Duration
30h Th
Number of credits
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
English language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
The course addresses the importance of leadership in contemporary organizations and the world of work. Leadership is a central component of human activity at work: it involves not only the qualities and values that leaders embody (to be), but also the capacity to mobilize people and resources towards collective goals (to act), and the ability to support adaptation and transformation in complex environments (to change). Leadership also shapes how people experience work: whether they feel recognized, motivated, able to contribute, supported, or placed under harmful pressure. It also affects collaboration, performance, and adaptation. This course therefore approaches leadership as a human and relational process of influence, not only as a position, a set of personal characteristics, or a collection of techniques.
The course introduces students to the main theoretical approaches to leadership and examines the processes through which leadership influences individuals, teams, and organizations. Its orientation is academic and evidence-based, with an emphasis on conceptual foundations and their practical applications. Particular attention is given to developing a critical and credible understanding of leadership as a field of study. This perspective aims to equip future managers with the ability to engage thoughtfully with leadership issues and to distinguish between popular trends or misconceptions and knowledge supported by scientific research.
The course is organized around three questions:
- Who are leaders? What characteristics are associated with leadership, and why are some people more likely to emerge, be recognized, or be selected as leaders?
- What do leaders actually do? What behaviors, roles, and practices characterize their day-to-day activity?
- What effects do their actions have? How may leadership influence motivation, engagement, wellbeing, and collective work?
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
The intended learning outcomes (ILO) of the course are:
- Explain and compare the key concepts and theoretical approaches to leadership
- Critically assess leadership claims and research by identifying their assumptions, strengths, weaknesses, and scope of application
- Use leadership concepts and evidence to analyze cases and real-life situations and formulate interpretations and possibles courses of action
- Analyze how leadership may affect motivation, engagement, wellbeing and collective work at individual, team and organizational levels
- Develop reflexivity about leadership and identify avenues for personal development
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
The course combines online learning with in-person sessions. This format allows students to learn the main concepts at their own pace and reserves the in-person sessions for activities that benefit from interaction, discussion, and practice.
Activities include:
- Course podcasts and supporting slides.
- Quizzes, polls, and other activities designed to check understanding and thinking
- Case studies and analyses of real or fictional leadership situations
- Professional and scientific articles, podcasts, videos, and other accessible resources
- Guest speaker sessions and discussions about leadership practice
- An interview with a leader, normally conducted in pairs
- Self-assessment questionnaires
- Short reflective or application activities on Lol@.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Blended learning
Further information:
The course follows a planned hybrid format combining:
- Asynchronous learning activities on Lol@.
- Course podcasts presenting the main course content.
- Scheduled in-person sessions.
Course materials and recommended or required readings
Platform(s) used for course materials:
- LOL@
- Microsoft Teams
Further information:
Required learning resources are identified on Lol@. They may include course podcasts, slides, short professional articles, videos, and other accessible resources.
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire, open-ended questions )
Written work / report
Continuous assessment
Further information:
The evaluation of this course combines an individual examination and an overall assessment of continuous engagement.
For the first session, the evaluation is composed of:
- Individual written examination: 17 points (85%)
- Continuous engagement in learning activities: 3 points (15%)
Individual written exam
The individual written exam consists of multiple-choice questions with correction for guessing and/or short open-ended questions. Formative questions and examination practice will be provided during the semester to familiarize students with the type of reasoning expected.
Continuous learning activities
Continuous engagement is worth 3 points and is assess globally across the semester. The overall assessment draws on meaningful signals of participation:
- Regular engagement in online activities;
- Preparation, completion, and follow-up of a leader interview activity
- Completion of proposed activities
- Participation in the in-person sessions.
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
Contacts
Pr. Michaël Parmentier - michael.parmentier@uliege.be
Lorane Berton - lorane.berton@uliege.be