DESCRIPTION:

This course will increase personal and professional effectiveness by focussing on leadership and character in new and interesting ways. We will consider the idea that personal influence in our multiple service roles (counseling, parenting, pastoring, teaching, missions, and managing) comes from personal credibility and communal alignments. Participants will look at dimensions of leadership including spirituality, character, emotional intelligence, community, culture and organizational context, as well as effective styles of leadership. All of these topics will focus upon the person as leader and the organizational structure that supports his/her leadership. This course is about building leadership competence through personal change and leading organizational structures to health and vision.

Using the reading list, personality assessment inventories, case studies, interactions with the instructor and peers, students will be challenged to explore their leadership assumptions in life-changing ways. This course will provide a foundation for understanding leadership and its effect on ministry development and service. It is especially helpful to all three schools in terms of leadership development.

The course will meet weekly for a three and a half hour session.

A two-page reaction paper will be submitted on each of the books listed below:

De Pree, Max. Leadership is an Art. Michigan State University Press, 1987.

Gardner, John W. On Leadership. The Free Press, Macmillan, Inc., 1990.

Hagberg, Janet O. Real Power. Revised edition. Sheffield Publishing Co., 1994.

Hunter, James C. The Servant. Prima, 1998.

Kouzes, James and Barry Posner. The Leadership Challenge. Revised edition. Jossey-Bass, 1995.

Nouwen, Henri. In the Name of Jesus. Crossroad, 1989.

The following personality inventories:

Myers-Briggs Test, Form G, published by NBTI.

Janet Hagberg Personal Power Profile, published by Personal Power Product.

Hersey/ Blanchard Lead Self Test, published by Human Resource Development.

Covey, Stephen. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Simon & Schuster, 1989.

Goleman, Daniel. Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. Bantam, 1995.

Keirsey, David. Please Understand Me. 2nd ed. Prometheus, 1998.

Sanders, Oswald. Spiritual Leadership. Marshall Pickering, 1967.

A two-page critical and personal response for each book is due at the appropriate course session. A twenty-page paper focusing on the student's personal mission statement, self-audit and autobiography, as well as a philosophy/theology of leadership will be required. Please see course syllabus for details.

None.

Meets M.A. in Theology (General Format) requirement in Ministry Foundation (MIN F).

None.