Leadership in the 21st century

JWI 510: Leadership in the 21st Century Lecture Notes

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Week 1: The Leadership Mindset Welcome to the first week of the Leadership in the 21st Century course!

As you embark on this phase of your leadership development journey, this course will offer you an opportunity to reflect on what it means to be a leader, what kind of leader you currently are, and what kind of leader you aspire to be. You will do this each week by exploring a number of inspiring resources, which include Jack Welch’s leadership experience, readings and videos by other experts in their fields, and interactions with your instructor and classmates as you discuss leadership development issues relevant to your career. Our focus this week will be on Jack Welch’s Foundational Principles of Leadership and how these can impact your leadership development.

Course Structure This course is organized into three sections:

1. We begin with a Foundational Principle of Leadership: to be a great leader, you must know yourself. In fact, we will spend the first three weeks of the course exploring research and tools that can help you gain a better understanding of your traits and biases when it comes to leadership. This exploration will culminate in your first assignment of the term (due in Week 3), a self-analysis paper.

2. Following this exploration of self, we will leverage our findings to focus on leadership of teams.

We will examine what effective team-building is all about. In doing so, we will look at common mistakes made by novice and veteran managers alike, and focus specifically on what you can do to avoid these errors and create empowered, winning teams.

3. In the third part of this course, we will explore leadership of organizations. In this section, we will

look at how you can take the principles of leadership and leverage them to develop the strengths needed to lead multi-team organizations. In the middle and latter parts of this course, you will work towards completing a case analysis assignment where you will analyze and apply the materials you have been working with throughout this course.

JWI 510: Leadership in the 21st Century Lecture Notes

© Strayer University. All Rights Reserved. This document contains Strayer University confidential and proprietary information and may not be copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed, in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of Strayer University. JWI 510 – Lecture Notes (1194) Page 2 of 4

Contributing to Discussion Questions Your time at the Jack Welch Management Institute is an opportunity to learn from your professors, and also an opportunity to build relationships with fellow students. These relationships will not only enrich your learning experience, but can also help build a strong professional network of connections beyond the program. To introduce yourself to the group, click on the Discussion Question link at the bottom of the Week 1 page in Blackboard. You will be taken to the discussion thread for the week, where you can compose and submit your post. Another way to access your Discussion Board is to click on Course Tools, then on the Discussion Board link, and then find the discussion you want to access. You are required to submit a minimum of three posts on the Week 1 topic. In these, you will discuss your current role in your organization, where you want to be in five years, the application of Jack Welch’s Leadership Principles to your career goals, and your life in general. Please submit your original post by Wednesday, midnight your time. Additionally, by Sunday, midnight your time, post at least two comments to peers’ initial posts. Think of the Discussion Question (DQ) Board as a conversation in which you can share new ideas and experiences with your class. Also, be prepared to analyze and apply course materials and research each week. Support your peers, ask questions, and keep the conversation going!

Navigating Around the Course Platform Make sure you take time this week to familiarize yourself with Blackboard and the resources available to you in the class. Your Quiz is going to take you on a scavenger hunt to make sure you can navigate key areas of the course in Blackboard. Spend time going through the items on the left of your screen. You can learn more about your Instructor in the My Professor area. Notice that you have access to other resources as well, such as the Online Library and the Wall Street Journal. One of the areas you’ll be spending a lot of time in is the Course Documents section. When you’re there, review your Course Guide. You will want to print this, since it explains your deliverables this term, as well as the grading scale and assignment rubrics. Also important is the Sample Professional Paper, which shows you how to format your assignments. There are many helpful resources here, so take the time to navigate through each one, and ask questions if you need to.

JWI 510: Leadership in the 21st Century Lecture Notes

© Strayer University. All Rights Reserved. This document contains Strayer University confidential and proprietary information and may not be copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed, in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of Strayer University. JWI 510 – Lecture Notes (1194) Page 3 of 4

About Jack Welch As you go through this course – and your entire MBA – you will find frequent references to the program’s founder and Executive Chairman, Jack Welch, and his leadership principles, especially:

• Mission and Values • Candor • Differentiation • Voice and Dignity

These principles will reappear regularly as themes throughout your time in the program, and will hopefully serve as guideposts as you continue your leadership journey. These principles will also be covered in your readings from Winning this week, Chapters 1 - 4.

DiSC Assessment As you begin your exploration of yourself and your leadership style, you will make use of the DiSC assessment. DiSC is a wonderful tool that can help you learn how you lead and how you interact with others. DiSC stands for:

• Dominance • Influence • Steadiness • Conscientiousness

Understanding your own DiSC profile allows you to better understand how you communicate with others and how they communicate with you. This can help you anticipate how to deal with situations that may arise on the job, and can enhance the effectiveness of how you participate in and lead teams.

Course Videos Be sure to watch the videos every week. These will feature guidance, not only from Jack, but also from a number of other Experts of Practice. As you watch the videos, remember that this course is all about applying what you learn to your workplace. Think about what your leadership strengths and challenges are. What do you want to change about your workplace, your team, and yourself? Revisit this question each week, as you progress through the course.

JWI 510: Leadership in the 21st Century Lecture Notes

© Strayer University. All Rights Reserved. This document contains Strayer University confidential and proprietary information and may not be copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed, in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of Strayer University. JWI 510 – Lecture Notes (1194) Page 4 of 4

Remember, while change can be difficult, great leaders recognize that it is necessary for progress and growth. Embrace the new experiences that are part of this course. Share what you are learning with others and stay focused on your leadership journey.

Your Leadership Journey

• If you are new to leadership, use this week as a way to begin thinking about what kind of leader you aspire to be

• If you are a team leader, use this week as a way to think about how your current leadership practices may impact your team in both negative and positive ways

• If you are a senior/veteran leader, use this week to reflect on how you can help people under you to build their leadership strengths