LEAD 4901: Strategic Thinking for Leadership
Strategic Thinking for Leadership is a capstone 4th level course that brings together all of your leadership course work and experience to date. The course will focus on both strategic leadership and strategic management, including critical thinking, through the development and assessment of a strategic plan. You will also consider your organizational context and create a personal development plan to work on throughout the course. This course will help you to fine tune your strategic thinking skills to enable you to achieve superior results as leaders within an organization.
Learning outcomes
- Demonstrate an understanding of and ability to use, strategic leadership and thinking in dealing with challenges in workplace settings.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the elements and impact of strategic plans and their relationship to strategic thinking.
- Create a strategic plan that demonstrates strategic thinking about the context and challenges of a specific organization.
- Prepare, deliver and assess a strategic plan.
Course topics
Module 1: Strategic Leadership
- 1.1 Self-Awareness
- 1.2 The Importance of Ethics
Module 2: Organization Culture
- 2.1 The Influence of Leadership on Culture
- 2.2 Impact of Vision and Mission
- 2.3 Organizational Artefacts
- 2.4 Understanding Organizational Change
Module 3: Strategic Management
- 3.1 Human Resources, Time, and Financial Considerations
- 3.2 Strategic Planning: External/Internal Variables and SWOT Analysis
Required text and materials
The following materials are required for this course:
- Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…And Others Don't. Collins, Jim. N.Y.:
Harper Collins. (2001).
Type: Textbook, ISBN: 9780066620992
Students require the following e-textbook, which can be purchased directly from the TRU bookstore site at https://thebookstore.tru.ca/site_digital.asp
- David, F., Forest, D., & Meredith, D. (2020). MyLab Management with Pearson eText –
Access Card – for Strategic Management: A Competitve Advantage Approach. Conepts and Cases
(17th ed). Pearson.
Type: E-Textbook. ISBN: 9780135199978
NOTE: Once your course begins, you will be directed by your Open Learning Faculty Member to purchase a Harvard Business Publishing Simulation, entitled “Everest: Leadership and Team Simulation” (product number: 2650) for approximately US $13. To self-register and access the simulation, you will be required to provide your name and an email address on the Harvard web-site.
Assessments
To successfully complete this course, students must achieve a passing grade of 50% or higher on the overall course, and 50% or higher on the final mandatory project.
| Assignment 1 | 15% |
| Assignment 2 | 15% |
| Assignment 3 | 15% |
| Online Discussions | 25% |
| Final Project (mandatory) | 30% |
Open Learning Faculty Member Information
An Open Learning Faculty Member is available to assist students. Students will receive the necessary contact information at the start of the course.
