Welcome to your virtual class visit, ENTR 602: Leadership and Communication! Don’t worry, you won’t be assigned any homework. But you will be able to hear from your instructor, preview the materials for the course, get insight from students and partners, and read example lectures.
Course Description:
Today’s strong leaders act and react positively in virtually any situation and can always balance their concerns for productivity against their concerns for people. For an individual in a leadership role, if they can learn and master the skills of management, then the benefits accrue in the form of productive employees, strong teams, and quality work. The design of the course assists participant understanding and application of management techniques for maximizing their employees’ time and abilities. One of the great challenges of leading an organization is communication. This course employs strategies for participant development of effective communication skills. The course caters to different learning and communication styles, enabling participants to examine their own communication styles, practice interpersonal skills in a controlled environment, and ultimately change behavior resulting in communication that is more successful. In addition, we will review leadership development concepts from the Gallup organization and team development from Dyer.
A word from your instructor, Karl Douglas:
Learning Objectives
- Understand and apply the skills for empathetic listening
- Plan and prepare for a briefing or presentation
- Understand the importance of emotional management as a leader
- Leverage components of EQ for increasing team performance
- Identify various leadership behaviors and styles
- Inspire action as a leader and gain followership
- Differentiate between non-productive (bad) and productive (good) conflict
- Articulate a unit’s mission and vision and establish goals
- Manage multiple and conflicting priorities
- Coach employees for enhanced performance
- Motivate employees and build employee commitment
- Create and maintain a team environment conducive to high performance
- Build openness, trust, and respect among team members
- Break down communication barriers within the team, improve interpersonal processes, and foster interaction among team members
- Establish a high performance and high commitment team culture
- Foster organization agility
Units & Materials
Unit 1: Cultivating Collaborative Involvement
Great leaders inspire collaboration by aligning teams with a clear mission and vision, fostering trust, and cultivating respect. As Simon Sinek highlights in Start With Why, purpose-driven leadership builds cultures where innovation thrives through shared goals and authentic engagement.
Now, find out from a student about their experience in ENTR 602.
Unit 2: Communicating for Success
The Power of Connection: Insights from Everyone Communicates, Few Connect and the Leadership of Richard Branson
In today’s fast-paced world, effective communication is essential for success, yet it often feels like the message gets lost. We’ve all experienced the frustration of a dropped call, a moment when the conversation we were engaged in suddenly disappears. That feeling of disconnection can leave us annoyed, frustrated, or even angry, especially when it happens at the most inconvenient times. But have you ever thought about why we react so strongly to being disconnected? It’s because connection is everything. Whether in business, relationships, or personal goals, staying connected is crucial to forward motion.
John C. Maxwell, a renowned leadership expert and author of Everyone Communicates, Few Connect, highlights the importance of fostering genuine, impactful connections. In his book, Maxwell goes beyond just offering tips for better communication; he provides a roadmap for creating true, lasting connections that inspire action. Maxwell emphasizes that great leaders don’t just communicate; they connect with others on a deeper level. Whether in one-on-one conversations, small group discussions, or large presentations, the ability to connect makes all the difference in motivating and driving positive change.
Maxwell’s approach to communication can be seen in the leadership of figures like Richard Branson, the founder of the Virgin Group. Branson is known for his ability to connect with people across diverse industries and backgrounds. He uses empathy, openness, and a genuine interest in others to form connections that lead to mutual growth and success. Much like Maxwell advocates, Branson’s success is built on more than just good communication, it’s about truly understanding and engaging with others in a way that makes them feel valued and motivated.
By applying the principles Maxwell outlines in Everyone Communicates, Few Connect, anyone can elevate their leadership, influence, and organizational impact. In a world where talk is cheap, connection remains the true currency of lasting success. Whether you’re leading a team, driving innovation, or building personal relationships, learning how to connect authentically will open doors and create opportunities that would otherwise be lost in translation.
Unit 3: Unlocking Creative Communication
Empathetic listening unlocks creative communication by fostering understanding, collaboration, and innovation. In The Art of Possibility by Rosamund and Benjamin Zander, embracing open dialogue sparks new ideas, transforming challenges into opportunities for growth.
Unit 4: Inspiring Innovative Presentations
Great presentations inspire action. Use visuals strategically, communicate clearly, and captivate your audience. As Duarte writes in Slide:ology, ‘Design is thinking made visual’, a key to sparking innovation through impactful storytelling.
Unit 5: Employing Entrepreneurial Thinking
Embracing Change: Insights from Entrepreneurial Leadership and the Bold Vision of Sara Blakely
In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, embracing change isn’t just an asset, it’s a necessity. Leaders who cultivate entrepreneurial thinking within their organizations inspire adaptability, foster creativity, and turn challenges into opportunities for growth. As highlighted in Entrepreneurial Leadership by Joel Peterson, true entrepreneurial leaders thrive by being proactive in uncertain environments. Peterson underscores that cultivating a mindset of opportunity-seeking rather than risk avoidance is a hallmark of transformative leadership. This mindset encourages leaders to identify shifts in their industries and leverage them to drive innovation and success.
Leadership is as diverse as the people who practice it, but entrepreneurial leaders often share key traits: resilience, vision, and a willingness to take calculated risks. Consider Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx, whose leadership style exemplifies persistence and out-of-the-box thinking. By reimagining a stagnant product category, Blakely created a billion-dollar company while demonstrating that entrepreneurial leaders embrace setbacks as stepping stones to success. Comparing these traits with more traditional leadership approaches shows a stark difference, entrepreneurial leaders prioritize innovation over maintaining the status quo, energizing teams with a shared vision of the future.
Entrepreneurial thinking is not confined to startups, it has a transformative role in established organizations. Spotting opportunities for growth within a company’s culture begins with fostering openness and collaboration. Leaders who encourage employees to challenge conventional processes and propose innovative solutions create a culture of continuous improvement. Joel Peterson emphasizes the importance of empowering individuals to think entrepreneurially, turning every team member into a potential change agent. This collective effort not only improves organizational agility but also embeds a mindset of opportunity recognition across all levels.
In conclusion, by understanding the value of embracing change, modeling entrepreneurial traits, and cultivating an innovative culture, leaders can unlock their teams’ full potential. Like Sara Blakely, they demonstrate that entrepreneurial thinking is a powerful tool for achieving sustained success in any industry.
Unit 6: Understanding and Navigating the Dynamics of an Employment Brand
Building a strong employment brand demands entrepreneurial thinking: attract talent with bold strategies, nurture growth, and inspire improvement. As Reid Hoffman explains in The Alliance, creating a win-win partnership with employees fosters innovation and loyalty.
Unit 7: Expanding Leadership from Boss to Coach
Great leaders coach, inspire, and challenge assumptions. Move beyond ‘boss’ to ‘coach’ by fostering buy-in, embracing entrepreneurial approaches, and avoiding false consensus. As Kim Scott shares in Radical Candor, authentic guidance drives trust and results.
Unit 8: Leading with EQ
Unlocking Leadership Potential: The Power of EQ and Satya Nadella’s Transformative Approach
In today’s rapidly evolving workplaces, technical expertise alone no longer defines great leadership. EQ, the ability to understand, manage, and harness emotions effectively, has emerged as a cornerstone of effective leadership. Leaders with high EQ inspire trust, foster collaboration, and build resilient teams. This concept, as outlined in Daniel Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, underscores how self-awareness, empathy, and social skills are essential for navigating interpersonal dynamics and driving organizational success.
One leader who exemplifies EQ in action is Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft. When Nadella took over the helm in 2014, he transformed the company’s culture by prioritizing empathy and EQ. Under his leadership, Microsoft shifted from a hyper-competitive culture to one focused on collaboration, innovation, and growth. Nadella’s emphasis on building stronger relationships, empowering employees, and modeling constructive behavior not only revitalized the company’s performance but also positioned Microsoft as a leader in fostering workplace inclusivity and adaptability.
Understanding EQ’s role in leadership effectiveness begins with self-awareness, knowing how one’s emotions influence decision making and interactions. This awareness extends to recognizing the emotions and perspectives of others, enabling leaders to navigate complex interpersonal dynamics. By fostering open communication and demonstrating empathy, leaders can create a culture of trust and cohesion, where team members feel valued and understood.
To truly lead with EQ, modeling constructive behavior is vital. Leaders who exhibit resilience in challenging times inspire their teams to do the same. This means maintaining composure under pressure, offering thoughtful guidance, and fostering an environment where setbacks are viewed as opportunities for growth. As Goleman highlights, emotionally intelligent leaders who inspire trust and drive performance cultivate a competitive advantage for their organizations in an ever-changing business landscape.
Incorporating EQ into leadership isn’t just about improving relationships, it’s about unlocking the full potential of teams and organizations. By understanding EQ’s impact, navigating interpersonal dynamics effectively, and modeling constructive behavior, leaders can foster a thriving, resilient workforce equipped to tackle today’s challenges and tomorrow’s opportunities.
Unit 9: Harnessing Inclusive Leadership and Creative Abrasion
To succeed, organizations must align on inclusivity and recognize unconscious bias. Patrice McDermott’s Inclusive Excellence and Social Justice Insights offers a fearless approach to navigating these complex issues, sparking open dialogue on options, consequences, and outcomes for all.
- Fostering creativity to produce tension, encourage open creative disagreement, and explore options
- Driving innovative idea generation through diversity, discourse, and debate
- Cultivating an innovation ecosystem through healthy conflict, disagreement, and diversity of thought
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