Credits: 3
Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: None
In high‑stakes, high‑velocity environments, leadership succeeds or fails through communication. This graduate seminar blends theory and practice to build the mindset and toolset of a modern leader‑communicator. This course draws on foundational scholarship (rhetoric, framing, sensemaking, social identity, trust, ethics, crisis, and reputation) and applied competencies (leadership, audience analysis, listening, ethics, framing, storytelling, data‑driven messaging, feedback/coaching, media literacy and engagement, cross‑cultural and digital communication, and AI‑mediated communication).
Learning Objectives
Upon successful completion of this class, students will be able to:
- Diagnose communication challenges using leadership theories (e.g., sensemaking, audience analysis, framing, persuasion, image repair, trust).
- Craft clear, audience‑centered messages that align strategy, values, and stakeholder needs.
- Demonstrate core leader competencies, including strategic listening, feedback, coaching, presence, inclusive facilitation, and narrative leadership.
- Deliver communication for key leadership moments such as organizational change, interpersonal or organizational crises, ethics incidents, performance feedback, and external media engagement.
- Use evidence ethically to inform decisions and motivate action while avoiding common biases and misinformation traps.
- Adapt messages across cultures and communication channels (e.g. email, live, social, digital, AI‑mediated)