What will I learn on this module?
This module facilitates the development of your leadership and management practice, explore your leadership potential and identify areas for development , together with providing you with opportunities to hone your team-working skills.
To enhance career development opportunities this module will enable you to put into practice key inter-personal and intra-personal skills which have been identified by current research and employers as those necessary for effective leadership in the 21st century organisation. The module will support your commitment to life-long personal and professional learning and development.
In the first part of the module you will engage in a self-analysis, supported by self-administered tool-kits and other activities, to demonstrate increased self-awareness and self-understanding. Topics you will study include styles of leadership, emotional and cultural intelligence, team-working, giving and receiving feedback as well as personality and motivation. You will also be introduced to various theoretical frameworks and concepts to provide you with a more in-depth understanding of self and your own leadership profile. A key outcome of this process is how you will be able to exploit this development to lead more effectively in your future careers.
The second half of the module includes a two-day range of on campus or on-line leadership and team-building activities during which you will put into practice the skills and attributes you have identified. Via feedback from others and a process of self-reflection, you will hone and develop further your leadership capability to lead and work in culturally diverse teams on a series of problem-solving activities.
How will I learn on this module?
For full-time and part-time students, the module is class-room based and has an interactive approach to taught sessions which will draw on the directed learning, diagnostic tool-kit findings and your own experiences. Distance learning students will be taught through online materials and workshops. For all students on the module, the emphasis will be on high levels of participation both individually and within small teams to reflect the practice and experiential learning focus of this module this means that you will be diagnosing your strengths and weaknesses, applying theory to ‘real-life’ situations, professional practice and both work and personal experiences so that you can critically analyse and make recommendations for appropriate ways forward for both your personal and leadership development.
Directed learning will centre upon a range of activities including pre-reading, preparation for interactive activities and use of the discussion board on the e-learning platform. The e-learning platform will also provide you with all learning materials for the timetabled sessions.
Independent learning provides you with the opportunity to identify and pursue areas of interest in relation to the subject area or by providing deeper/broader knowledge and understanding of the subject through a range of learning activities that might include extended reading, reflection, research etc.
Tutor directed study will engage you in further research work to support and enhance learning from the sessions.
The experiential learning activities will also provide you with opportunities to interact with peers on your programme. You will be supported in the analysis of individual and group processes and behaviours as a means of developing an understanding both of yourself and others as you develop your leadership practice for career progression.
Formative feedback will be provided to you as part of the experiential learning event and in the sessions in which the assessment and directed study are discussed.
How will I be supported academically on this module?
At the beginning of the module you will receive information setting out:
• Learning outcomes and overall module and programme aims
• Teaching, learning and assessment strategy
• A teaching and learning plan which sets out weekly session objectives, directed study, independent learning, reading activities prior to, and for, each of those sessions. .
• As well as developing your self-awareness and leadership acumen, we will be honing your skills of critical evaluation. To this end there will be S-T-R-E-T-C-H reading beyond the teaching and learning plan for those students who wish to optimise their learning on this module.
Your module tutor will provide academic support including:
• Delivering taught sessions
• Making learning and teaching materials available via the digital learning platform
• Providing guidance and formative feedback on your professional development and your leadership capabilities.
• Providing guidance in relation to relation to the assessment. This includes a detailed assessment briefing in class at mid-point in the semester, and a Panopto recording on the e-learning portal
• Specialist subject discussion / advice, particularly in linking your work to academic research, concepts and emerging knowledge in the field
In addition to scheduled taught sessions, you will have access to drop-in sessions and office hours with experienced staff. Distance learning students will engage in interactive online forums via Teams or the discussion board on the e-learning portal. These combine to provide you with ongoing flexible support throughout the module, beyond the formal classroom.
What will I be expected to read on this module?
All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)
What will I be expected to achieve?
Knowledge & Understanding:
MLO1 Critically evaluate leadership concepts, models and evidence to inform personal effectiveness, professional development and career strategy..
Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
MLO2 Critically reflect on and appraise personal capabilities and limitations in order to design evidence-based strategies for self-development.
MLO3 You will develop, analyse and apply inter-personal and intra-personal skills
MLO4 You will develop and evaluate your leadership capability
Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
MLO5 Critically assess the cultural and ethical implications of leadership practice in various organisational contexts.
How will I be assessed?
All the module outcomes will be assessed formatively or summatively on this module.
Formatively, students will be assessed on ML01, ML04 and ML05 via interactive discussions in class, self-diagnostics and directed study and independent learning tasks.
Summatively, this module is assessed by one reflective practice assessment of 2500 words.
The assessment is designed to address module learning outcomes ML01, ML02 (PLO 7.1.1) and ML03 (PLO 7.1.2)
Knowledge and Understanding:
You will research and critically review leadership and management theories and concepts
Professional Skills and Abilities:
You will conduct a self-analysis via the use of diagnostics to identify your strengths and weaknesses across a range of interpersonal and interpersonal skills to create your own leadership profile.
You will provide a comprehensive explication on how you will engage in continuous self-development to enhance your leadership profile further.
Module abstract
This dynamic module is designed for students who want to accelerate their career development and strengthen the leadership skills demanded by today’s organisations. Grounded in current research and employer expectations, it focuses on developing the interpersonal and intrapersonal capabilities essential for effective 21st-century leadership.
Learning is highly interactive and experiential, with an emphasis on active participation in class-based (or online for distance learning students) sessions. You will work individually and in small teams to explore real-world challenges, apply theory to practice, and gain insight into your own strengths and development areas. Throughout the module, you will be supported by an experienced tutor and a clear learning plan, with all resources easily accessible via the e-learning portal.
A key highlight is the on campus or on-line experiential learning event, offering a valuable opportunity to collaborate with peers, explore group dynamics, and deepen self-awareness—equipping you with practical leadership insight to support your future career progression.
