The Moral Leader, Harvard University

This course uses works of literature, primarily novels, in place of case studies. Its aim, as a former student put it, is to show "how people develop the skills, courage, and perseverance to use power, money, and influence in constructive ways." The course readings for this course come from many countries, they include novels, short stories, plays, and excerpts from classic works of moral philosophy. The readings also span many centuries, ranging from ancient Greek plays to Shakespeare to contemporary works. The instructor has discussed their experience of teaching this course; see https://web.archive.org/web/20220525141625/https://hbr.org/2006/03/leadership-in-literature. The instructor has also published a book based on their teaching of this course: see Questions of Character: Illuminating the Heart of Leadership Through Literature (Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press, 2006). Note that the attached syllabus is from 2001. This information has been collected for the Post-Discipline Online Syllabus Database. The database explores the use of literature by schools of professional education in North America. It forms part of a larger project titled Post-Discipline: Literature, Professionalism, and the Crisis of the Humanities, led by Dr Merve Emre with the assistance of Dr Hayley G. Toth. You can find more information about the project at https://postdiscipline.english.ox.ac.uk/. Data was collected and accurate in 2021/22.