J. Thomas Wren

Teaching Leadership: The Art of the Possible

This paper presents a model course outline for an introductory course in leadership. It addresses the concept of leadership from the perspective of the liberal arts, drawing from the disciplines of history, literature, political science, philosophy, psychology, and anthropology, as well as from management studies and organizational behavior. It proceeds from a consideration of the concept of leadership to an analysis of its essential elements--leader, followers and context. The proposed course of study next turns to a consideration of the process of leadership, and an introduction to some of the skills needed to operate effectively in a leadership situation. The course ends with a discussion of the moral and ethical obligations of leadership.

Reinventing the Liberal Arts through Leadership

One of the great contributions of the Western intellectual tradition has been the creation of a course of study—the liberal arts—designed to help realize the possibilities of the human condition. The precise content of that study has evolved over the centuries in response to changing societal needs and challenges, and today’s liberal arts curriculum is a relatively recent development. Nonetheless, the essence of a liberal education—the heart of the matter—has remained remarkably stable. It is a course of study designed to prepare individuals to realize their human potential and to be able to live life to its fullest extent. In addition, it is intended to prepare individuals to act as citizens and leaders in serving something beyond the self. The mission and curriculum of today’s colleges and universities that are committed to the liberal arts continue this tradition, and in many respects have brought it to its fullest flowering. Yet the advances in scholarship and the demands of the modern world continue to create new challenges for this most important of educational endeavors. This chapter argues that the true objectives of a liberal education are currently under stress due to the impact of disciplinary specialization and the failure to address directly the stated mission of a liberal education to create citizens and leaders of a free society. The solution is not a wholesale revamping of our current curricula, but instead a subtle shift in focus in which there is a conscious effort to relate the educational experience to the demands and needs of leadership in a free society.

Leadership and Discovery

Introduction G.R.Goethals & J.T.Wren PART I: DEFINING THE LEADERSHIP OF DISCOVERY Discovery in Astronomy K.Kwitter The Perils of Searching for Leadership and Discovery P.Griffin PART II: LEADING DISCOVERY Leadership in the History of Exploration F.Fernandez-Armesto Leadership and Discovery D.B.Thorp Leading NASA in Space Exploration W.H.Lambright PART III: EXPERIENCING LEADERSHIP AND DISCOVERY Self-Discovery D.A.Dunning Exploration and Discovery in Space J.A.Hoffman Leadership and Discovery G.L.Verschuur PART IV: ETHICAL CHALLENGES IN THE LEADERSHIP OF DISCOVERY A Conspicuous Absence of Scientific Leadership M.A.Gernsbacher On Giraffes and Bank Accounts R.F.Thiemann Conclusion G.R.Goethals