Main Content
Syllabus
OLEAD 100: Introduction to Leadership: This course introduces key leadership concepts and practices based on current theory and research. It is designed to help students to discover the knowledge and skills that are characteristic of effective leaders.
Overview
The ability to lead others is increasingly valued in today's world of work, and this course introduces key leadership concepts and practices based on current theory and research. Whether or not you are in a formal position of leadership, Introduction to Leadership will help you to learn about effective leadership and the dynamic interactions of the leader, the follower, and the situation. In the process of learning about leadership, you will also have the opportunity to begin the process of assessing your personal leadership competencies.
The course features a wide variety of engaging learning activities that include readings, short video and audio recordings, online discussions, self-assessments, print and multimedia case studies, a case study paper as well as reflection and application assignments. You will contribute to six course discussions to (a) introduce yourself; (b) share insights, perspectives, and experiences with your classmates; (c) analyze a Harvard Business School multimedia case study; and (d) reflect upon what you have learned in the course. The course also culminates with a case study paper assignment which integrates what you have learned from analyzing the three leadership perspectives in the course. In some respects, Introduction to Leadership is a journey of discovering the complex nature of leadership through its expanding sphere of influence as you move through the perspectives of the leader, the interactions of the leader and followers, and the impact of the situation factors. I hope that you enjoy all there is to discover about effective leadership.
Course Objectives
This course will help you to recognize and apply key concepts, skills, and practices characteristic of effective leadership in groups and organizations. More specifically, this course is designed to increase your ability to
- identify different approaches to leadership as well as the core concepts of each approach;
- recognize how leadership concepts and principles are applied as leadership practices and behaviors;
- analyze leadership from the perspectives of the leader, the interactions of the leader and followers, and the situation;
- summarize how leadership practices differ across leaders, followers, organizations, and tasks;
- apply leadership concepts to case studies and common leadership challenges;
- express your perspective about various aspects of leadership, and respond critically to others' perspectives;
- profile your relative strengths and weaknesses in terms of leadership traits, skills, and behaviors.
Course Materials
What are the Steps for Registering, Setting-up Your Account, and Purchasing Case Study Material?
- Access the case study course materials on the Harvard Business Publishing website via the link provided in the Materials section of the Syllabus.
- Register with Harvard Business Publishing, set-up your account, and purchase the Columbia’s Final Mission Multimedia Case by the end of Lesson 7 to assess the course materials.
- During Lesson 8, you will receive an announcement from the instructor with information about your individual role assignment, role password, and questions to consider to prepare for the course discussion. You will also be assigned to a group with other students who have been assigned the same role as you. This group will allow you to converse with other students about your role and ask questions as you prepare for the case study discussion. In the course discussion, you will converse with other students about what you think happened during the critical Mission Management Team meeting on Flight Day 8 and why the managers and engineers behaved the way that they did.
Student Initial Access Instructions:
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Access the Harvard Business Publishing website by clicking on the case study title under Couse Materials.
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Once you click on the case study title, you will be prompted to log into the HBP Education website if you already have an account. Otherwise, from the same screen, you can register for a student account using the Register button. If you register for a new account, complete all the required fields on the next screen and click Submit Application. You should then see a “Registration Success” screen. Enter your email/username and password and click on LOGIN. The passwords are Case Sensitive.
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Once registered, log-in to the account. You will automatically be directed to the coursepack.
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If you are required to purchase the coursepack, you will see a Purchase Coursepack button. Click it and follow the prompts to complete the purchase. You can purchase the coursepack by credit card.
Using the Library
Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can
- access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
- borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
- get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
- much more.
You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service. The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.
Software
One of the benefits of being a registered Penn State student is that you are eligible to receive educational discounts on many software titles. If you are interested in learning more about purchasing software through our affiliate vendor, please visit the Buying Software section of the Course Materials page.
As a Penn State student, you have access to LinkedIn Learning, your one-stop shop for video tutorials on Canvas, Office 365, Illustrator, Photoshop, Excel, PowerPoint, and hundreds more topics--all free to active Penn State faculty, staff, and currently enrolled students. Visit linkedinlearning.psu.edu, select the login button, and follow the steps to activate your LinkedIn Learning account. Take tutorials to help with coursework, learn techniques for your own projects, and build tech skills to boost your résumé. (Tutorials are not required or graded.)Technical Requirements
| Operating System | Canvas, Penn State's Learning Management System (LMS), supports most recent versions of Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac operating systems. To determine if your operating system is supported, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
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| Browser | Canvas supports the last two versions of every major browser release. It is highly recommended that you update to the newest version of whatever browser you are using. Note: Cookies must be enabled, and pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. |
| Additional Canvas Requirements | For a list of software, hardware, and computer settings specifically required by the Canvas LMS, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
| Additional Software | All Penn State students have access to Microsoft Office 365, including Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. |
| Hardware | Monitor: Monitor capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution |
| Mobile Device (optional) | The Canvas mobile app is available for versions of iOS and Android. To determine if your device is capable of using the Canvas Mobile App, please review the Canvas Mobile App Requirements. |
If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.
For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!
Course Structure
This course emphasizes the application of leadership concepts to realistic workplace challenges. In particular, the course stresses application of leadership concepts in weekly assignments, a case study paper, three application-oriented team discussions, a case study discussion, and a series of videos [“Perspectives on Leadership Videos”] that feature experienced leaders from a variety of disciplines who offer concrete examples and practical guidelines for applying leadership concepts in the workplace.
- Individual Weekly Assignments: Mandatory individual weekly assignments based on required readings and audio-video recordings are designed to reinforce leadership concepts, help you to master and apply them, and support your continuing leadership development. There is an individual assignment for seven lessons in the course. Your lowest score for the lesson assignments will be dropped to compute your course grade. The section in the syllabus on Course Grades specifies the corresponding point values for individual assignments. There are some standard things you will need to do and will be graded on:
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Content Quality: You will need to explain your ideas in full. This means defining key ideas such as the lesson theory or concept and its specific pieces in addition to the general premise of the theory. Those ideas will then be applied to answer the topic prompts.
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Content Logic: Your topic response will need paragraphs that are well constructed and fit together logically with correct grammar and spelling.
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APA Formatting: Your ideas and topic responses must be supported with course materials using citations and references that are fully aligned with APA Formatting style.
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- Individual Case Study Assignment—Columbia’s Final Mission Paper: This assignment is the culmination of the course and your participation in the Harvard Business Review (HBR) multimedia case study. The purpose is to apply your learning from the course materials read throughout the semester to analyze a case study. This case provides the opportunity to relate the topics and perspectives learned in the course to a complex real-world experience. There are some standard things you will need to do and will be graded on:
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Content Quality: You will need to explain your ideas in full. This means identifying, applying, and analyzing the key ideas that are related to the case study.
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Course Concepts and Interactional Framework: Beyond the case study ideas, you will also need to identify, analyze and relate the concepts from the entirety of the course and the interactional framework to support your analysis of the case study.
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Citations and References: Your ideas must be supported with course materials and they must be fully aligned with APA citation and reference format.
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- Online Course Discussions 1-3: The point of the discussions is to demonstrate your expertise with the course theories and concepts as well as your ability to critically think about those ideas in professional conversations with your classmates and instructor. The discussions in this course are not formal APA papers, but you are still expected to quote, cite and reference appropriately. There are some standard things you will need to do and will be graded on:
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Content Quality/Logic: Your ideas need to be logical and related to discussion prompts and course content. Make sure to use course theories and concepts in your posts. Also make sure to use strong grammar and spelling, as well as paragraphs that are well constructed and fit together logically.
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Content Quantity: You must make at least 2 substantial posts. You are free to make more if you choose.
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Support for Ideas: Your ideas need to be supported with course materials and they need to be cited and referenced in full APA citation and reference format.
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Timeliness of Posts: Your first post must be made by Saturday at 3pm ET, the peer response before the final deadline on Monday at 11:59 am ET.
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- Online Course Discussion—Columbia’s Final Mission: In the course, you will participate in a multimedia case study that will allow you to experience the Columbia Space Shuttle from the perspective of either one of the NASA managers or engineers. This simulation will prepare you for the online class discussion that centers on a meeting that took place the 8th day of the flight before the Columbia Space Shuttle disaster. In the unfolding experience of the class discussion, you get to explore what happened during this critical meeting and analyze NASA’s response to the incidents that resulted in disaster. There are some standard things you will need to do and will be graded on:
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Content Quality/Logic: In your response, you will need to present and analyze information from the case study. Your ideas need to be logical and related to discussion prompts. Make sure to include specific information from the case study in your posts. Also, you will need to critically examine the information presented to provide your analysis of the case study. The quality of your response to the first topic will also be determined by the questions asked and the information gathered about the case study in your peer response. Also make sure to use strong grammar and spelling, as well as paragraphs that are well constructed and fit together logically.
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Content Quantity: You must make at least 2 substantial posts. However, in the first topic, you need to respond to your peers as many times as needed to gather information about the case study.
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Support for Ideas: Your ideas need to be supported with case study materials and they need to be cited and referenced in full APA citation and reference format.
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Timeliness of Posts: Your primary post for each topic must be made by Saturday at 3:00 pm ET of designated week assigned for each topic, peer responses are due before the designated deadline for the week assigned for each topic, which is Monday at 11:59 am ET.
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- Perspectives on Leadership Videos: The online course material includes links to a series of videos that feature experienced leaders from a variety of disciplines who share their practice-based insights related to the application of leadership concepts covered in the course. This real-world practice-based dimension will help prepare you for challenges that you are likely to encounter in current and future leadership roles.
Note: You are expected to complete all course activities [including discussions, weekly assignments, and case study paper] before the deadline specified in the Course Schedule below. In general, weekly assignments are due by Monday 11:59 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time. If you miss a submission deadline, you will lose 10 percent of the maximum points possible for that assignment, and another 10 percent for each additional day that the assignment is late. You can expect feedback on all written assignments within one week of the submission deadline.
The School of Labor Studies and Employment Relations does not view Wikipedia as a valid source for information cited in academic work. It can be a useful tool for quickly finding general information on subjects or as a starting point for research. However, students should not cite Wikipedia as a source in papers, reports, assignments, and so on.
Course Requirements and Grading
| Course Requirements | Points |
|---|---|
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Individual Assignments
| 300 |
| Columbia’s Final Mission Paper Assignment | 200 |
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Course Discussions 1-3 (3 course discussions x 100 points) | 300 |
| Course Discussion—Columbia’s Final Mission | 100 |
| Course Discussion—Introduction and Summary (2 discussions x 50 points)
| 100 |
| Total Possible Points for Course | 1,000 |
Grading Scale
| Letter Grade | % Range |
|---|---|
| A |
100 to 93.0% |
| A- |
<93.0% to 90.0% |
| B+ |
<90.0% to 87.0% |
| B |
<87.0% to 83.0% |
| B- |
<83.0% to 80.0% |
| C+ |
<80.0% to 77.0% |
| C |
<77.0% to 70.0% |
| D |
<70.0% to 60.0% |
| F |
<60.0 to 0.0% |
If, for reasons beyond the student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time, the grade in that course may be deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. The symbol DF appears on the student's transcript until the course has been completed. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested by the student before the beginning of the final examination period. In an emergency situation, an instructor can approve a deferred grade after the final exam period has started. Under emergency conditions during which the instructor is unavailable, authorization is required from one of the following: the dean of the college in which the candidate is enrolled; the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in that division or is a provisional student; or the campus chancellor of the student's associated Penn State campus.
For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page.
Course Schedule
Note: All due dates reflect North American eastern time (ET).
The schedule below outlines the topics we will be covering in this course, along with the associated time frames and assignments.
- Course length: 12 weeks
All Assignments are due by 11:59 AM (ET) the Monday after each Lesson's time frame, unless otherwise noted.
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Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.
Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please go to the Graduation Information on the My Penn State Online Student Portal.
Course Policies
Late Policy
You are expected to submit all assignments before the deadline specified in the Course Schedule. This varies from course to course and may vary from assignment to assignment (In other words, not all deadlines are on Monday morning). Please check due dates carefully and adhere to them. All deadlines are U.S. Eastern Time. If you miss a submission deadline, you will be penalized according to the rubric for that assignment. If there is no rubric please check with your instructor as to their individual late policy.
Academic Integrity
According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity , an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.
Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity ). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.
How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and
personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and
property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all
can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment
of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and
others, as well as a civil community.
In cases where academic integrity is questioned, the Policy on Academic Integrity indicates that procedure requires an instructor to inform the student of the allegation. Procedures allow a student to accept or contest a charge. If a student chooses to contest a charge, the case will then be managed by the respective college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. If that committee recommends an administrative sanction (Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, Expulsion), the claim will be referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
All Penn State colleges abide by this Penn State policy, but review procedures may vary by college when academic dishonesty is suspected. Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy and college review procedures is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page .
University Policies
Accommodating Disabilities:
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has resources for students with disabilities. The Student Disability Resources (SDR) website provides contacts for disability services at every Penn State campus. For further information, please visit the SDR website.
In order to apply for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability resources office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation based on the documentation guidelines. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus's disability resources office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.
Privacy Notice:
In order to protect your privacy, course access is limited to those individuals who have direct responsibility for the quality of your educational experience. In addition to the instructor, a teaching assistant or college administrator may be provided access in order to ensure optimal faculty availability and access. World Campus technical staff may also be given access in order to resolve technical support issues.
Additional Policies:
For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the World Campus Student Center website.
Counseling and Psychological Services
If you have a crisis or safety concern, mental health services are available to you as a Penn State student. Crisis and emergency contacts are available, no matter where you are located:
- Anywhere in the United States: Call the Penn State Crisis Line at 1-877-229-6400 or text LIONS to 741741. You can also contact your local crisis services or hospital for emergencies.
- Outside the United States: Please contact emergency services in your current location. You can also use the International Crisis and Emergency Services listings.
- At University Park: Assistance is available at Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) locations on campus.
- At a Penn State branch campus: You can search for counseling information at your campus.
Deferred Grades: If, for reasons beyond the student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time, the grade in that course may be deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. The symbol DF appears on the student's transcript until the course has been completed. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested by the student before the beginning of the final examination period. In an emergency situation, an instructor can approve a deferred grade after the final exam period has started. Under emergency conditions during which the instructor is unavailable, authorization is required from one of the following: the dean of the college in which the candidate is enrolled; the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in that division or is a provisional student; or the campus chancellor of the student's associated Penn State campus.
For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page.
Military Students:
Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or dependents with unique circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.
Reporting Bias
Penn State takes great pride to foster a diverse and inclusive environment for students, faculty, and staff. Acts of intolerance, discrimination, or harassment due to age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religious belief, sexual orientation, or veteran status are not tolerated and can be reported through Educational Equity via the Report Bias webpage.
Disclaimer: Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any changes.