This course takes an evidence-based approach to the study leadership and in doing so, uncovers myths and fads often championed by the "leadership industry". In the first part of the course, students will learn how to appraise and use trustworthy evidence to understand leadership effectiveness and make leadership decisions. The second part of the course is designed to develop students’ leadership capability.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. describe the basic principles of using an evidence-based approach to the study of leadership
2. critically discuss key concepts and theories in leadership and the evidence that underpins these concepts and theories
3. apply evidence-based practice to leader decision-making
4. integrate the evidence on leadership to develop personal leadership capability
5. present both orally and in written communication their evidence-based practice of influencing others towards a vision.

Research-Led Teaching

This course takes an evidence-based approach to the study of leadership. The first six weeks of the course involves an examination of the scientific evidence related to major themes in leadership. In the second part of the course students apply evidence from social sciences about power and politics in organisations.

Field Trips

No field trips.

Additional Course Costs

No additional class costs.

Examination Material or equipment

There is a mid-semester and final exam for this course.

Required Resources

There is no textbook for this course. Readings are provided on Canvas in Week 1 and then as necessary.

Recommended Resources

Students are strongly advised to make use of the resources freely available on the following websites:

• www.scienceforwork.com
• www.cebma.org

The following book is also recommended for students who are interested in the evidence on leadership:

• Jeffrey Pfeffer (2015) Leadership BS: Fixing workplaces and careers one truth at a time, Harper Collins: New York.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Written comments
• Verbal comments
• Feedback to the whole class, to groups, to individuals.

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Other Information

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): Students are welcome to use generative AI tools (e.g. GPT-4, DALL-E, Copilot) and other tools (e.g. Grammarly) to support their learning in a way that is consistent with the ANU Academic Integrity principles for use of GenAI. As such, please be aware of the following additional conditions for this assessment task:

• Clearly acknowledge the use of Artificial Intelligence in the relevant parts of the assessment task
• Submit the deliverable in a format that preserves ‘tracked changes’ (e.g. MS Word, Apple Pages,  or similar) that shows the progression of academic effort and contribution towards completing the task.

Publication of Final Results

The release of final grades may change before the end of the semester. The last return of assessment date (4th Dec 2025) provided in the Assessment Summary table is the latest expected. If results are released earlier, then the assessment item(s) will be returned earlier as well.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Course Introduction: An evidence-based approach to the study of leadership	ReadingsCompulsory Readings on Canvas
2	The evidence on leaders and traits	Tutorial 1Leadership Traits CaseReadings:Compulsory Reading on Canvas
3	The evidence on leaders and emotional intelligence	Tutorial 2Emotional intelligence CaseReadings:Compulsory Readings on Canvas
4	The evidence on transformational leadership	Tutorial 3Transformational Leadership CaseReadings:Compulsory Reading on Canvas
5	The evidence on decision-making	Tutorial 5Decision-making caseReadings:Compulsory Reading on Canvas
6	Culmination of learning and assessment	Assessment 2: Multiple choice test (in tutorials)
7	Introduction to Power	Readings:Readings on Canvas
8	Personal qualities that bring influence and building a power base	ReadingsReadings on Canvas
9	Dealing with conflict and opposition	ReadingsReadings on Canvas
10	Prejudice and Stereotypes	Readings:Readings on Canvas
11	Giving and receiving feedback	Readings:Readings on Canvas
12	Power simulation - 3 hour workshop.No tutorials this week.	Assessment:Students must choose from one of four seminar options and participate in the power simulation. Participation in one of these seminars is essential for the final assessment.
13	No classes	Assessment 3 is due by 12:00 noon Friday, 31 October: 24hr Take-home exam

Tutorial Registration

ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.

This course has tutorials or tutorial-like teaching activities. Further details about the structure and teaching activities for this course will be available on the course Canvas site the week before classes commence.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Tutorial Participation (individual assessment - 10%)	10 %	*	*	1, 2
Mid-semester test (individual assessment - 40%)	40 %	*	29/08/2025	1, 3
Take-home reflective exam (individual assessment - 50%)	50 %	31/10/2025	04/12/2025	4, 5

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

Participation is expected in all classes and assessment.

Examination(s)

There is a mid-semester (in week 6 tutorials) and final exam for this course.

Assessment Task 1

Tutorial Participation (individual assessment - 10%)

Details of task: The tutorials will focus on applying concepts discussed in the lecture to a leadership case. Attendance and participation in tutorials is vital to learning in this course. Tutorials provide a forum for structured discussion, problem-solving, argument, and opinion on topics and issues canvassed in this course. Each student is expected to make a consistent, informed, and considered contribution to tutorial discussion and debate. Students are also encouraged to ask presenters considered and relevant questions. Students will be expected to come to class prepared and to have read the assigned reading for each tutorial. Each week the tutor will select students randomly to respond to questions.

Specific requirements: The following criteria will be used for assessment:

•   Quality of contribution to tutorial discussions. The contribution should demonstrate that students come to class prepared i.e. read required materials and attended or listened to lecture recordings;

•   Active participation in tutorial activities;

•   Demonstrate an ability to apply trustworthy evidence on leadership to the case and class discussion.

•   Submit a handwritten response to tutorial exercises in some weeks.

•   N.B. Students will not receive marks for simply attending tutorials, the assessment is based on the quality of contribution to tutorial discussions.

Due: Tutorials in week 2 to 12. The assessment is worth a total of 10%.

Assessment Task 2

Mid-semester test (individual assessment - 40%)

Details of task: Students will complete a test in week 6 tutorials related to the material covered in Weeks 1-5 of the course. It will be a handwritten multiple-choice test that students will complete in the week 6 tutorial time. Students will have 45 minutes to complete the test.

Due date: Week 6 tutorial. The assessment is worth a total of 40%.

Feedback by: Friday, 29 August.

Assessment Task 3

Take-home reflective exam (individual assessment - 50%)

Students will complete a take-home reflective exam in the ANU examination period. The exam paper will be released on Canvas at 12 noon on Thursday, 30 October, and students will have 24 hours to submit a response. Students will choose one of several essay questions related to concepts of power from the course and their participation in the power simulation in week 12. It is essential for students to participate in the week 12 simulation to complete the take-home exam; several seminar times will be available in week 12 to ensure students are able to participate in the simulation. Please see the ANU timetable for available seminar times in week 12.

Specific requirements: This assignment must comply with the following requirements:

Harvard referencing style for the reference list and in-text citations;

2,000 words excluding references (+/-10% of 2,000 is acceptable. Where an assignment exceeds this word limit, the portion that exceeds the word limit will not be marked);

Submit via Canvas.

Students will be required to respond to the following question as part of their submission: How did you use any tools (including AI) to complete this task? What did you find useful or misleading? The response to this question is not included in the 2,000-word count.

Making Criteria: Further instructions and a marking rubric will be made available on Canvas when the exam is released to students.

Due date: 12 noon Friday 31 October via the course Canvas site. The assessment is worth 50%.

Feedback by: After the release of results

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof.

Requests for Assessment Adjustment (Assessment Extension and Extenuating Circumstances Application) should be submitted via ANUHub.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Returning Assignments

Two weeks after submission. The final assessment will be returned when final grades are released.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

No re-submission of assignments is possible.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information. In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service — including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy. If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes. Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students