Napoleon's Glance

This elective course offers a key skill for your work and life: how to get a creative idea. Other courses teach the science of management, through analytical tools and techniques: this course teaches the art, through creative intuition - otherwise known as Napoleons glance. The term Napoleons glance" comes from nineteenth century military theory. The first great modern general that scholars studied in detail was Napoleon Bonaparte: in his classic book, On War (1832), Carl von Clausewitz shows the key to Napoleons success as coup doeil, which means "glance" in French. Today we recognize coup doeil as creative intuition: ordinary intuition is just a feeling, but creative intuition comes from real knowledge and experience, brought together in a flash of insight to suit the situation. Its the "big Aha!" - or a series of smaller ones - that shows you the way ahead. This course helps you see how coup doeil works and how to apply it. We learn where entrepreneurs get their ideas, where innovators get their innovations, where visionaries get their vision, where creative insights come from, how leaders know where to lead to - and how you too can prepare for, recognize, and seize opportunities of all kinds. Napoleons glance is a simple idea, but its difficult to use to full advantage in specific situations. You will continue to learn it all your life: this course gives you a step along that path. You will gain insights, tools and techniques you can begin applying upon graduation - or even before, in your current job search or choice of career. Class sessions consist of lecture and discussion on key aspects of Napoleons glance, a review of cases that show it in action, and in-class exercises and videos. Case examples draw from material where the strategists intuition shines through. Pre-class readings for the first session will be on Canvas before the first session. There are two short surveys (one sentence each) about the readings to complete before the first session, also on Canvas. Requirements for the course are: do the readings, attend class, answer an online survey question before each session, and send me a "Nightly Note." For extra credit, you can do a paper on some aspect of Napoleons glance that interests you. Email the TA about makeups or other grading questions."