COURSE SYLLABUS
EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIPONLINE
COURSE INFORMATION
Catalog Course Code: MAN 630
Three-Letter Course Abbreviation: EXL-O
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course examines the qualities necessary to be an execu-
tive leader in todays entertainment business field. Various
industries are examined to ensure an understanding of a
given industrys leadership styles and traits. Students explore
effective decision-making processes, power and influence,
mentoring, leading organizational change, negotiation skills,
and investing in and managing relationships to achieve busi-
ness goals.
COURSE MATERIALS
yy The 48 Laws of Power, Robert Greene, Viking Adult
yy Developing the Leader Within You, John C. Maxwell,
Thomas Nelson
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Through the various components of study and application, stu-
dents will realize these objectives by completing the following
milestones:
yy The ability to use industry sources to research and locate
appropriate traits that leaders possess
yy Knowledge of successful traits that all leaders tend to
possess
yy Comprehend integrity, influence, reputation, change,
and other traits as outlined in the Maxwell and Greene
texts
yy The skill to personally evaluate and reflect on leadership
traits
yy Assess strengths and weaknesses with emphasis on
overcoming personal weaknesses
yy An understanding of skills necessary to facilitate commu-
nication for effective leadership
yy Study and understand public speaking, personal influ-
ence, international differences in communication, and
nonverbal communication
yy A familiarity with new learning technologies
yy Access and organize the latest research in relevant
subject areas in leadership using online blogs, Diigo
libraries, RSS feeds, Twitter, and Twitter feeds
yy The ability to use effective technology that assists leader-
ship success
yy Become competent in Keynote, presentation skills, so-
cial media, Google Docs interactive team projects, and
personal learning networks (PLNs)
COURSE OUTCOMES
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
yy Describe the nature and characteristics of leadership
yy Use primary and secondary research skills to conduct
research on selected case studies
yy Apply leadership concepts to real-world activities
yy Demonstrate competent oral and written communica-
tion skills
yy Address challenges as a creative problem solver
yy Utilize critical-thinking skills
yy Understand the importance of being a socially respon-
sible leader
yy Create and publish a professional blog
DEGREE CONNECTION
EXL builds on prior courses, such as Mastery: Personal De-
velopment and Leadership, in which students utilize previous
knowledge and skills gained in the study of technology, digital
literacy, research skills, collaboration, and business feasibility.
EXL provides an opportunity for students to assess their lead-
ership strengths and develop personal leadership milestones.
Executive LeadershipOnline Industry Connection

INDUSTRY CONNECTION Podcasts

yy Business/Leadership (MIT)
Leadership is a key component to business success in
todays competitive marketplace. Understanding proven yy Harvard Business IdeaCast
leadership traits as well as how a leader provides vision and yy BusinessWeekClimbing the Ladder
direction for a group is a beneficial skill for business success.
In addition, a professional blog is an essential tool for estab- Magazines
lishing a presence among industry peers.
yy Entrepreneur
yy Fortune
RESEARCH COMPONENT
Research is an important aspect of any business plan, en- Books
deavor, or successful organization. Students must become yy The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen R.
familiar with tools and resources that allow them to excel Covey, Free Press (2004)
as leaders. As such, students will conduct research relating
to leadership, personal branding, and blogs. By performing yy How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie,
these tasks, students will acquire leadership-related tools Simon & Schuster (2009)
and information as well as gain experience in dealing with
leadership and followers. This research will then be used as TOPICS COVERED
the foundation in the development of an online and in-person
yy Social Networks for Leadership
professional presence.
yy Keys to Leadership
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES yy Creating Positive Change
yy Leadership Problem Solving
To develop a better understanding of Executive Leadership,
be sure to take advantage of the many resources available to yy Staff Development
you. Here are some suggestions for further research that you yy Self-Discipline
may find very helpful in this course: yy Leadership Attitude
yy Leadership Integrity
Websites
yy Leadership Priorities
yy BNET www.bnet.com
yy Reputation
yy The Leadership Hub www.theleadershiphub.com
yy Leadership Strategies
yy John Maxwells blog www.johnmaxwellonleadership.com
yy Groupthink
Executive LeadershipOnline Learning Activities
LEARNING ACTIVITIES
Discussions
Discussions in Weeks 14 are conducted on the FSO plat-
form. Topics include: Personal Leadership (Week1); Six Steps
in Effective Decision Making (Week 2); Traits of Everyday
Leaders (Week 3); and Greene and MaxwellA Personal Re-
flection (Week4).
Projects
Professional Bio
In this assignment, students will create a professional bio
to use in the portfolio they will create later in their program.
This bio will share students information as well as their pro-
fessional accomplishments, degrees, etc.
Case Assessments
Based upon the Maxwell and Greene readings, cases will be
provided that will apply to the concepts in the textbooks. Stu-
dents will be presented with leadership situations and will be
required to answer and clearly demonstrate which concept is
relevant to the given case scenario.
Leadership Presentation
This assignment is a narrated Keynote presentation based
upon a successful leader that students admire or may want
to work for in their chosen industry. The presentation will
incorporate a modified PechaKucha presentation style with
twenty slides (twenty seconds per slide). Students will con-
duct research about the leader, access resources from their
personal learning network, and prepare a presentation about
the leadership attributes and practices that make the leader
successful.
GoToTraining Session Quizzes
Virtual sessions will be held each week, and students will
complete a quiz after viewing the session. These sessions
are best attended live. Students who are unable to attend
can view the archived session via a link that will be posted on
FSO.
Pareto Principle Assignment
n this assignment, students will use an Excel spreadsheet
to incorporate the Pareto principle into their lives for a week.
This spreadsheet will help students organize their priorities
and distinguish what is important from what is not.
Leadership Mastery Journal Post
In this assignment, students will publish a new personal
journal post on Tumblr related to their original Mastery: PDL
timeline goal for this course. For this post, students will con-
sider what they learned from the course content and how
they might apply it personally or professionally.
Executive LeadershipOnline Grade Weights

GRADE WEIGHTS COURSE-SPECIFIC RUBRICS

Discussion Boards (4 at 3% each) 12% Rubrics are available for download with each activity on FSO.
Professional Bio 10%
Leadership Presentation 10%
Pareto Principle Assignment 5%
Leadership Research Paper 10%
Leadership Mastery Journal Post 5%
Case Assessments (2 at 15% each) 30%
GoToTraining Session Quizzes (4 at 2% each) 8%
Professionalism (GPS) 10%
Total 100%

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESSFUL

LEARNING
Some tips to keep in mind when studying Executive Leadership:
yy Ask questions and share ideas. Interact with peers as well as
your instructor.
yy If you are unable to attend a GoToTraining session live, be sure
to watch the archived session. You can still benefit from the in-
formation and discussion that took place.
yy Check announcements and discussion boards daily for tips and
updates.
yy Make sure that all of your work is presented professionallythis
is a very important career habit to develop.
yy Keep in mind that everything you are learning in Executive Lead-
ership will have a practical application in your career.