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SYLLABUS - The Philosophy of Leadership –Philosophy 379 Elon University Fall 2014 Monday and Wednesday 3:35 pm – 5:15 pm Instructor: Dr. Martin C. Fowler fowlerm@elon.edu 278-5250. Campus Box 2340 Office: Spence 114 I am available outside of class each

weekday from 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm.

I love philosophy as the most

challenging and practical discipline for coming to grips with a rapidly changing world. Philosophy reveals what our assumptions about what’s real, what we trust, and what we can hope for really mean and imply. You’re interested in the philosophy of leadership because you’re a Leadership Fellow, a Leadership Minor, or simply interested in philosophy. Whatever your reason, consider what most of us assume about leadership. Some courses examine leadership skills or explain different theories of leadership, but this course deals with the meaning of the phenomenon of leadership for the human condition. Just what kind of “thing” is leadership? How does leadership matter for getting things done or living a full life? The image of the soaring bald eagle, with an inspirational quote from John C. Maxwell, captures one vision of a great leader: impressive, solitary, majestic above the fray, and in control. The real bird may steal food from ospreys or gorge on carrion, but we crave leadership’s symbols, not facts about leaders. That’s our first problem. Your goal for this course is to understand and respond to five philosophical questions which leadership poses. Your objective is to then ask those five questions about your own Leadership Initiative: a 60 point project which you choose to accomplish this semester. For some, our course is your introduction to philosophy. So, you’ll learn and apply philosophy as you discuss leadership. Your job is to take responsibility for your learning, respect each other’s contributions in class, and commit yourself to accomplishing your chosen Leadership Initiative this semester. Expectations for graded work. The course rubric explains the standards for outstanding, above-average, satisfactory, and unsatisfactory work for your leadership initiative, class participation, and all written assignments.

Philosophical exploration of leadership. Even if you aspire to soar like a mighty eagle, your ideas and feelings about leadership may be more of a jumble of symbols and conflicting expectations for followers and leaders, like this disturbing image showing the dark side of

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power, authority, and symbolism. In this course, we will un-jumble our symbols and expectations about leadership by asking five philosophical questions:

1. What is the phenomenon of leadership? There were leaders long before anyone invented the topic of “leadership.”

2. How do you understand leadership from the

inside-out? (phenomenology and hermeneutics)

3. How do charisma and vision bring leaders and

followers together? (aesthetics)

4. How do you lead change within a changing world? (process philosophy, Taoism)

5. How do you lead in the middle of conflict and

competition? (adversarial leadership, The Art of War)

Experiential testing of assumptions about the meaning of leadership. You’ll participate in three leadership practica this semester. These are supervised exercises which will test your assumptions about leadership within hands-on situations.

Attendance. This class meets each Monday and Wednesday afternoon, and you are expected to be present and prepared to participate in every class. If you are absent more than once for any reason other than an emergency, I will ask you to drop the course. Your participation in the three (3) practica sessions is mandatory because they are integral to the course. The three practica sessions are scheduled for: Monday, Sept. 29th, Monday, Oct. 20th, and Wednesday, Nov. 12th. Assignments and grades. You are graded on your Leadership Initiative project, your preparation and participation in class discussion, and your participation in the 3 practica sessions.

The Leadership Initiative is your semester-long project for Philosophy 379A. This Initiative has seven (7)

elements. It counts 60 points of your final grade. Here is the format:

Project Date Due Points

1. Proposal Preparation before 7:00 pm on September 15, 2014 5

2. Choice of Initiative before 700 pm on September 15, 2014 5

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3. Prospectus before 7:00 pm on September 15, 2014 5

Total: 15 points

4. Five (5) Biweekly Progress

Reports

1. before 7:00 pm on September 22, 2014

2. before 7:00 pm on September 29, 2014

3. before 7:00 pm on October 15, 2014

4. before 7:00 pm on October 27, 2014

5. before 7:00 pm on November 10, 2014

(3 points each)

5. Three (3) Practica Applications before 7:00 pm on October 1st,, October 22,

and Nov. 19, 2014

15 (5 points each)

6. Portfolio before 7:00 pm on November 24, 2014 10

7. Presentation on December 1, 2014 5

SUBTOTAL: 60 points

Participation in Class discussion You will lead class discussion with one other student twice this semester.

You’re evaluated and graded on how well you skillfully facilitate discussion and present topics and questions

for discussion. Here is the format:

First Discussion 10 points

Second Discussion 10 points

SUBTOTAL: 20 points

Two Take-Home Essay Exams on the philosophical questions raised in the course readings. Each exam is

worth 10 points. Here is the format:

Midterm Exam Take home exam – due Oct. 23rd

10 points

Final Exam Mon. Dec. 8th

(1:00 pm – 4:00pm) 10 points

SUBTOTAL: 20 points

COURSE TOTAL: 100 points

What are practica? You will participate in three exciting leadership exercises (“practica”) this semester which will challenge your leadership assumptions. These practica ensure that you do not merely think about leadership abstractly. You will test ideas and assumptions about leadership in our course readings. You can’t study or plan for these practica, but you will apply them to your Leadership Initiative. The three practica sessions are Monday, Sept. 29th, Monday Oct. 20th, and Wednesday, Nov. 12th. Here is your Philosophy of Leadership checklist:

Assignment Date due Points Completed?

Mandatory Meet with instructor to discuss leadership initiative ideas.

Make an appointment to meet with your instructor prior to Monday Sept. 15th.

proposal preparation before 7:00 pm Monday September 15th

5 points

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choice of initiative before 7:00 pm Monday September 15th

5 points

prospectus due before 7:00 pm Monday, Sept. 15th 5 points

1st progress report due

before 7:00 pm Monday Sept. 22nd 3 points

1st class facilitation with partner

Date: 10 points

2nd class facilitation with partner

Date: 10 points

Practicum 1 Life Purpose Profiles, Charismatic Leader / Enforcer

Monday, September 29th. Mandatory!

2nd progress report due before 7:00 pm Monday September 29th

3 points

1st Practicum Application due

Wednesday October 1st 5 points

Practicum 2 Creating a Vision

7:00 pm Monday October 6th Mandatory!

2nd practicum application due

before 7:00 pm Wednesday October 8th

5 points

3rd progress report due before 7:00 pm Wednesday Oct. 15th

3 points

Midterm Exam Wednesday, October 15th 10 points

Practicum 3 A New

Perspective on Time Monday Oct. 20th Mandatory!

3rd practicum application due

before 7:00 pm Wednesday Oct. 22nd 5 points

4th progress report due before 7:00 pm on Monday October 27th 3 points

5th progress report due

before 7:00 pm on Monday Nov. 10th 3 points

Portfolio due before 7:00 pm on Monday November 24th

10 points

Presentation Monday, December 1st 5 points

Final Exam Monday, December 8th 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

10 points

The required course texts. The three required texts are available at Campus Book Store. You can also buy used or new copies of course texts online at amazon.com and other book distributors. You may purchase either a hard copy or e-book version of a given text, or both, if you prefer. Choose the most convenient and affordable publishing format for you, but come to class having studied the assigned reading and prepared to discuss the reading.

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1. Rethinking Leadership: A New Look at Old Leadership Questions by Donna Ladkin (2010) Edward Elgar Publishing, Inc.(paperback) ISBN978-0-85793-131-3 NOTE: In Rethinking Leadership: A New Look at Old Leadership Questions, philosopher Donna Ladkin guides you through philosophers’ contributions to understanding leadership in phenomenology, hermeneutics, and process philosophy. You are introduced to philosophers Immanuel Kant, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Edmund Husserl, Alfred North Whitehead, Martin Heidegger, Hans-Georg Gadamer, and Hannah Arendt. For example, Immanuel Kant’s theory of the sublime will help us to think about leadership charisma.

2. Understanding Sun Tzu on the Art of War by Robert Cantrell Center for Advantage (2004) (paperback) ISBN-10: 0972291407 ISBN-13: 978-0972291408 NOTE: The Art of War by Sun Tzu has been tested for 2,500 years with very

high stakes. The text has been credited with winning wars, unifying countries, and guiding military and political leadership for centuries. It is studied in military academies and business schools around the world. Robert Cantrell interprets the text as a philosophy of leadership for adversarial contexts of war, law, and other kinds of competition. 3. Process Metaphysics: An Introduction to Process Philosophy by Nicholas Rescher (paperback) State University of New York Press; First Edition (January 31, 1996) ISBN-10: 0791428184 ISBN-13: 978-0791428184 NOTE: Process philosophy identifies metaphysical reality with change and development rather than enduring substance. Thinking of leadership in terms of process rather than static “stuff” or systems helps to explain the dynamics of leadership as a phenomenon which changes in a changing world.

4. OTHER SOURCES: “The Analytic of the Sublime” from The Critique of Judgment by Immanuel Kant is available on the course Moodle website. Other essays and articles will be provided as handouts or cited as online resources during the semester. You will also receive verses from the TaoTe Ching throughout the semester. There are 88 verses in this Chinese classic, and you will have one verse each day to read and think about. Academic honesty. "Plagiarism" means presenting someone else's work as your own. It’s fraud. Be clear about whether the opinions you present are your own or the opinions of someone else. For example, if you quote an extended passage of a book, enclose the passage in quotation marks or otherwise attribute the passage appropriately to the author. NEVER “copy” and “paste” an author’s writing without placing it quotations and citing it appropriately. With regard to cheating, your Student Handbook describes Elon University's Honor System, which includes the Academic Honor Code governing expected conduct and sanctions, and the Social Honor Code.

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Class Calendar for Philosophy of Leadership

1. How Can Philosophy Help Us to Understand the Phenomenon of Leadership? Wednesday, August 27, 2014 Has the “leadership industry” failed to produce leadership? Barbara Kellerman thinks so. Read this review of her book, The End of Leadership. Come to class prepared to discuss the review. http://integralleadershipreview.com/7468-a-review-of-barbara-kellerman-the-end-of-leadership/ Monday, September 1, 2014 Read Ladkin, Ch. 1 “Why study leadership from a philosophical perspective?" Wednesday, September 3, 2014 Read Ladkin, Ch. 2 “Why are there so many different theories of leadership?” class discussion 1 2. How Do Can We Understand Leadership From the Inside-Out? Monday, September 8, 2014 Read these essays about the phenomenology of leadership: http://newlearningonline.com/new-learning/chapter-5/edmund-husserl-on-the-lifeworld http://integralleadershipreview.com/6280-perception-reversibility-flesh-merleau-pontys-phenomenology-and-leadership-as-embodied-practice/ http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/118600.Maurice_Merleau_Ponty Choose 3 quotes from Maurice Merleau-Ponty and explain what they mean for understanding leadership from the inside-out. Wednesday, September 10, 2014 Read Ladkin, ch. 3 “Why is it so difficult to study leadership?” class discussion 2 Monday, September 15, 2014 Proposal preparation, choice of initiative, and prospectus due today! Wednesday, September 17, 2014 Read Ladkin, Ch. 4 “What goes on in the relationship between leaders and followers?” class discussion 3

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Monday, September 22, 2014 FOR TODAY: Read Ladkin, Ch. 5 “What is charismatic leadership?” class discussion 4 first progress report due by 7:00 pm today. 3. How do charisma and vision bring leaders and followers together? Wednesday, September 24, 2014 FOR TODAY: Study The Analytic of the Sublime from Critique of Judgment by Immanuel Kant. The text is on the course Moodle site. An outline of Kant’s distinction between the beautiful and the sublime is provided at http://www.uri.edu/personal/szunjic/philos/subl.htm Key passages are provided at http://www.wisdomportal.com/Cinema-Machine/Kant-Beautiful&Sublime.html. Monday, September 29, 2014 Practicum 1 Life Purpose Profiles, Charismatic Leader / Enforcer Mandatory! Wednesday, October 1, 2014 Read Ladkin, Ch. 6 “What is so important about the ‘vision-thing?’” class discussion 5 1st practicum application due by 7:00 pm today. 4. How can we lead change in a changing world? Monday, October 6, 2014 Practicum 2 Creating a Vision Mandatory! Wednesday, October 8, 2014 Read Ladkin, ch. 7 “How do leaders lead change?” Read Rescher: Ch. 1 “Historical Background class discussion 6 2nd practicum application due by 7:00 pm today.

FALL BREAK

Wednesday, October 15, 2014 3rd progress report due by 7:00 pm today. Read Ladkin, ch. 8 “How can individuals take up the leader role wisely?” Read Rescher, Ch. 2 “Basic Ideas”

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Monday, October 20, 2014 Practicum 3 A New Perspective on Time Mandatory! Wednesday, October 22, 2014 3rd practicum application due by 7:00 pm today. Read Ladkin, ch. 9 “What has it meant to rethink leadership?” Read Rescher: Ch. 6“Process and Persons” and Ch. 10 “Process in Philosophy” class discussion 7 5. How can we lead in the middle of conflict and competition? Monday, October 27, 2014 4th progress report due by 7:00 pm today. Read the original text of The Art of War. Come to class with questions to share. Wednesday, October 29, 2014 Read Chapter 1 of Understanding the Art of War Winning Whole – Win with your resources (army) and objective intact.

class discussion 8 Monday, November 3, 2014 Read Chapter 2 of Understanding the Art of War Leading to Advantage – How to prepare and position your soldiers for victory

Wednesday, November 5, 2014 Read Chapter 3 of Understanding the Art of War Deception – How to keep your intentions secret from opponents class discussion 9

Monday, November 10, 2014 5th progress report due by 7:00 pm today. Read Chapter 4 of Understanding the Art of War Energy – Apply force effectively and efficiently. Increase your chance of success and also success with minimum force necessary. Identity critical points before you attack.

class discussion 10 Wednesday, November 12, 2014 For fun, read Cantrell’s http://www.artofwarsuntzu.com/suntzuandhollywood.htm For content, read Ralph Sawyer: http://www.unc.edu/depts/diplomat/AD_Issues/amdipl_13/china_sawyer.html Be prepared to discuss both in class. Monday, November 17, 2014 Read Chapter 5 of Understanding the Art of War Strengths and Weakness –How to find the best path to the goal

class discussion 11 Wednesday, November 19, 2014 class discussion 12

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Read 3 essays by members of the Denman Group of translators of The Art of War. These essays are available at: http://www.suchns.com/essays2.html. Monday November 24, 2014 portfolio due by 7:00 pm today. Read Chapter 6 of Understanding the Art of War Initiative – How to take and keep the advantage in a conflict.

THANKSGIVING Monday, December 1, 2014 – Last day of class: Presentation of leadership initiatives Monday, December 8, 2014 – Final Exam (1:00pm – 4:00 pm)

Assignment Date due Points Completed?

Mandatory Meet with instructor to discuss leadership initiative ideas.

Make an appointment to meet with your instructor prior to Monday Sept. 15th.

proposal preparation before 7:00 pm Monday September 15th

5 points

choice of initiative before 7:00 pm Monday September 15th

5 points

prospectus due before 7:00 pm Monday, Sept. 15th 5 points

1st progress report due

before 7:00 pm Monday Sept. 22nd 3 points

1st class facilitation with partner

Date: 10 points

2nd class facilitation with partne

Date: 10 points

Practicum 1 Life Purpose Profiles, Charismatic Leader / Enforcer

Monday, September 29th. Mandatory!

2nd progress report due before 7:00 pm Monday September 29th

3 points

1st Practicum Application due

Wednesday October 1st 5 points

Practicum 2 Creating a Vision

7:00 pm Monday October 6th Mandatory!

2nd practicum application due

before 7:00 pm Wednesday October 8th

5 points

3rd progress report due before 7:00 pm Wednesday 3 points

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Oct. 15th

Midterm Exam Wednesday, October 15th 10 points

Practicum 3 A New

Perspective on Time Monday Oct. 20th Mandatory!

3rd practicum application due

before 7:00 pm Wednesday Oct. 22nd 5 points

4th progress report due before 7:00 pm on Monday October 27th 3 points

5th progress report due

before 7:00 pm on Monday Nov. 10th 3 points

Portfolio due before 7:00 pm on Monday November 24th

10 points

Presentation Monday, December 1st 5 points

Final Exam Monday, December 8th 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

10 points

Guidelines for choosing and undertaking your Leadership Initiative

The Leadership Initiative is your semester-long project for Philosophy 379A. This Initiative has

seven (7) elements, and your final presentation is one of them. All the elements should be submitted

before 7:00 pm on the due date. Here is the format:

Project Date Due Points

1. Proposal Preparation before 7:00 pm on September 15, 2014 5

2. Choice of Initiative before 7:00 pm on September 15, 2014 5

3. Prospectus before 7:00 pm on September 15, 2014 5

Total: 15

4. Five (5) Biweekly Progress

Reports, submitted to both the

instructor and your community

partner.

before 7:00 pm on September 22, 2014

before 7:00 pm on September 29, 2014

before 7:00 pm on October 15, 2014

before 7:00 pm on October 27, 2014

before 7:00 pm on November 10, 2014

15 (3 points each)

5. Three (3) Practica

Applications

before 7:00 pm on October 1st,

before 7:00 pm on October 8th

before 7:00 pm on October 22nd

15 (5 points each)

6. Portfolio before 7:00 pm on November 24, 2014 10

7. Presentation Monday, December 1, 2014 5

TOTAL: 60

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Examples of Leadership Initiatives from Philosophy of Leadership – fall 2012

Connect student social justice leaders in order to strengthen and improve collaboration between these individuals and groups.

Strengthen the social bonds and passion within non-Greek organizations on our campus.

Initiate a support group which frees future students from the phenomenon of homesickness.

Improve and expand the efficiency, effectiveness, and culture of the Alamance-Burlington Social Services Exceptional Children department

Strengthen the ties between players and coaches on Elon’s Men’s club lacrosse team, which, in turn, will hopefully create beneficial traditions and a stronger team overall.

Incorporate healthy eating into the after school programs throughout Burlington, while encouraging healthy and responsible lifestyles.

Create the plan for an Elon University Center for the Development of Interspecies Relationships (CIDR, pronounced like the tree, cedar) whose mission is to advance human -nonhuman relationships.

Strengthen the senior giving campaign by leading the Elon Class of 2014 Senior Giving Committee and encourage at least 40% of seniors to give back to Elon by implementing tactics learned in the Philosophy of Leadership.

Examples of Leadership Initiatives from Philosophy of Leadership - fall 2013:

Improve Watson Odyssey scholarship program, build community in Campus Admissions volunteers, start a program of outdoors alternative activities at Elon, interconnect communities in Appalachia, provide support for stress management programs at Elon, improve outreach of Numen Lumen pavilion and Truitt programs, strengthen Periclean project of better communication among isolated communities in Appalachia.

Many different kinds of projects may be suitable as your Leadership Initiative. But they all

have these 3 features:

The Initiative is undertaken in partnership with a community. You strengthen that community with

your Initiative or else build community around your initiative (and not around yourself).

The Initiative choice shows your pragmatic wisdom about accomplishing something in three

months which is suitable, needed, supported by a community, and is substantially worthwhile.

The Initiative demonstrates your philosophical ability to ask essential questions and to answer

them creatively in the way you undertake each task of your Initiative.

The Seven Elements of your Leadership Initiative: proposal preparation, your chosen

initiative, your initial proposal, five progress reports, three practica applications to your initiative,

final portfolio, and presentation to class and community.

1. Your proposal preparation (5 points) is due on September 15, 2014. Before that date,

meet with the instructor to discuss your Leadership Initiative and receive approval for your Initiative

Indicate the community you will build or strengthen through this Initiative, and meet at least once in

person with members of that community and gain their approval and collaboration with your Leadership

Initiative, modifying it as needed in response to the community's needs.

Keep a proposal preparation log, and update it regularly. Describe three possible leadership initiatives

you could commit to for this semester, describing the advantages and shortcomings of each.

In your log, indicate which questions you would need to answer for each of these 3 possible projects or

initiatives in order to make your decision.

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In your log, include research you’ve have done on these 3 possibilities. Show how that research

supports your choice for the Leadership Initiative.

“Plan B” You will have until September 22, 2014 to change your chosen project, make any

required project or proposal adjustments, and obtain final instructor approval. You may

change your choice, provided that you meet with the instructor and obtain approval by

September 23rd

.

2. Your Chosen Initiative (5 points) described in your Prospectus:

should take your philosophy of leadership out of the classroom and into the real world.

should strengthen or build a community.

should allow you to experience leadership in one or more distinctly different ways, and allow you to

experience or observe different ways to follow.

should address the needs of a community which has confirmed its support for your Initiative.

3. Your prospectus: (5 points) should be submitted on the course Moodle website before 7:00

pm Monday, September 15, 2014.

should be 500 words long, no more, no less.

should clearly identify the group, organization, movement, network, or cause with which you

choose to undertake a leadership Initiative and which supports your Initiative.

should briefly describe the real-world leadership challenge you’ll take on, and the goal or desired

outcomes for your Initiative

MUST include a realistic three-month timeline for completion of all stages of your project.

should include your formal completed commitment contract.

4. Five (2) biweekly progress reports: (10 points) Submit a copy of this report to the instructor

and a copy to your community partner every two weeks. Each report consists of 5 parts:

A. INTRODUCTION - It identifies the work your report covers, its purpose, and the period covered.

Forecast the rest of the report if would help your reader.

B. ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO DATE Tells what you accomplished on each of your major tasks during

the period covered by the report. Identifies planned work that is not complete. Reports results or

accomplishments that your readers would like to know about immediately.

C. PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED – Identifies significant problems your readers need to know about.

D. GOALS FOR THE COMING WEEK – Describes the what you expect to achieve during the next

period.

E. ACTIVITIES FOR THE COMING WEEK – Identifies specific tasks you will be performing during

the next reporting period. Identifies any upcoming problems that your readers should know about.

5. Your three practica applications: (5 points each x 3 = 15 points)

DUE before 7pm Oct. 1: 500 words: Apply the Life Purpose Profiles practicum to your Leadership

Initiative (5 pts.)

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DUE before 7pm Oct. 8: 500 words: Apply Creating a Vision practicum to your Leadership

Initiative, (5pts.)

DUE before 7pm Oct. 22 500 words: Apply New Perspective on Time practicum to your

Leadership Initiative. (5 pts.)

6. Your portfolio (10 points) is due before 7pm on Monday, November 24, 2014.

will be presented by you that day to the instructor, the class and to your invited guests.

should be 900 words long, no more, no less.

should describe your project, its implementation and outcomes, and your evaluation of the

project.

should lay out the leadership assumptions you tested, and your conclusions or fresh questions.

should explain the deeper pragmatic understanding you gained about leadership, and

followership.

should share your resulting “leadership wisdom”; i.e., any discernment about the place,

possibilities, and limits of leadership that you gained from executing this project.

7. Your presentation (5 pts.) takes place on the last day of class (Monday, December 1, 2014).

Should be preceded by inviting and receiving written confirmation of attendance by at least

three *guests who have a stake and genuine interest in your specific Leadership Initiative.

Should be a polished and professional account of your Leadership Initiative which is

meaningful and of genuine interest both to your classmates and to the guests whom you

have invited and who attend your presentation.

Provide copies of your portfolio for your invited guests and students who request a copy.