Both art and adventure in leadership class
Posted September 8, 2010 at 8:12 pm in Columns, Featured, Opinion
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Loading ...When it comes to the crapshoot of selecting courses we know nothing about, we often choose ones with flashy titles or notable professors. There was one class that immediately caught my eye: a leadership course taught by the university president.
Aaron Rovner | Daily Trojan
As if he weren’t busy enough during his 19 years at the helm of a prestigious, drastically changing university, former President Steven B. Sample and acclaimed colleague Warren Bennis taught The Art and Adventure of Leadership to 40 juniors and seniors every spring semester.
Here’s the catch; you had to be among 40 upperclassmen selected out of a pool of about 160 students who applied for this course.
In his book The Contrarian’s Guide to Leadership, Sample described the course as involving “seminar settings … no-holds-barred discussions … and thorough individual study.” By analyzing their respective leadership abilities, meeting prominent leaders in the community and studying the styles of history’s most celebrated leaders, students’ horizons were broadened, to say the least. This course offered a curriculum unmatched by most others, and it should not fade away simply because Sample has stepped down.
This class should not only continue at USC under President C.L. Max Nikias, but applications among upperclassmen should also skyrocket — from all majors. There are numerous benefits to taking a course of this caliber, some more obvious than others.
From a lecture standpoint, a student couldn’t ask for a better opportunity than to actively listen to a university president speak about the art of leadership. Our current president is a proven leader through practice, experience and intellectual study. For students to say they were able to take a course that involved listening to their scholastic president discuss his or her challenges, experiences and triumphs is rare in a university setting. Although that alone would prompt students to sit in the front row during class, it’s still only a fraction of what students experience in this rigorous course.
The Art and Adventure of Leadership was and should be much more than just a lecture. The one-on-one contact with the president in small group settings provides select students with the unique ability to engage in roundtable discussion. The point of such a course isn’t merely to view leadership styles, but to challenge students’ — and administrators’ — concepts of leadership.
Questioning a university president? Again, such opportunities are rare. USC’s leaders and students are setting the stage for a semester of thought-provoking discussion and resolution of major campus, community and national issues.
Some might contest that this course doesn’t meet the standards of a typical class. In fact, it was more similar to an extended guest lecture. So why make a whole course out of it?
This complaint only addresses the superficial aspects of this class. Sample writes in his book that “These students examine the lives and careers of 20 historical leaders, from King David … to Martin Luther King … They read over 1,000 pages of text … write a dozen four-page papers and complete a major group project.”
Ultimately, this course is more than just soft leadership talk. It is marked by intense study, debate and analysis of leadership of past, present and future generations.
Whatever paths students are on or whatever careers they pursue, this course could provide a fresh insight about the often-misconstrued concept of leadership and challenge students to reach beyond preconceived notions of what classifies a leader today.
“Teaching this course has been one of the most satisfying academic experiences of my career,” Sample wrote. He isn’t alone; chances are his students feel the same way.
Students and administrators alike should ensure that this course continues. Who knows — we could be sitting down for one-on-one discussions with President Nikias in the spring. Although that might sound unusual for many universities, we just call it the Trojan Family.
Stephen Zelezny is a sophomore majoring in public relations. His column, “USC on the Move,” runs Thursdays.
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I never got the chance to take this class, but I agree that it would be a shame to see it die. I am a member of Delta Omicron Zeta, USC’s leadership fraternity, which was born as the final project for MDA 365 two years ago. DOZ has been one of the greatest and most fulfilling experiences during my time at USC, and it would not have existed had it not been for this class.
Like I said, I never took the class, but I can imagine that if my analysis of leadership as a whole and my own leadership abilities through DOZ — an extension of the class, if you will — has been so critical to my self-development, then MDA 365 must surely be worth keeping around!