Organisational Behaviour - Master in Finance Programme

Elective Courses

Leadership in Finance I - Relationships and Performance

This is the first of two electives related to leading and managing in the world of financial services – a world of financial intermediation, complexity, ambiguity, diversity and volatility. The course may be taken separately or in combination with Leadership in Finance II.

Leadership approaches, management skills and communication styles are critical areas of performance and development for client-based businesses such as financial services. This course examines fundamental areas of leading, managing and relating to people as well as achieving team high-performance.

There are a number of cases and pre-work.  You are strongly advised to read these ahead of the course, as time will be needed during the course for your team project work.

Course Content and Structure

The course learning approach encompasses class lectures, readings, cases, and experiential exercises, covering the following areas:

• Understanding and contrasting the range of qualities and characteristics that contribute to effective leadership in the setting of financial services and in global business; as well as styles of leadership approach that influence the way we lead ourselves, lead others and lead strategically in an organisation.
• Awareness – of self and others, as well as emotional intelligence and personal characteristics – to better understand personal leadership strengths and weaknesses – with awareness leading to focus areas for personal leadership development.
• The leadership imperative to recognise situation and context in developing, adjusting and adapting leadership styles and approaches to fit the circumstances of need and motivation for different leadership stakeholders at different points of time.  In essence, to understand the “leadership brand”.
• Building, developing and sustaining high-performance teams. The principle of high-performance (Goals, Roles, Processes, Interpersonal Relationships, Passion with Purpose) as well as the behaviours of teams and organisations to sustain high performance (including debriefing; alignment/congruence; pulse check; and fair process).
• Understanding and leveraging diversity including cross-cultural interactions.
• Developing relationships and networks based on mutual interests and accountabilities, 
effective interpersonal engagement, feedback and reflection.
• Becoming a trusted adviser with key stakeholders – especially business clients and partners.