techno-leadership 101

in response to my blog post entitled "techno-leadership", in which i discuss what i believe to be the role of technology in leadership,
Dr. Kath has encouraged me to elaborate.

in that blog post, i state that
leadership has a responsibility to harness the full potential of technology
to bring about transformational change:
she'd like to know specifically which technologies.

if i taught a course on leadership and technology, she asked, what would be the course matter?

so here's my faux syllabus- anyone interested?

***************************************************************************************
CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY

FALL II 09/ IRVINE
OLCU 618- EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES, POTENTIAL AND RESPONSIBILITY IN LEADERSHIP

Instructor
Manuel Guzman
email: guzm4101@mail.chapman.edu


COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• To analyze the methodological ways in which emerging technologies may impact effective transformational leadership in the future.
  
• To consider the challenges of projecting clear goals and vision into a future which is technologically in flux.
  

MAJOR STUDY UNITS

• Cloud Computing: How running programs on the internet eliminates a user's need for computer storage and costly hardware, thereby expanding potential power base demographics.
  
• Ubiquitous Internet: How the move towards saturating cities and eventually rural areas in wireless Internet connectivity may impact large-scale internet use, familiarity and dependability across the masses.
• Digital Content: How tomorrow's leaders will need to embrace digital content and rely upon it to further their efficiency and effectiveness.
• Communications: Determining whether certain technological advances limit or enhance communication.
• Social Networking Sites: How the assembly of online communities necessitates the effective technological deployment of leadership.
  

****************************************************************************************

okay, so based on the brevity of my syllabus, perhaps i'm not ready to teach a full course...
maybe we'll just make this a seminar or something.

can you guys think of any other Major Study Units?

techno-leadership

take me to your leader?

today, the accelerated churning out of technological innovation is undeniably changing the landscape in which we live, study and work at an exponential rate. this state of constant technological enrichment directly affects the way in which we interact with one another. likewise, as we continue to become more and more interconnected, i believe that our responsibility for each other as fellow citizens in a shrinking world grows, and grows.

given this steady abundance of technological advancement, and hence our new state of global connectivity, i believe that leadership has a very special calling at this moment in our history; a calling laden with urgency, obligation and again, responsibility.

**************************************************************************
bring your leader to me.


technological innovations in a corporate setting can mean streamlining various operations and processes. and yes, technological innovations have changed the way the electorate gets to know its political candidates or even casts its votes for them. and again yes, technological innovation has certainly contributed to far more than just that. but the specific impact that i consider to be of utmost importance here, is the powerful impact that technology has on transformational change, and therefore transformational leadership.

technology: (noun). the process by which humans modify nature to meet their wants and needs.

transformational leadership: (noun). leadership that creates valuable and positive change in the followers.

at no time in our history have we ever been as plagued as we are now with such dire crises and threats against our civilization. and at no time in our history have we ever been so powerful to lead by virtue of technological robustness. it is therefore at this very moment in our history that our leaders must harness the full potential of technology to affect large-scale transformation.

if you consider that among the many other benefits of our technological advancement, leaders are now capable of virtual interaction, forming virtual meeting places, and of being across the world in a matter of hours, there is no excuse for inaction or ineffectiveness any longer. it is no longer as simple as following the leader; but how effectively the leader follows you.

people long for the sort of leadership that will help create common identity, goals and a cohesive story; leadership that will get us out of this mess. this is precisely that calling for leadership i referred to above. it is perhaps a matter of life and death. a matter we are responsible to address.