GRA 8326 Leadership Development

GRA 8326 Leadership Development

Course code: 
GRA 8326
Department: 
Leadership and Organizational Behaviour
Credits: 
4
Course coordinator: 
Per-Magnus Thompson
Emilie Lapointe
Course name in Norwegian: 
Leadership Development
Product category: 
Executive
Portfolio: 
EMBA Business Administration - Core Courses
Semester: 
2027 Spring
Active status: 
Active
Level of study: 
Master
Teaching language: 
English
Course type: 
Four semesters
Introduction

This is not a leadership development course. This is a leadership development program. Building on the premise that leadership can be learned, and is best learned via self-reflection, active involvement, and experimentation, the leadership development program aims to accompany students in their leadership development journey and support them in attaining their leadership development goals.

The program's approach is fourfold. It includes teaching sessions, webinars, leadership development groups, and individual coaching sessions, all of which are embedded in a structured leadership development process.

The leadership development program spans the duration of the EMBA program and is based on up-to-date leadership research and evidence-based leadership development practices.

Learning outcomes - Knowledge

Upon completion, the student will be able, among others, to:

  • Explain foundational models for leading diverse teams.
  • Analyze effective strategies for managing career and role transitions.
  • Evaluate different approaches to handling high-stakes leadership situations.

 A more extensive list of the topics on which students will possess knowledge upon the completion of this course is provided under course content, below.

Learning outcomes - Skills

Upon completion, the student will be able, among others, to:

  • Apply self-awareness techniques to develop a personal leadership development plan.
  • Demonstrate advanced communication skills in complex leadership scenarios.
  • Formulate strategic solutions to contemporary leadership challenges (incuding their own).

 A more extensive list of the topics on which students will possess skills upon the completion of this course is provided under course content, below.

General Competence

Upon completion, the student will be able to:

  • Reflect critically on their own leadership style and its impact on organizational outcomes.
  • Take initiative in adapting leadership practices to ambiguous and evolving contexts.
  • Collaborate effectively in diverse teams to address leadership dilemmas.
Course content

The content in the leadership development program targets critical leadership-related knowledge and skills. It derives from up-to-date academic research and tackles topics that are essential for optimal leadership development. It includes but is not limited to the following:

  • Self-awareness and introspection
  • Communication skills, including exerting influence in groups
  • Strategic thinking and strategic decision-making – applied to leadership settings
  • Leading different types of teams, including top management teams
  • Understanding and managing emotions in interpersonal contexts
  • Dealing with delicate or high-stakes leadership situations
  • Successfully managing role and career transitions, including the professional-to-junior leader transition and the junior-to-senior leader transition
  • Promoting the performance and well-being of employees while also maintaining a healthy balance as a leader
Teaching and learning activities

The leadership development program includes four main building blocks. These four building blocks are embedded in a structured leadership development process, starting with Phase 1: Awareness to Phase 4: Consolidation and Expansion.

The aims of each building block are briefly described below.

  1. Teaching sessions: Convey knowledge on specific topics relevant to leadership development.
    • Emphasis in the teaching sessions is on conveying knowledge that is relevant, up-to-date, evidence-based, and practical.
  2. Workshops: Offer students opportunities to apply and further reflect on the knowledge conveyed in the teaching sessions.
    • The workshops derive from, and build on, the knowledge conveyed in the teaching sessions and are highly applied. The workshops can take different forms (e.g., activities, cases, discussions, etc.).
      • In complementarity to the teaching sessions, the workshops challenge students, who will head home afterward with concrete, usable tools.
  3. Leadership development groups: Facilitate leadership development in smaller groups of students by using a structured group-based problem-solving method.
    •  The leadership development groups follow the principles of co-learning and their discussions are facilitated by a designated coach (a Faculty member).
  4. Individual coaching session: 1-1 sessions with a designated coach (a Faculty member).
    • The individual coaching sessions help each student identify their leadership development goals and concretely work on attaining these goals throughout the leadership development program (and beyond).

Again, these four building blocks are embedded in a structured leadership development process. This means that the content from these different building blocks follows a pre-determined and development-oriented sequence, starting with Phase 1: Awareness to Phase 4: Consolidation and Expansion.

Finally, the leadership development program includes, in addition to the above teaching and learning activities, a mentoring scheme and relies on well-validated leadership development tools, including a personality test and a 360-degree feedback exercise.

Software tools
No specified computer-based tools are required.
Additional information

The leadership development program requires a high level of involvement from students. Students should be ready to commit to the development of their leadership throughout the program.

Qualifications

Granted admission to the EMBA programme. Please consult our student regulations.

Disclaimer
Changes in exam type can be made until the course starts. In addition, unforeseen events or external conditions may call for deviations in teaching and exams.​

Assessments
Assessments
Exam category: 
Submission
Form of assessment: 
Submission PDF
Exam/hand-in semester: 
Third Semester
Weight: 
60
Grouping: 
Individual
Duration: 
1 Semester(s)
Comment: 
Individual Leadership Development Plan, counts 60% of the final grade. This assignment requires you to create a comprehensive, personal leadership development plan. Your plan should synthesize your professional history with insights gained throughout the EMBA Leadership Development Program. We are looking for submissions that demonstrate profound personal reflection and a high degree of independent, critical thinking.
Exam code: 
GRA 83263
Grading scale: 
ECTS
Resit: 
Examination when next scheduled course
Exam category: 
Activity, Oral
Form of assessment: 
Presentation
Exam/hand-in semester: 
Fourth Semester
Weight: 
40
Grouping: 
Group (2 - 8)
Comment: 
Group presentation in front of two examiners, counts 40% of the final grade.
Exam code: 
GRA 83264
Grading scale: 
ECTS
Resit: 
Examination when next scheduled course
Type of Assessment: 
Ordinary examination
All exams must be passed to get a grade in this course.
Total weight: 
100
Student workload
ActivityDurationComment
Teaching
60,5 Hour(s)
Prepare for teaching
10 Hour(s)
Student's own work with learning resources
70 Hour(s)
Sum workload: 
NaN

A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 4 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of at least 110 hours.

Reading list