Whenever you walk into a room, you're already telling a story. But do you know what it is? And is it the story you need at that moment to reach your goals, to serve your team, or to protect your values? Do you know when and how to take space, and when and how to make space? Drawing on theater practice and on psychological science, this course allows students to be more intentional in how they show up, to examine their relationship with power, and to identify how they want to approach leadership roles. In-class exercises drawn from actor training bring these questions to life, while debriefings and short lectures tie them to insights from social psychology and management science. Multiple sessions are devoted to roleplays where students choose what to work on, get to experiment with different techniques, and receive immediate feedback from peers and instructors, allowing them to expand their authentic range.
3 units · Letter or Credit/No Credit
Whenever you walk into a room, you're already telling a story. But do you know what it is? And is it the story you need at that moment to reach your goals, to serve your team, or to protect your values? Do you know when and how to take space, and when and how to make space? Drawing on theater practice and on psychological science, this course allows students to be more intentional in how they show up, to examine their relationship with power, and to identify how they want to approach leadership roles. In-class exercises drawn from actor training bring these questions to life, while debriefings and short lectures tie them to insights from social psychology and management science. Multiple sessions are devoted to roleplays where students choose what to work on, get to experiment with different techniques, and receive immediate feedback from peers and instructors, allowing them to expand their authentic range.
Offered in Spring 2026 at Stanford University.