1. Critically interpret leadership decisions made within an entrepreneurial or intrapreneurial project using evidence from practice.

Knowledge & understanding, Reflection

2. Evaluate how contextual constraints, stakeholder dynamics, and uncertainty influence strategic leadership judgement.

Application & problem-solving; Critical reasoning & collaboration

3. Synthesise evidence from project activity to justify strategic choices, trade-offs, and pivots made during entrepreneurial action.

Research skills; Application & problem-solving

4. Articulate and defend a reasoned interpretation of leadership judgement and strategic decision-making.

Communication; Personal development & entrepreneurship

Assessment 1: Strategic Leadership Review

Students produce a Strategic Leadership Review analysing leadership and strategic decisions made by an influential entrepreneur.

The review includes:

Curated Evidence

Key decisions made during a project

Evidence of stakeholder interaction

Examples of strategic pivots or trade-offs

Strategic Sensemaking Analysis

Interpretation of leadership decisions

Discussion of contextual constraints and uncertainty

Critical consideration of how decision-making processes shaped outcomes and strategic direction, including reflection on the implications for effective leadership practice

Leadership Defence

Articulation of leadership judgement

Defence of strategic choices

Assessment emphasises reasoning, judgement, and interpretation, not project outcomes.

Formative opportunities include:

Assessment workshops, peer led roundtable discussions, case study reviews.

This module enables students to interpret and make sense of entrepreneurial or intrapreneurial leadership experience, focusing on how leadership decisions and strategic choices are shaped by context, values, relationships, and uncertainty. It positions strategy as sensemaking and choice under constraint, rather than planning or growth. Students analyse and synthesise leadership decisions made throughout the Capstone project, including those arising from digital experimentation and subsequent project development.

Indicative Content:

Leadership decision-making in entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial contexts

Leading self and others under uncertainty and constraint

Working with and through teams: coordination, conflict, and contribution

Building, leveraging, and sustaining networks and relationships

Stakeholder engagement, negotiation, and managing competing expectations

Strategic choices, trade-offs, and prioritisation in practice

Influence and credibility in action (e.g. gaining buy-in, persuading others)

Navigating organisational, market, and contextual constraints

Interpreting feedback and evidence to reassess leadership judgement

Synthesising learning from action to articulate an evolving leadership approach

Articulating leadership identity and future strategic orientation

This module explores how entrepreneurial leaders interpret complex situations and make strategic decisions under uncertainty. Students reflect on leadership decisions made during their entrepreneurial or intrapreneurial experiences, analysing how context, relationships, and constraints shape strategy in practice. Through guided sensemaking activities, peer dialogue, and practitioner insight, students develop the ability to interpret leadership challenges and articulate their evolving strategic leadership identity.

Sessions will include:

Facilitated seminars introducing leadership and strategic sensemaking concepts through applied examples

Guided sensemaking activities focused on interpreting leadership decisions and dilemmas

Peer dialogue and structured discussion of leadership experiences across different contexts

Practitioner insights on leading teams, influencing stakeholders, and making strategic choices under constraint

Formative feedback on written evidence and preparation for oral defence

Essential:

Rumelt, R.P. (2022) The Crux: How Leaders Become Strategists. London: Profile Books.

Recommended Reading

Tourish, D. (2013) The Dark Side of Transformational Leadership: A Critical Perspective. London: Routledge.

While Tourish (2013) is not a recent source, it remains a seminal critique of transformational leadership, offering enduring insights into potential risks such as power concentration and ethical blind spots.