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AGED 360 Integrating Leadership
3 hours (lecture-discussion)
Fall Semesters
Course Objectives
Ag Ed 360 is a leadership education course in which students study the leadership process from both a retrospective view (tying together what has been learned) and prospective view (preparing for leadership roles upon graduation). As a capstone experience, this course has the following purposes: 1) integration—pulling together what you have learned about leadership during your collegiate experience—specifically through revisiting the theories of leadership that you engaged over time, 2) breadth—expanding what you know about leadership in targeted areas, 3) application—understanding how leadership is applied in a broader community context and 4) transition—preparing a broad understanding of leadership opportunities/ roles after graduation from college. We will do this in a couple of ways. First, you will note that the assigned textbooks involve one book that is explicitly on leadership theories and one that is an overview of rural communities. The point is to have you engage with questions of leadership in the organizational and institutional context—as happens in the text (Daft)—and the community context—through the discussions of community outlined in Rural Communities (Flora) book. I will occasionally supplement this reading with web based or other materials.
In this course, students will reflect on leadership development and will assess leadership as demonstrated through a discussion of rural communities in modern society. Guest speakers, leaders in particular contexts, will provide students with stories and strategies for contextual leadership throughout the semester. Students will be asked to engage with these speakers and in so doing to evaluate various forms of leadership—to better understand leadership in context of community and society. These discussions will help students to contextualize their own leadership experiences. This course serves as a capstone experience for students in the Agricultural Leadership Education option as well as for all students pursuing an interdisciplinary leadership concentration.
Course objectives
- Develop a firm understanding of the basic theories and methods of leadership—specifically using Leadership Theory and Practice (Daft 2004).
- Understand leadership models for the future incorporating various leadership frameworks addressing personal responsibilities as a leader.
- Utilize Rural Communities: Legacy and Change (Flora, et al. 2004) to better understand the context in which leadership must happen.
- Through guest speakers and case studies, to explore and gain an understanding of leadership strategies within this context.
- Gain an understanding of how the theories of leadership are applied in practice through Rural Communities: Legacy and Change ,through other case studies provided over the course of the semester, and through discussions with the guest speakers.
- Examine contemporary leadership frameworks and contributions of selected leadership authors to the development of effective leadership skills.
Topics
- Leadership and Its Context
- Cultural Capital, Management and Leadership
- Social Capital, Traits, Behaviors, and Relationships
- Human Capital and Contingency Approaches
- Political Capital, Leadership Vision and Strategic Direction
- Natural Capital, Leadership Communication
- Shaping Culture and Values; Financial Capital
- Designing and Leading a Learning Organization, Built Capital
- Motivation and Empowerment within the Context of the Global Economy
- Leading Teams, Consumption in Rural America
- Leadership and Multiculturalism and Government in Rural America
- Leadership Mind and Heart, Courage of Moral Leadership
- Followership and Leading Change
- Leader Decision Making, Power, and Influence, and Social Change
- Evaluating Leadership – How to Know We Made a Difference
Graded Activities
- Class Participation
- Case Study Reactions
- Leader Presentation Reactions
- Mid-Term Exam (Take Home)
- Final Exam (Take Home)
- Experiential Leadership Activities for Bonus Credit