Leadership Theory

Facilitator's Guide for Cultivating Critical Perspectives

John P. Dugan, Natasha T. Turman, Amy C. Barnes

• Publisher: Jossey-Bass
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781118864258
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Leadership in Education

The facilitator's guide brings to life the content of the survey text, Leadership Theory. It offers instructive advice on how to prepare for the use of a critical perspective as well as providing practical resources to translate survey text content to practice.

The facilitator's guide consists of:

• An overview of how to use the guide as well as recommended skills and reflection questions for educators prior to implementing material.
• Objectives, critical concepts, a chapter overview, and a chapter framework for each chapter from Leadership Theory
• Lesson plan "walk-throughs" containing 2-3 activities for each chapter of the survey text, with information for learning outcomes, activity setup, and additional notes for facilitation.

Chapter 1: The Evolving Nature of Leadership

1A: Our Evolving Understanding of Leadership

Melissa L. Rocco

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Objectives/Goals of Chapter

• Introduce the process of examining leadership through multiple lenses of personal experience, history, social identity, and other elements of context.
• Identify and understand the leadership assumptions and considerations found in participants' personal leadership experiences.
• Develop presentation, knowledge synthesis, and critical thinking skills.

Critical Concepts : critical self-reflection, oppression, privilege, social perspective-taking

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Chapter Overview

Chapter 1 of the main text prepares participants for reading, internalizing, and critiquing theory, concepts, and approaches in our study of leadership. Leadership theory includes key assumptions about the nature of leadership, uses specific terminology, and presents core considerations. Participants should understand these foundational pieces of leadership theory and use them as a framework for analyzing individual theories, identifying themes across theories, and critiquing theories from multiple perspectives.

First, this chapter introduces and explores four core assumptions for understanding the nature of leadership: (1) leadership is paradigmatically derived; (2) leadership is socially constructed; (3) leadership is inherently values-based; and (4) leadership is interdisciplinary. Second, this chapter introduces key terminology in leadership: leadership theory, leadership development, leadership capacity, leadership enactment, leadership motivation, and leadership efficacy. Third, this chapter introduces core considerations of leadership: born versus made, leader versus leadership, leader versus follower, leadership versus management, authority versus power, and macro versus micro. Participants are encouraged to use the leadership assumptions, terminology, and considerations to critically examine and analyze the theories presented in the rest of the book to form opinions and complex questions about leadership.

Chapter Framework

To prepare participants to be critical learners of leadership scholarship, Chapter 1 of the main text initiates a conversation about assumptions that continue to dictate how leadership is understood. This curriculum primes participants to consider how these assumptions might reflect majority group narratives and dominate the study and theorizing of leadership. Through social perspective-taking (i.e., the cognitive process of looking through the lens of another to better understand and empathize with alternate perspectives; Gehlbach, 2004; Hoffman, 2000; Underwood & Moore, 1982), participants are encouraged to identify possible counter-narratives to the traditional rhetoric of leadership. Moreover, they are encouraged to examine their assumptions about leaders and leadership through critical self-reflection.

Curriculum Plan

This curriculum engages participants in activities utilizing creative drawing, personal reflection, and small- and large- group discussion. The activities help prime participants to examine leadership through diverse perspectives, or lenses, through a creative drawing activity titled “Your Leadership Lens.” The following curriculum plan should be implemented in one workshop-style session ranging from 2 to 4 hours depending on the number of participants. The plan can also be broken into multiple smaller sessions by activity or by selecting a few activities at a time. For a shorter, single session, elements of this plan can also be assigned as pre- or post-work for participants. Suggestions for variations are indicated throughout each activity.

Activity 1—Leadership Lens Primer

When studying various approaches to leadership throughout history, it can be helpful for participants to think about each as a set of glasses or lenses through which to examine leaders and leadership. It is first important for participants to identify their own lens, or the beliefs and assumptions they have about leadership currently. It is also important for participants to try on different lenses and see leadership through the eyes of the approaches that they may or may not have considered or even been aware existed. This activity helps participants begin to understand how to study leadership from multiple perspectives and consider the context that affects varied leadership approaches.

Learning Outcomes

• Understand leadership as something that should be examined and studied from multiple perspectives.
• Consider how perspectives on leadership differ due to contextual influences and personal experiences.
• Understand and develop comfort with the existence of multiple definitions of and approaches to leadership.

Setting Up the Activity

1. Group Size: Open to any group size
2. Time: 35 minutes (10 minutes to draw, 15 minutes to share, 10 minutes for reflection)
3. Methods: Art, reflection, small and large group discussion
4. Materials: Colored markers or crayons (a few per person), blank paper (legal size or larger; one per person), craft supplies (optional), computer, projector/screen (optional)
5. Variations: This activity is adaptable based on session time available, number of participants, and participant needs. It can be turned into a more elaborate creative project using varied art supplies (e.g., stickers, construction paper). It can be done as a take-home assignment prior to the session with participants bringing completed drawings with them to the session. Sharing can be done with partners, in small groups, or with the large group depending on size and time.

Directions

1. Provide the following prompt to the participants, along with a creative or humorous photo or illustration of a pair of glasses (e.g., the funny eyebrow, nose, and mustache glasses commonly seen with costumes). YOUR LEADERSHIP LENS! Wait, what in the world is a leadership lens? I would like you to take some time to think about how you see/feel/experience/learn leadership. What does the word mean to you? What or who has informed how you personally know or understand leadership? The idea is that we get all of our assumptions and thoughts about leadership out there now, at the beginning of our time together, so that we understand the perspectives on leadership that each person brings to the table.
   Your leadership lens may not look like this (reference recommended picture), but someone's could, and that is okay! The point is that everyone's leadership lens is different. This session is about understanding those lenses—whether they are yours, others, or even the lens of a theorist or researcher. So, go ahead: Show us your leadership lens!
2. Pass out a piece of paper and supplies to each participant.
3. Instruct participants to create their own leadership lens, or a visual representation of what they currently believe about leadership, using the materials provided. This could include definitions or core concepts, characteristics, traits, people they admire as leaders, certain behaviors, personal experiences, or anything else that has informed what the participant believes to be true about leadership. This can be in the form of a life timeline, an abstract drawing, or even a collection of smaller pictures or symbols. Participants should use pictures, but they can also use words to help illustrate their leadership lens. Instruct participants to think deeply and be specific.
4. Provide participants with at least 10 minutes to draw. It can be helpful to walk around and ask the partici...