INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT KOZHIKODE

Post Graduate Programme in Management

Course Outline
Course Code PG2OBHR - 009

Leadership:
Course Title
Inspiration, Dilemmas & Action1
(LIDA)
Course Type Elective (PGP II)

1
This is a Course with History, Nostalgia & Indebtedness associated with it. I owe this Course to Late
Professor Sampat P. Singh at IIM Ahmedabad in whose PGP II Elective LVMR (Leadership: Vision,
Meaning & Reality) Course, I was a committed participant-student in the early mid-1990’s. Professor Singh’s
LVMR was inspired by the Organizational Leadership course conducted by the legendary Professor James G.
March at Stanford University. Later, when Professor Singh was faced with some health difficulties in handling
the Sessions, on his request, I (as a senior doctoral student) also had the privilege of actively assisting him in the
conduct of the Sessions in the IIMA PGP. Once I graduated from the IIMA Doctoral Programme and became a
Faculty Member at IIM Calcutta, I wished to offer this Course at IIMC, and accordingly wrote (it was the early
days of the email, and so using both email and snail mail) to both Professor Singh (@ IIMA) and Professor
March (@ Stanford) for permissions. Professor March responded with his full Course outline, additional
materials and some guidelines to me as a young, aspiring teacher-academic. I believe I had the Blessings of
Professor Singh to proceed. It then took me over 3 months to coin a suitable title that I intrinsically liked for the
newly offered Course at IIMC, and after numerous trials and combinations decided on: OLIDA
(Organizational Leadership: Inspiration, Dilemmas & Action). Although the Courses of both Professor
March and Singh were anchored in using Classic World Literature to teach Leadership, their Course Outlines
and approaches varied considerably. Realizing that Professor Singh’s approach was more suited to the context
of India and the IIMs, I decided to mostly follow that of Professor Singh. Based on this decision, I developed
my own entire write up for the new Course, but kept most of the Sessions from that of Professor Singh. From
my side, I introduced a few new Sessions as well as some more Indian authored classic texts translated from the
regional languages. On joining IIM Kozhikode, in my very first full Academic Year of 2001-02 itself (I had
joined in Oct 2000), I introduced this Course at IIMK, and called it: LIDA (Leadership: Inspiration,
Dilemmas & Action). Of course, since I had already done considerable homework on the Course Title and
some of the new Sessions and Readings, it was more or less the same as IIMC’s OLIDA. LIDA was a popular
PGP II Elective at IIMK for many of the years till 2011-12, after which I decided to briefly suspend offering it,
and instead introduced a totally newly designed Course LACE (Leadership: Conceptual, Applied &
Evolving), anchored in basic and applied research and academic literature, from 2012-13 onwards. LACE too
was subscribed to by the students in some of the years since its introduction. For the coming Academic Year
2017-18, I have decided to get LIDA back into the Electives Listing for PGP 20 Batch.
As human beings, none of us is immortal or permanent in this world. Hence, today or tomorrow I would move
away from LIDA, IIMK and this world. But LIDA, or its essence certainly, will/can continue as part of IIMK’s
Electives List, and continue to be living in our Classrooms (at those moments if/when offered by competent and
committed Faculty) and in the hearts of those students who experience it (in their lives in the future). Hence,
whoever, as Faculty Member(s) and Programme Administrators, will get involved with LIDA in the future at
IIMK, I would like to ask them to recognize and acknowledge, and may be even value or honor, the above
history, evolution and essence of this Course in its entirety, any time and at all times if/when it is offered.
And, just for information (as in Jan 2017): Professor Sampath P. Singh passed away in 2011 after a
distinguished career. Professor S. Manikutty got associated with Prof. Singh in teaching LIDA at IIMA, and
continues to teach it there (although retired from IIMA in 2012). He is now teaching this Course at IIM
Bangalore as well. I learnt that my Course OLIDA has been revived a few years back and offered to students
again at IIMC. Joining these elder IIMs at A, B & C, I am also happy to call back LIDA and offer it again at
IIMK, now beginning with the PGP 20 Batch.

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 Pre-requisites (if any) An open mind to appreciate, experience, explore, live with
& enjoy, without being overly bothered about ‘reasoning,
logic, rationalization & justification.’
Course Credit 3
Total no. of sessions 15 (x 2 Hrs.)
Session Duration 2 Hrs
Term IV (for the Academic Year 2017-18)
Year and Batch 2017-18; PGP 20
Sections (if any) Max 2 (i.e. 60 x 2 = 120 Students) for 2017-18
Instructor(s) Professor Unnikrishnan K Nair
Contact Details Off: 0495 2809 247; Email: unni@iimk.ac.in
Office Faculty Block II - Room 9
Consultation Hours Course participants can walk in to the instructor’s room any
time during the Term. However, meetings in the afternoons
would be preferable, and a call to check availability before
coming in would be appreciated.

Introduction
This course is about Leadership. It aims at understanding and appreciating (and in that process,
may be, vicariously experiencing) the inspiration, elation, dilemmas, disappointments, etc., of
becoming and being a leader, and enabling others to become and be leaders.
In that sense, this course may not be viewed as one designed to impart any specific set of
immediately applicable skills.
The issues of leadership are conspicuous in all walks of life. Hence, one way of studying them is
through some medium that covers and captures the essence and intricacies of life in its fullness.
Accordingly, this course draws its resources from great works of literature, and classic pieces in
humanities.

Learning Outcomes/Course Objectives

1. To develop/ further the understanding of concepts like vision, idealism, heroism, values,
beliefs, ambition, virtue, myths, rituals, symbols, illusions, dreams, meaning, reality,
cleverness, etc., and build sensitivity to the related experiences associated with them in
leadership contexts.
2. To apply this understanding to make better sense of modern organizational functioning.
3. To encourage appreciation of humanities and literature:
a. For its own sake, and

b. As a rich source of experience (description/ narration), knowledge (facts/ causal

relations), meaning (explanation), and wisdom (truth/ realization) relevant to
enriching ones personal, familial, societal, and organizational life.

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Textbooks & Learning Materials
This Course is anchored in a number of Books. While most of them are available in the IIMK
Library for borrowing and reading, some of them would also be given as personal copies to
all Course Participants from the PGP Office as part of the Course pack. The exact names and
list of books appear in the Session Plan.

Other Resources (Journals, Internet Websites) (if any)

See Sessions Plan.

Pedagogy Used/Learning Process

The course is based on selected works from literature and writings from humanities. Each
session would begin with a presentation of the assigned reading(s) to the class by one or two
group(s) of students. They can adopt any suitable and effective manner of presentation.
Innovative and unconventional styles of presentation will be encouraged.
As part of their presentation, the group(s) has to raise pertinent and insightful questions on the
topic for the day, in relation to the reading(s). They lead the ensuing discussion in the class.
Depending on the effectiveness of the presentation and the discussion that follow, instructor may
choose just to be part of the whole process as an active and contributing participant, or take over
at an appropriate point and lead the discussion further, may be with new questions, perspectives,
interpretations, etc. However, experience suggests that in almost all Sessions, the Instructor will
speak form his side, and sometimes considerably, often moving beyond or across boundaries of
the different Sessions and their themes.

Evaluation Components/Assessment of Student Learning

Evaluation Tool Weight Description

Group - Form groups of 5-6 members each, choose one of the readings
Presentation of 10% prescribed, make a very detailed presentation in the class, and
Reading(s) effectively lead the ensuing class discussion [carries 10% weight
of the course]. Innovative, interesting and insightful presentations
+ will be suitably rewarded.
&
Based on the assigned reading, extra readings by Group Members
Report + Slides 15% related to that and incorporating relevant aspects from the class
Submission discussion, submit a written report [carries 15% weight of the
= 25% course]. Report Submission: e-Submission to Instructor, within
midnight on the day after 72 Hours of Class Presentation. Late
submissions will attract commensurate penalty.
Form Dyads. Within 2 weeks of beginning of the course, in
consultation with the Instructor, each Dyad has to choose one of
the following:

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Term Paper:
 A rich work of fiction,
 A well documented piece of history (general, military,
Analysis of Leader-
cultural, any other)
Leadership &
 A rich piece of narration, dialogue, discourse,
Reflective Note on 25%
etc., fictitious or real, or
Learning for the Self
 A Biography or Autobiography of a leader.

Study the chosen material in detail, rooted in the content and spirit
of LIDA Course, and submit a thorough written analysis. If some
participants express deep desire towards doing this assignment
alone, the Instructor would be open to consider a few (only) such
requests on a case to case merit basis. However, they should keep
in mind that, being an assignment to be done in dyads, the
expectation of the final outcome could be demanding when done
at an individual level.

The Instructor would also be open to any attempt at writing the

biography of a leader. If you choose to do this, then choose a
leader who is alive, and who would be open to interact with you
F2F at least twice while you do the writing.

In either case, your submission should richly capture both your

understanding of the leader/leadership as emanating from the
piece/person as well as reflections on the learning for yourself
– as an individual (separately for each member of the dyad) as
well as for being and becoming a leader. You should also answer
the question: “Why did you choose what you chose for this
assignment?”

Presentation: May not be possible, if the Class is large. Possibly

a small set of selected/voluntary presentations can happen on a day
or two. No specific credit for the presenters and only shared
leaning intentions exist behind the presentation.

Submission: Date to be specified at the beginning of the Course.

e-Submission.
Attending all meetings of the LIDA Class is Essential for self
Attendance & learning, for questioning and clarification of assumptions held,
Contribution in Class 10% and for shared learning. Each class would begin exactly at the
Meetings - Essential scheduled commencement time (unless prevented by any
contingency of any kind). The class would begin with a formal roll
call, and all Participants are expected to be in by this time.

Grading: If I follow marks for final grading, then the marks for
this component will be exactly corresponding to the % of
attendance (i.e. 90% attendance = 9 marks). If I follow Letter
grades for final grading, then: 100% attendance = A+, and every
10% fall will correspond to one sub grade fall (i.e. 90% = A, 80%
= A-, etc.). Any absenteeism owing to illness or other
contingencies should be formally applied to and approved by the

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 PGP System and promptly informed to the Instructor / Academic
Associate (AA); and it will be the responsibility of the Participant
to do this herself/himself.
In the earlier years, I have had LIDA End Term Exam as nearly a
week long, take home, and open book one. However, over the
End Term 40% years, I experienced that the overall institutional ambience at IIMK
Examination had evolved to be less accommodative of academic diversity, and
demanding unduly strict conformity to conventional ways
irrespective of the nature of the Course(s). This made me change
the LIDA ET Exam to follow the conventional, in-class, closed
book, fixed hours (and ‘safe option’ for the Instructor) format in the
later years. One of the reasons for me to have suspended offering
LIDA was also this kind of academic constraints that got introduced
over the years at IIMK. I’m yet to decide which approach I may
want to follow, or rather which indeed I will be able to follow in
2017-18; and a fair guess would be the latter. But I’m yet to decide,
will be declared in the Class.
The intention is to encourage motivated and capable
participants to aspire for and achieve something extraordinary in
Instruct or’s this course. For instance, a course participant could write a case
Judgment or term paper of very high quality with high probability of
100%
[Extraordinar y]: publication in a journal of repute. In such a case, the overall
For Excell ence grade for the course will be decided by the grade of this
excellent work alone, irrespective of the grades obtained in
any/all other components. Needless to add, I would exercise
very high standards of evaluation here, and also share such
information with the rest of the class appropriately.2
Note: If any of the above components is not seen to be serving the intended purpose of effective learning in
the Course, then the Instructor may consider mid-course alterations in the nature of components themselves
and/or in their respective weights. Such changes if any made, shall be promptly announced and discussed
with the students as well in the class meeting.

2
I had first introduced this evaluation component on my own in my Organization Change & Development
Elective Course Outline in AY: 2004-05 at IIMK (where I had stated: My inspiration to introduce such a
component has roots in a MIT Graduate Student’s Master’s Thesis resulting in the conceptual contribution
termed then [in the 1960’s] as ‘Risky Shift’, which has later been generalized in OB as ‘Groupshift.’). Later, in
AY: 2011-12, while presenting my outlines for two new electives (LACE - Leadership: Applied, Conceptual &
Evolving; and MCPP - Management Consulting: Profession & Practice) at IIMK, I was asked to justify this. I
wish to thank IIMK Faculty Members present in the meeting of the PGP Committee (in January 2012) that
reviewed and approved the LACE & MCPP course outlines for offer, for allowing me to continue with this
extra-ordinary component, although it doesn’t come within the rule book of IIMK PGP. As I informed them in
that meeting, and which holds true to this day, although I have declared this component in my PGP Elective
Courses since AY: 2004-05, I am still looking forward, positively, to see at least one student from our context
coming up with an output that would provide me an opportunity to consider her/him to be eligible for being
graded under this component. It is yet to happen… But the hope for seeing that kind of excellence coming from
our students is still there in me; so I continue with this component...

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 Session Plan

Session Module Topic Chapter / Reading material / Cases

No.

Module I
1 Deconstructing &
(2 Hrs.) LEADERSHIP – Appreciating Leadership: Nil
Deconstruction Introductory Lecture

Module II
2 Dreams & Reality Cervantes: Don Quixote
(2 Hrs.) INSPIRATION Kopp: Tale of a Mad Knight

3 Innocence, Cleverness &

(2 Hrs.) Intrigue Shakespeare: Othello
Module III
4 Private & Public Life Miller: All My Sons
(2 Hrs.) DILEMMAS – I
5 Taking a Stand Ibsen: A Doll's House
(2 Hrs.) Rajam Krishnan: Lamps in the
Whirlpool
6 Illusions & Reality Ibsen: Wild Duck
(2 Hrs.) Module IV
7 Achievement & Contentment Hesse: Siddhartha
(2 Hrs.) DILEMMAS – II
8 Myths, Legends & Reality Irawati Karve: Yuganta
(2 Hrs.) MT Vasudevan Nair: Second
Turn
9 Term Papers – Class Presentation
(2 Hrs.)
10 Term Papers – Class Presentation
(2 Hrs.)

11 Module V Heroism & Martyrdom Shaw: Saint Joan

(2 Hrs.)
ACTION
12 Strategy & Stratagem Sun Tzu: Art of War
(2 Hrs.)

13 Relevant or Irrelevant – Movie: Gandhi

(2 Hrs.) It Doesn’t Matter: The (Direction: Richard Attenborough;
Module VI Essence & Meaning of home/hostel screening/viewing)
Gandhi
de Vries: Leader as Mirror –
LEADERSHIP –
Clinical Reflections
Reconstruction

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 14 Collins: Level 5 Leadership: The
(2 Hrs.) HBR Classics on Triumph of Humility and Fierce
Leadership - A Journey: Resolve
Drucker: Managing Oneself
The Instructor’s Choice Goleman: What Makes a Leader?
Livingston: Pygmalion in
Management
Maccoby: Narcissistic Leaders:
The Incredible Pros, the
Inevitable Cons
Zaleznik: Managers and Leaders:
Are They Different?
Module VII Becoming and Being McCoy: Parable of the Sadhu
15 A Leader: Concluding Christensen: How will You
(2 Hrs.) LEADERSHIP Lecture Measure Your Life?
& LIFE

END TERM EXAMINATION

[There will be no Mid Term Examination]

Note: If I decide not to have the Term Presentations in the Class, suitable readings will be assigned
for Sessions 9 & 10 as above, as the Course gets going.

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