Leadership and Innovation, Engaging with Theory to Inform Practice, An Emerging Economy Perspective

The focus of this course is to expose the student to the dynamic nature of leadership and innovation as theorized in the past, its present application and how it might evolve in the future within the backdrop of a fast-digitalizing emerging economy. Focus during these lectures will be on how leadership and innovation has evolved over time, how emerging economies are learning from the existing leadership debates and adding to it from their own experiences, culture, and social context. While this course will start from existing leadership discourse, it will not limit itself to the current understanding of leadership. It will explore newer leadership experiences from emerging economies. The focus will be to develop a counter exploration to the existing leadership narrative, in so doing the endeavor is to provide the students a holistic understanding of leadership by filling the gaps and insights from vibrant diverse cultures that identify themselves as emerging economies.

This course in an elementary way will introduce leadership as a holistic human experience, by bringing on board recent experiences of large companies from emerging economies. It will then pose the following question; As we continue to globalize through integrative technologies like the internet, phones, and social media how leadership thinking should evolve. Do cultures merge into each other or distinct new formulations emerge based on how we communicate and work. How will we continue to innovate if we are fast getting harmonized. What new challenges to leadership thought does technology pose, if at all are some of the questions we will explore during the course.

Taking this course, the students will become aware that leadership narratives are rather diverse, there is no one type of leader, even though the popular imagination subscribes to such a view in a subtle way. The students will be sensitized to look for leadership qualities in different situations and be empowered to be sensitive to context as king, in leadership discourse. The students will learn to evaluate the role of leadership in innovative projects and made aware of the larger context to how leadership thinking has evolved in emerging economies relating to innovative projects and innovation thinking at large.

Finally, we will critically reflect about the future and the implication of innovation theorizing on understanding the future shape of leadership focusing on how leaders create opportunity. This course is to provide the students experience and exposure to how leadership ich theorizing can be integrated and understood within the context of innovation.

The course aims at developing integrational skills, primarily integrating classroom experience with leadership and innovation literature. It is expected that students will then integrate the literature with the experiences from the classroom. This integration is vital for analyzing the contextual bases for the experience and the critical appreciation and limitations theorical backdrop.

The course themes are as follows.

• Where do leadership theories come from: The historical perspective on leadership.

• Where do innovation theories come from, an historical understanding of innovation.

• Understanding the nature of theoretical evolution of leadership and innovation thinking.

• The synthesis of the two theorizing and its benefits and pitfalls.

• The impact of leadership thinking on modernity.

• The process of innovation.

• Challenges and obstacles to the synthesis of leadership with innovation.

• The business case for studying leadership.

• Innovative firms, best practices, success stories and what can we learn.

• Leadership in emerging economies, how ot reflect and understand it.

• Entrepreneurial leadership and innovative potential, connecting the dots.

• Focusing on building a business; exploring leadership capacity from an innovation standpoint.

• A critical evaluation of leadership in flux, what to expect from the future as innovation thinking evolves.

Course leader

Sudhanshu Rai - Department of Management, Society and Communication

Target group

This is a bachelor level course. CBS Summer University courses at Copenhagen Business School is open to all and welcomes domestic and international students as well as professionals.

Course aim

Demonstrate an understanding of leadership in a dynamic context

Analyze and demonstrate an understanding of leadership within innovative spaces

Show an appreciation of the impact of context on leadership

Analyze and illustrate how leadership has spurred innovation

Critically reflect about the limitations of leadership within the context of innovation

Credits info

7.5 EC
This is a 6-week course. You can combine up to two 6-week courses making 15 ECTS in total.
Find more information on our website.

Fee info

DKK 6000: Tuition fee for Open University students (EU/EEA/Swiss citizenship)
DKK 12000: Tuition fee for non-European students.