Students

MQBS1010 – Leadership for Business

2025 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Deborah Howlett
deborah.howlett@mq.edu.au
Contact via email
Bldg 4ER Room 614
Organise via email
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

Successful managers are great leaders. This unit introduces students to the foundations of leadership through self-reflection tools that aid in understanding how to lead effectively. Students will be considering the cultural, political, ethical and organisational contexts of leadership and the implications of leadership ideas. Throughout this unit, students will develop skills to manage teams and better develop their leadership behaviour capabilities.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Identify and analyse the nature and origins of leadership.
  • ULO2: Apply self-reflection to leadership challenges.
  • ULO3: Examine effective practices and strategies to develop sustainable team relationships in a collaborative working environment.
  • ULO4: Analyse ethical leadership issues in a management context.

General Assessment Information

Late Assessment Submission Penalty (written assessments) 

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a grade of ‘0’ will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical concern.  

For any late submissions of time-sensitive tasks, such as scheduled tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, and/or scheduled practical assessments/labs, students need to submit an application for Special Consideration.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Professional practice: Leadership in context 30% No 06/06/2025
Skills development: Leadership up close 30% No 23/05/2025
Skills development: Leadership frameworks 40% No 11/04/2025

Professional practice: Leadership in context

Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 06/06/2025
Weighting: 30%

 

The purpose of this assessment is to deepen your ability to critically evaluate leadership practices within organisational contexts, focusing on addressing and understanding leadership challenges.   You will work in a team to select an organisation, analyse its leadership dynamics, and explore the challenges faced by leaders within that context using relevant theories and frameworks.   Skills in focus: - Teamwork - Critical Analysis - Application of Leadership Concepts - Problem-Solving   Deliverable: Written report [max. 2,000 words] Group assessment

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify and analyse the nature and origins of leadership.
  • Examine effective practices and strategies to develop sustainable team relationships in a collaborative working environment.
  • Analyse ethical leadership issues in a management context.

Skills development: Leadership up close

Assessment Type 1: Reflective Writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 23/05/2025
Weighting: 30%

 

The purpose of this assessment is to encourage you to critically reflect on your engagement and contributions throughout the unit and during tutorials, as well as to develop a structured plan for your future learning and development. Self-awareness, growth and development are critical to any successful leader's journey.   You will analyse your contributions, evaluate your impact on group discussions and activities, and articulate your plans for continued growth, supported by evidence and artefacts from your learning journey.   Skills in focus: - Self-Reflection - Communication Skills - Goal Setting - Application of theoretical concepts   Deliverable: Reflective report [max. 1,500 words excluding appendices with supporting evidence] Individual assessment

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify and analyse the nature and origins of leadership.
  • Apply self-reflection to leadership challenges.

Skills development: Leadership frameworks

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 11/04/2025
Weighting: 40%

 

The purpose of this assessment is to develop your ability to critically analyse leadership practices and ethical considerations by evaluating a real-world leader through established theories and frameworks.   You will select a leader of their choice and conduct a comprehensive analysis of their leadership style, behaviours, and ethical decision-making, applying relevant leadership and ethics theories.   Skills in focus: - Critical thinking - Ethical Reasoning - Application of Leadership Theories - Written Communication   Deliverable: Essay [max. 2,000 word] Individual assessment

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify and analyse the nature and origins of leadership.
  • Analyse ethical leadership issues in a management context.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Please see ilearn for further details

Unit Schedule

Please see ilearn for further details

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Changes from Previous Offering

Active Engagement and Self Reflection assessment tasks were removed and replaced with a Skill Development Leadership - Up Close Assessment Task worth 30%. The Leadership Essay value was increased to 40% and the word limit increased to 2000 words.

Unit information based on version 2025.04 of the Handbook