Introduction – The literature on Leadership (and Management) is replete with theories and conceptual models describing how leaders lead modern theories suggest how leaders should lead. It is only when these theories are coupled with a clear vision of what needs to be done that leadership comes alive and can make a difference in organizations and those they serve. This unit is designed to bring together what has been learned about the leadership process, adding the personal reflection upon strengths of each student, and applying these concepts to real-life problems facing administrators and others in organizations in urban settings.Unit Learning Goals – when you finish this unit, you will be able to:Understand and apply a model of change to an educational problem facing an urban organization (K-12, IHE, other). Special attention should be paid to the Political and Symbolic Frames.Discuss a case study of change in a large urban organization, using the model to describe key elements in the process.Reflect upon your leadership attributes re: the change process, and consider where your strengths lie as you develop your personal career goals for the next 5-10 years.
Questions to be answered before class as you complete the reading assignment:Reflect on a change incident you were involved in or led – can you identify the key successful ingredients?Reflect on an incident that did not go well – what were the key reasons for its lack of success?Why are the Political and Symbolic Frames so important to successful change strategies?Summary of Key Points:Effective, consistent, long-term change in organization only occurs when goals are clear, strategies are developed with a full understanding of the internal and external environment, and the culture of the organization is incorporated into the plan. It is the responsibility of leadership to ensure that these elements are present in any comprehensive plan for performance improvement.3. It is NOT leadership’s responsibility to do them all… Preparation for next unit –Unit 6 is devoted to a study of Theories of Leadership. In on-campus courses meeting weekly, the class will have been formed into teams to study a particular theory of leadership, and engage the rest of the class around the concepts of their theory. This process will take up 3 class periods. In weekend and other intensive formats, the instructor will present and involve the class in several, but not all theories. Only one class period (3 hours) will be devoted to this topic.In either case, it is imperative that all students will have read and are familiar with Chapters 1, 2, 4-9 and 12(and have taken and reflected on the self-assessment instruments) to ensure a productive class period or periods.. The goal is for each student to be an expert in one theory, and highly familiar with all theories. click for download