This is the introductory course to the theory and practice of negotiation and will serve as one of the foundational classes for the degree. Students will learn the history, development and evolution, core theories, and varying frameworks in the field. They will also have the opportunity to engage in experiential activities that will provide them with practice developing their skills.

This is the introductory course to the theory and models of leadership and will serve as one of the foundational classes for the degree. Students will learn the history, development, core theories, and varying models of leadership found in the field. They will also have the opportunity to engage in experiential activities that will provide them with practice developing their skills. Finally, they will grapple with real world case studies where they are put in the role of leader and decision maker.

This course builds on the basic classes by delving deeper into many of the complicating factors leaders and negotiators face as they do their work. Some of the issues that will be explored in detail are building an organization of leaders, working effectively in teams, empowering others to lead, handling power when you do and do not have it, and managing time pressure and deadlines. Students will have the opportunity to engage with these subjects through case studies and simulations.

This course concentrates on the challenges to leadership and negotiation while working virtually and in an increasingly interconnected multicultural world. Companies and organizations are faced with the reality of how to work in a virtual world most efficiently and effectively. Challenges such as team building, organizational development, cross-cultural negotiations, and negotiating with email and other social media will be explored.

This course will focus on the psychological dimensions of leadership and negotiation. Emphasis will be placed on the intrapersonal realm and understanding oneself. Students will learn how the mind works in difficult situations, processes information from a myriad of sources, handles information that is contrary to other messages it receives, and other elements that make their way into leadership and negotiation.

Gender has a significant impact on leadership and negotiation in both overt and covert ways. This course will delve deeply into the issue of gender in leadership and negotiation and analyze the myths, challenges, and opportunities in this realm. Students will explore this issue both conceptually and practically.

These skills are all arranged around the preparation and planning phase of leadership and negotiation. Leadership and negotiation styles will be examined through different styles tests. This will give the students an indicator of their natural approach and inclinations. Students will then understand the importance of planning through a number of practical and analytical diagnostic tools. Those who excel in leadership and negotiation have come to understand how fundamental preparation is to success. Finally, given that information gathering is central to leadership and negotiation, how do you find what you need in a world overflowing with information? Once one has gathered information students will learn the importance of framing their message and how to do that effectively.

Relational skills are essential to effective leadership and negotiation. Two related and fundamental skills of empathy – the ability to truly understand the other – and holding multiple perspectives will be examined in detail. On the opposite end of the spectrum from Empathy is Assertiveness. Students will learn the art of assertion, what it takes to be assertive, reasons why many fail to be assertive, and the difference between assertion and aggressiveness. Finally, the art of persuasion will be investigated. The primary tool for leaders and negotiators to get people to do something is persuasion. What does it mean to be persuasive? How do people persuade others in a way that resonates with them? And what gets in the way of being persuasive? These questions and others will be addressed.

This course is designed to confront some challenging situations found during the process of leadership and negotiation. The first challenge is dealing with the concept of Power. Power is perhaps the most challenging dynamic to manage as a leader and negotiator. When one possesses power they tend to think that they control the situation completely. The second challenge has to do with finding value in negotiation. Most negotiators are prone to compromise, particularly when a situation becomes difficult. However, contrary to popular belief, compromise is a poor strategy in negotiation. Instead, the art of finding value is what is needed in most negotiations. The final challenge is dealing with difficult people. Students will learn the different types of difficult people, the tactics they employ, and how to manage them effectively.

This course is designed to investigate the intangible skills that leaders and negotiators frequently encounter. As the world becomes a smaller place with the advent of technology, leaders and negotiators will increasingly come into contact with people from a multitude of cultures. The emotional component of leadership and negotiation, which varies considerably from culture to culture, will be the next skill to be analyzed. Students will learn the role of emotions in leadership and negotiation and how to have their emotions without becoming them. Finally, students will concentrate on trust, trust building, and trust repair. In most instances, leaders and negotiators must work to manage the present with long-term relationships in mind. Given that reality, the ability to develop trust, cultivate that trust over time, and repair trust when it has been broken are vital to success in these realms.