The Persuasive Leader

Course Overview

This aims primarily at post-baccalaureate students interested in leadership theory. 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. 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. 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