In more details, the learning objectives for this course are as follows:
* To acquire theoretical understanding and knowledge of leadership and communication theories and skills.
* To develop your reflective awareness with respect to your own values, assumptions, expectations and beliefs regarding communication and leadership.
* To increase your ability to analyze and transform your own communication and leadership behavior.

The current practitioner-oriented debate on effective leadership mainly builds on global societal developments for which it is often argued that these make traditional conceptions of effective leadership obsolete. A shift in our understanding of what drives an effective leadership is therefore needed. Because of the rapid and impactful changes companies are faced with, and the increasing reliance on teams of experts with different expertise, it has become very difficult or even impossible for leaders who hang on to the old ways of leading through command-and-control practices to sustain this leadership style. The workforce itself is another major drive for change in some of the old leadership approaches, with the millennials demanding more autonomy, flexibility, expecting more from their employer than just a formal top-down exchange relationship (where employee delivers work and is being paid for it), leaders need to become more flexible, greater communicators and approach employees differently. Also, the easier public access to large quantities of information potentially shifts power bases from those at the top of a hierarchy to those with the capability to digest these information flows. But how does this affect a leader’s authority and responsibilities, and what leadership skills are needed to support such transitions?
The course will use a variety of frameworks and techniques to help you understand and practice how to deal with a variety of situations in which effective leaders and team members need to be able to navigate by communicating in a constructive and effective manner, behaving ethically, and engaging in negotiations. Besides theoretical insights, you will have opportunities to practice the newly learned competences such as active listening and conflict resolution techniques. You will receive constructive feedback with regards to your communication and leadership skills, while working on your global citizenship and interpersonal competences. These course-level learning objectives will help you work on the overall learning goals of Maastricht University.

One main textbook, scientific articles and some chapters of a few additional books, will be used during the course.