DPLS 776sp09 Leadership, Authenticity and Hospitality

The Doctoral in Leadership Studies Program in Leadership at Gonzaga University is premised on the belief that leadership is based on a deep understanding of the self and of the core values that drive one's actions. Thus effective leadership requires the development of a compelling personal vision that engages others by offering meaning, dignity, and purpose. The ultimate aim of leadership is the building of more humane relationships, organizations, and societies.  Effective leaders need to develop the critical imagination required to embrace individual, organizational, and global change from a stance of hope and courage.

Conceptual Framework

There is a pervasive form of contemporary violence. . . [and that is] activism and overwork.  The rush and pressure of modern life are a form, perhaps the most common form, of its innate violence.

To allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands, to commit oneself to too many projects, to want to help everyone in everything is to succumb to violence.

The frenzy of our activism neutralizes our work for peace.  It destroys our own inner capacity for peace.  It destroys the fruitfulness of our own work, because it kills the root of inner wisdom which makes work fruitful.

                                                                                                                                         Thomas Merton

            Trappist monk, social activist, mystic, priest and monk, Thomas Merton points out the violence we do to ourselves when we fail to take time for retreat and sanctuary (Heifitz  1994) to refresh spirit, mind and soul.  If, indeed, as our mission statement states, our work is to “develop the critical imagination required to embrace individual, organizational, and global change from a stance of hope and courage.”  (Mission Statement) we must find ways to rest and renew.  Effective leaders need a place and a time to consider their inner life and find inspiration to continue the difficult work of leading to transform the world.

            This class is designed to provide a structure for rest and contemplation based on Judaism’s understanding that the Sabbath is more than simply a time to rest from secular work, it is an obligation to enter sacred time, devoted to learning and discussion of what is core to the community.  Because hospitality is a central value to the community, the subject of discussion for the Sabbath will be our understanding of servant leadership in a multicultural, technologically mobile and diverse work world.

             Some of the questions we will address are:  Who is the stranger in our organization?  How are people made to feel welcome?  Who has the power to include or exclude?  How do we create communities in a multicultural environment?  How does globalization affect our notions of hospitality?  How do we create welcome environments using information technology? 

             The retreat will be held at St. Joseph Family Center http://www.stjosephfamilycenter.org starting March 27, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. and ending March 28 at 3:30 p.m.  We will stay in two houses with 17 bedrooms, each person will have their own room.   We will have use of the kitchen, conference room, laundry facilities, etc.  The activity fee of $110 will cover the use of the facility, overnight stay and all food and drink.   This fee is payable to Silvia Behrend on Friday night before the retreat starts.  (no money exchanged on the Sabbath!)  This retreat is limited to 16 participants. 

Format: 
March 27-28 Friday 6 p.m. to Saturday 3:30 p.m.

Students will have read all material before the class session and completed the written assignment.

Friday night 6:00- 10:00 p.m.:  Sabbath dinner, prayers, meditation and discussion of religious themes of hospitality. 

Saturday morning 9:00  am – 12:00 pm.:  Breakfast, prayers, meditation and discussion of organizational issues of hospitality.

Saturday afternoon 12:00 – 3:30 pm:  Lunch, prayers, meditation and closing discussions.  Final conclusions.   

Meals will be communally prepared, details will be provided after registration closes. 

Required Readings

Feldman, C & Kornfield J.  (1991).   Stories of the Spirit, Stories of the Heart:  Parables of the Spiritual Path from Around the World.  San Francisco:  Harper. 

Molz, J. &  Gibson,  S.  (Eds.) (2007). Mobilizing Hospitality: The Ethics of Social Relations in a Mobile World. Vermont:  Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.,

Pohl, Christine (1999).  Making Room: Recovering Hospitality as a Christian Tradition.  Grand Rapids:   Wm. B  Eerdmans Publishing.

Choose one or two pivotal passages from your own religious/spiritual tradition that speaks to you of the importance of hospitality from a spiritual perspective to bring to the class discussion.  This can be biblical or secular.

Assignments

Molz, J. &  Gibson,  S.  (Eds.) (2007). Mobilizing Hospitality: The Ethics of Social Relations in a Mobile World.   Write a 3-5 page paper addressing the issues most germane to your organizational experience.   Due:  March 20^th.  You can email me your paper at  revdocsil@gmail.com.  If you have any questions, you can also call me at 360-352-2559.

Read the other books and be prepared to use the material in your discussions.   

Assumptions about the class

The retreat takes place at the St Joseph Family Center and begins promptly at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, March 27, 2009.

This is an overnight retreat, please bring appropriate sleeping clothing.  Each person will have her or his own bedroom.

We will cook in teams and clean up in teams.  We are responsible for leaving the center clean.

This class is specifically designed as a retreat, therefore, it is crucial that students be prepared to participate fully and be prepared to discuss the material assigned. 

The only grades given will be an S or an incomplete.  Failure to turn in the written assignment on time or lack of preparation will result in an incomplete. 

The cost per person is $110.00 includes the overnight stay and all meals, material and refreshments payable to Silvia Behrend before the beginning of our time together. 

References

Heifitz, Ronald (1994).  Leadership Without Easy Answers.  Cambridge:  Harvard University Press. 

Muller, Wayne (1999).  Sabbath, Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in our Busy Lives.  New York:  Bantam.