The Persuasive Leader (Coursera)

The Persuasive Leader (Coursera)

This aims primarily at post-baccalaureate students interested in leadership theory. This is one course in the Coursera specialization, Leadership: An Introduction. It examines current trends in leadership theory invoking several disciplines, including business, sociology, philosophy, history, and psychology.

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The course has four modules. Module 1 introduces students to agile leadership as (a) a logical sequel to adaptive and team leadership, and (b) the foundation of contemporary persuasive leadership. Topics include a working definition of agile leadership, the need for agile leadership, and characteristics of the agile leader. Module 2 answers the question, What is persuasive leadership? Topics include persuasive vs. coercive leadership, conversation as essential to persuasive leadership, types of persuasion, elements of persuasion, and principles of persuasion. Module 3 answers the question, Why persuasive leadership? Topics include setting the question, benefits to the organization, benefits, to the team, and benefits to the leader. Module 4 answers the question, Persuasive leadership: How? Topics include preparing the leader, preparing the team, engaging the team in a plan, executing the plan, and assessing and improving.
To complete this course successfully students should be able to analyze college-level readings and audio/visual presentations into understandable parts, including premises and conclusions; synthesize the results of the analysis into coherent and accurate summaries; and evaluate the results for accuracy and practical applicability.
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to
• Define persuasive leadership
• Explain how adaptive leadership, team leadership, and agile leadership underlie persuasive
leadership
• Assess the value of persuasive leadership to contemporary organizational leadership
• Apply techniques of persuasive leadership to organizational challenges
Course 2 of 3 in the Leadership: An Introduction Specialization.

What You Will Learn

  • The nature of persuasive leadership.
  • How to assess leadership.

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Course Introduction; Agile Leadership
Module 1 -- Course Introduction and Agile Leadership -- includes a video introduction to the course; an audio recording and reading to accompany that video; and three lessons. Lesson 1 -- Agile Leadership-A Working Definition -- includes three readings, three videos, 11 recommended readings, and four lectures. Lesson 2 -- The Need for Agile Leadership--includes three readings, two videos, and one lecture. Lesson 3 -- The Agile Leader -- includes 1 reading and one lecture. The work you will do for this module includes watching the course introduction, the module introduction (including the accompanying audio and description), five videos from the internet, and six lecture videos; reading seven items; and taking a brief quiz after each lecture, and a longer assessment at the end of the module.

WEEK 2
What is Persuasive Leadership?
Module 2 -- What is Persuasive Leadership? -- includes a video introduction to the module and five lessons. Lesson 1 -- A General Definition-- includes one reading, one video, and two lectures. Lesson 2 -- Conversation--includes three readings, three videos, and two lectures. Lesson 3 -- Types of Persuasion-- includes five readings, two videos, and three lectures. Lesson 4 -- Elements of Persuasion-- includes one reading and one lecture. Lesson 5 -- Principles of Persuasion--includes one reading and one lecture. The work you will do for this module includes watching the module introduction (along with the video of Malala Yousafzai's Nobel Peace Prize speech), five videos from the internet, and nine lecture videos; reading nine items; and taking a brief quiz after each lecture, and a longer assessment at the end of the module.

WEEK 3
Why Persuasive Leadership?
Module 3 -- Why Persuasive Leadership? -- includes a video introduction to the module and four lessons. Lesson 1 -- Setting the Question-- includes two readings and two lectures. Lesson 2 -- Benefits to the Organization--includes two readings, one video, and three lectures. Lesson 3 -- Benefits to the Team-- includes two readings, two videos, and three lectures. Lesson 4 -- Benefits to the Leader-- includes two readings and three lectures. The work you will do for this module includes watching the module introduction (along with the video of Steve Jobs' Stanford commencement address), three videos from the internet, and 11 lecture videos; reading eight items; and taking a brief quiz after each lecture, and a longer assessment at the end of the module.

WEEK 4
Persuasive Leadership: How?
Module 4 -- Persuasive Leadership: How? -- includes a video introduction to the module and five lessons. Lesson 1 --Prepare Yourself-- includes three readings and one lectures. Lesson 2 -- Prepare Your team--includes two readings and one lecture. Lesson 3 -- Engage Your Team in the Plan-- includes four readings, two videos, and six lectures. Lesson 4 -- Execute the Plan as a Team-- includes three readings and three lectures. Lesson 5 -- Assess and Improve -- includes one reading and two lectures. The work you will do for this module includes watching the module introduction, two videos from the internet, and 13 lecture videos; reading 13 items; and taking a brief quiz after each lecture, and a longer assessment at the end of the module.

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