2024 Special graduate degree programs Specially Offered Degree Programs for Graduate Students Tokyo Tech Academy for Leadership
Introduction to Leadership C
- Academic unit or major
- Tokyo Tech Academy for Leadership
- Instructor(s)
- Jon Mitchell
- Class Format
- Exercise (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 7-8 Thu
- Class
- C
- Course Code
- TAL.W401
- Number of credits
- 010
- Course offered
- 2024
- Offered quarter
- 3Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 14, 2025
- Language
- English
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
During this course, students will explore the concept of leadership in three main ways.
Firstly, they will examine how ideas of leadership – and followership – have been shaped by various social, psychological and economic factors throughout history to the present day. We will also discuss how ongoing scientific and technological developments are creating opportunities to envision new models of leadership.
Secondly, students will reflect upon their own notions and experiences of leadership to allow them better to understand their personal strengths and areas of possible improvement; this will help students to prepare for taking an active role as leaders in society.
Thirdly, students will examine some short case studies from industry, NPOs and public sectors to apply some of the concepts of leadership – including consensus-building, flexibility and followership – explored during the course.
Introduction to Leadership envisions the classroom as a community in which all members can develop their knowledge and skills via engagement with the issues and interaction with each other. With this principle in mind, Japanese students are very welcome – and strongly encouraged – to enroll.
Course description and aims
By the end of this course, students will have critically explored some of the most common theories of leadership, reflected on their own concepts and experiences, and begun to articulate what leadership means for them. Likewise, students will have applied some of these concepts or styles of leadership explored during the course to facilitate group work. Throughout the course, students will also learn to develop intercultural competence and effective communication skills.
Student learning outcomes
実務経験と講義内容との関連 (又は実践的教育内容)
An instructor with work experience as an author and editor will provide hands-on education in writing and presenting about science, based on practice in the field that features critical thinking and logical ways of communicating information to audiences.
Keywords
Leadership, discussion, workshop, facilitation, persuasion, problem solving
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
This is not a lecture-style course. Although your instructor will guide you through different approaches to leadership, often you will work in pairs or small groups to explore the issues together. Please envisage this classroom as a community where everybody has different strengths and weaknesses; by cooperating with each other, together we can overcome any difficulties. Throughout the course, students will be encouraged to integrate their scientific / technological knowledge and consider how it can be applied to improve society today and in the future.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Introduction to course contents and participants – plus a survey on leadership and its definitions | After an overview of the course contents, students will consider their experiences and current conceptions of leadership – and receive an opportunity to share these ideas with their classmates. |
| Class 2 | Concepts of leadership (1) – Traditional notions of “Great Leaders”, how leaders are “born” and how they are “made.” | Students will critically explore the validity of some traditional models of leadership which have tended to see leadership as an exceptional trait possessed by only a small group of people. Students will explore the social and cultural factors which created such beliefs and analyse them in relation to their own societies. |
| Class 3 | Concepts of leadership (2) – Transformation, transaction and collaboration | Throughout the mid- to late-twentieth century, notions of leadership evolved to incorporate ideas about its dependence on different situations, how followers can be empowered by common visions and how leadership can be better distributed throughout the group. Students will explore the advantages and disadvantages of such models, compare them with their own experiences and further develop their own notions of what leadership – and followership – involves. |
| Class 4 | Concepts of leadership (3) - The present and the future | Different models of leadership have been strongly influenced by advances in society, culture and technology. Currently the world is experiencing unprecedented developments which create – and require – new approaches to leadership; in this class, students will explore how we can harness this potential in ethical, sustainable and socially responsible ways. |
| Class 5 | Case study (1) – Leadership in industry | With guidance from the instructor, students will select a case study which highlights the challenges of effective leadership in industry. After examining the key dilemmas, students will apply the models of leadership studied in classes 2, 3 and 4 to understand how the situation might have been more effectively resolved. |
| Class 6 | Case study (2) – Leadership in the public sector | Building upon the previous class’s exploration of leadership in industry, students will engage in a case study related to the public sector to consider whether such situations require different styles of leadership and followership. Issues considered will include consensus building, how to engage stakeholders and social responsibility. |
| Class 7 | Review of issues and presentations | Students will reflect upon the ideas explored during this course by giving a short presentation on how their own ideas of leadership have evolved and areas they would like to explore further. Via this process of articulation, it is hoped students will be able to consolidate their personal visions of leadership, inspire – and be inspired by – their classmates’ ideas. |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
None
Reference books, course materials, etc.
The instructor will provide handouts in advance of the class.
Evaluation methods and criteria
The grade will be determined as follows.
One report on how your own views of leadership have developed: 50%
Final presentation: 50%
Related courses
- TAL.W502 ： Fundamental Group Work for Leadership I
Prerequisites
The desired level of English skills is upper-intermediate and above.