Leadership in War and Peace

This course considers the pivotal role of the personalities and styles of leaders who take their nations into war—or are able to avoid such—and the military leaders who advise those individuals and execute operations once war has commenced. In others words, this course examines the premise that individuals and personalities matter in matters of national security. It bookends the more often studied macro considerations regarding the root causes of war and peace, such as foreign policies and the international system. The course considers how leadership is affected by the growing number of women in leadership positions and what that means to traditional views of masculinity and leadership, as well as the relationship between leadership and democracy and authoritarianism. Finally, the course considers key premises and the complexity of leadership: what makes a leader good or effective, and what is the difference? How is leadership learned? Does the environment make a leader or will a leader be a leader in any environment?