IR/IB 393 - Leading Across Cultures
No course can teach an individual to become a leader, but it can teach one to think about the subject in a meaningful way. It can also help students understand the path that others have taken and how they might advance their own. That is the objective of this course. Key theoretical approaches to leadership are introduced, and students examine why and how several individuals have succeeded or failed in a variety of settings. This course places particular emphasis on the difficult cross-cultural leadership challenges that exist today in our corporations, governments, international institutions and communities. Students draw upon a variety of course materials including case studies (with cases involving Europe and Spain to make the Barcelona experience even more compelling) and readings from business, international relations, psychology, biography, history, and literature. Throughout the semester, students are asked to examine three principal questions:
- What does leadership mean?
- Do cultural differences matter when it comes to leadership?
- How is the subject of leadership relevant to my life?