld is pleased to provide a computer-generated test program powered by the leading assessment provider, Cognero, to assist instructors with selecting, randomizing, formatting, loading online, or printing exams. Please contact your local FlatWorld representative or FlatWorld support (support@flatworld.com) for more information or to request the program.
FlatWorld Homework
Accompanying FlatWorld Homework for this text is provided in an easy-to-use interface. Multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, matching, and other question types are available for use and are all auto-gradable. Students who utilize the homework questions should see their performance improve on examinations that are given using the Test Item File questions provided to adopters via Word documents or LMS packages.
Online Quizzes
Quiz questions for student self-evaluation are available by section and by chapter in the online version of this text. Students can use the quizzes to test themselves on their comprehension as they move through the different sections of the text or once they have completed a chapter.