Module Directory

Leadership is a key issue in the domain of business and management studies, in both theoretical and practical terms. The main objective of this module is to introduce students to important leadership issues and debates, to build students’ awareness of leadership theories, concepts, and practices, and to support students’ ability to contribute to, discuss, and develop leadership in organisations.

The module introduces students to several concepts, models, theories, and topics within leadership and highlights key leadership debates. The module will cover traditional approaches to leadership, current issues in leadership, and critical issues in leadership, paying attention to both theoretical and practical problems. At the end of the module students will have developed an analytical appreciation of leadership, and the problems and challenges leaders face, in contemporary organisations.

The aims of this module are:

• To provide students with an understanding of traditional, current, and critical leadership issues, concepts, models, and theories.


• To familiarise students with the practice and experience of leading and following.


• To enable students to reflect on, analyse, contribute to, create and critique leadership in organisations.

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:

1. Demonstrate clear understanding of traditional, contemporary, and critical theories and concepts about leadership in organisations.


2. Compare, contrast, reflect on, and evaluate leadership theory, practice, and experiences.


3. Independently recognise and analyse leadership in organisations.

Skills for Your Professional Life (Transferable Skills)

• A1 Synthesis and bringing together concepts and ideas


• A2 Critical thinking


• A3 Evaluation of evidence


• A4 Creative problem solving


• A5 Recognise rival conceptual ideas


• D4 Analysing Academic literature


• D6 Desk research / netnographic skills


• S1 Team Work


• S2 Showing Leadership


• S4 Showing own initiative


• C5 Argumentation / Essay writing skills


• T1 Core IT skills (word, excel, PowerPoint, outlook)


• R1 Identifying research and aims


• R6 Understanding plagiarism and referencing


• BM1 Ability to adapt different leadership practices and identify leadership opportunities and challenges in organisations


• BM3 Ability to develop greater sensitivity and awareness around implied and explicit ethical assumptions and beliefs. 

This module will be delivered via:

• Five 2-hour lectures, and
• Four 2-hour seminars, across one term.

In the lectures and seminars, we are looking for active participation from you to create an inclusive, positive learning environment for everyone. Preparation for the lectures and classes is key.