3 semester credits
An Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) program is a journey of personal and professional transformation. As with a physical journey, this one begins "where you are" (in this case, as a leader and manager). Two of the key goals for this first course of the EMBA Program, then, include determining each person's status and setting the trajectory for the transformational journey. To help candidates begin, in this course, each student will develop the skills for critical reflection by asking questions like:
- What are each student's strengths and weaknesses and what is missing?
- What are each student's responsibilities as a leader now and tomorrow?
- How does the student make decisions as a manager/leader?
- What are the values that shape the student's behavior?
- How does the student deal with difficult problems?
- What are the student's aspirations?
Another important theme of this course is being a leader in turbulent times. Being an effective and genuine leader in a dynamic era requires an understanding of leadership concepts, how leaders think and act, and how various management styles impact situations and relationships within an organization. Yet, being an effective leader also demands a strong set of competencies such as motivating self and others, leading creativity in an organization, cultural intelligence, and navigating through ambiguity. Through a self-reflective process, work with an executive mentor, and accompanied by the study of key leadership concepts, each student will begin to craft a Personal and Professional Development Plan that will be utilized and further developed throughout the EMBA Program. This plan will serve as the road map for developing the leadership posture and competencies critical for success; and students will take their first steps toward applying the plan to their career during this course.