ISF122-Lessons-1-2-SY-2024-2025

Preface

  • ADZU-SHS RIGHT Interactive Learning Kit for ISF122: "Ignatian Leadership and Mission" (SY 2024-2025)
    • Aligns with Ateneo de Zamboanga University’s values, identity, tradition, and mission.
    • Interactive design tailored to 21st-century Ateneans.
    • Explores leadership & mission through Ignatian Spirituality; draws framework from the life/teachings of St Ignatius of Loyola (founder, Society of Jesus).
    • Focus areas
    • Standards of leadership that mirror Ignatius’ style and qualities.
    • Graces of the Spiritual Exercises.
    • Application of Catholic Social Teachings (CST) as foundations for living & leading.
    • Ignatian Way of Proceeding: Awareness Examen, Discernment, Ignatian Paradigm (Context-Experience-Reflection-Action-Evaluation).
    • Course posture: invite students to connect values, aspirations, deepest desires with God’s call; aim to form "the kind of Ignatian leader God inspires you to be."
    • Kit produced collaboratively by ISF122 instructors.

Table of Contents (Module Level)

  • UNIT I – Called to Ignatian Leadership
    • Lesson 1 – Spiritual Leadership: Ignatius as a Leader (p. 1)
    • Lesson 2 – Value-Based Leadership (p. 8)
  • UNIT II – Ignatian Leadership With & For Others
    • Lesson 3 – Ignatian Leadership Framework (p. 19)
    • Lesson 4 – Working With Others (p. 27)
  • UNIT III – Called to Life in Organizations
    • Lesson 5 – Ignatian Discernment & Leaders Leading With Discernment (p. 36)
    • Lesson 6 – Catholic Social Teachings (p. 46)
  • UNIT IV – Ignatian Leadership at the Peripheries
    • Lesson 7 – The Graces of the Spiritual Exercises (p. 53)
    • Lesson 8 – Ignatian Leadership Paradigm (p. 60)

Course Outline (Chronological Flow)

  • Week 1 – SCHOLA BREVIS (opening/orientation)
  • Week 2 – UNIT I / Lesson 1
  • Weeks 3-4 – Lesson 2
  • Week 5 – Performance Task 1: Leadership Speech Manuscript
    • Script ≤ 2 pages; recounts essence of leadership via personal growth, challenges, impact.
  • Week 6 – UNIT II / Lesson 3
  • Week 7 – Lesson 4
  • Week 8 – Performance Task 2: Leadership Talks (video vlog/podcast with chosen leader)
    • Identify concrete leadership moments; reflect on testing situations & collaboration.
  • Week 9 – MIDTERM EXAMINATIONS
  • Weeks 10-11 – UNIT III / Lesson 5
  • Week 12 – Lesson 6
  • Week 13 – Performance Task 3: Retreat in Daily Life (RDL)
    • Prayer exercises, group spiritual conversation, individual reflection.
  • Week 14 – UNIT IV / Lesson 7
  • Week 15 – Lesson 8
  • Week 16 – Performance Task submission window
  • Week 17 – Performance Task 4: IPP (Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm) Leadership Framework
    • Produce CERAE-patterned action plan on urgent Zamboanga issue.
  • Week 18 – FINAL EXAMINATIONS

UNIT I – Called to Ignatian Leadership

Lesson 1 – Spiritual Leadership: Ignatius as a Leader

Context & Competencies
  • Learning outcomes
    • Understand Ignatius’ view of leadership via the Ignatian Way of Proceeding.
    • Reflect on Ignatian leadership style & qualities.
  • Values integration: cultivate character/culture by adopting traits of an Ignatian leader and a Superior General.
  • Essential understanding: Ideal Ignatian leaders blend deep God-connection, humility, empowerment of others; spiritual growth inseparable from practical skill.
Prelection – Activity 1.1 “Servant-Leader”
  • Visual prompts: Pope Francis, Pastor Billy Graham, Sheikh Mohammad Al-Arefe.
  • Guiding question: motives & factors behind their service orientation.
Experience
  • Key terms
    • Constitution: governing document of Society of Jesus, authored by Ignatius + Polanco.
    • Spiritual Exercises: meditations/prayers for deepening relationship with God.
Defining Leadership (David McCallum SJ)
  • Ignatius never writes a direct treatise on leadership; insight gleaned from Constitutions & letters.
  • Letters reveal how Spiritual Exercises nurture equilibrium between institutional leadership & spiritual life.
Portrait of the Superior General (Constitutions IX.2, §§ 723-735)
  • Leader is "mirror & model"; traits (per Fr Nick Austin SJ synthesis):
    • Profound spiritual depth; friendship with God in prayer, action, relationships.
    • Inner freedom of heart.
    • Leads with humble, just, strong love.
    • Proactive starter & finisher.
    • Cares for health & appearance (spirit–soul–body).
    • Lives the magis (more, greater good).
  • Essentials:
    • Sound character.
    • Deep love for the Society of Jesus.
    • Good sense.
    • Reliance on God’s grace for inevitable shortcomings (AMDG).
Seven Qualities of an Ignatian Leader (Nick Joaquin SJ)
  1. Friendship with God
    • Experiential, not merely intellectual; interiorly nurtures/animates mission.
  2. Magnanimity
    • Generous heart open to God & others; pursues good with humility & love.
  3. Practical Wisdom (Prudence / Discernment)
    • Surpasses academic brilliance; capacity to judge & act rightly.
  4. Freedom (Ignatian indifference)
    • Moderates attachments; embodies temperance, decorum, modesty; aligns with Principle & Foundation.
  5. Kindness that is Just
    • Mercy + equity; avoids indulgence or coldness.
  6. Proactivity
    • Solicitude, constancy, perseverance; initiates, persists, completes tasks despite opposition; vigilant vs. negligence.
  7. Indifference (Holy Equanimity)
    • Detached from worldly success/failure; rooted in discernment & spiritual freedom.
Ignatius as Leader – Expert Insights
  • Loyola Press: purpose sprang from spiritual life; weaknesses became grace points; wounds fostered solidarity.
  • Fr Philip Endean SJ (interviewed by Fr John Dardis SJ):
    1. Talent magnet: gathered, united gifted companions (e.g., Faber, Xavier, Polanco, Nadal) & empowered them to pursue missions; expanded Society & schools.
    2. Compassion for vulnerable: dismissals in Constitutions written with utmost love.
    3. Shared spiritual experience: Exercises & Constitutions transmit wisdom while letting others make the journey.
Activities Overview
  • Activity 1.2 "Unleashing the Leader Within"
    • Reflect how Ignatius embodied each of the seven traits; identify other meaningful elements, comparable figures, and personal leadership style.
  • Activity 1.3 Reflection (personal trait audit, improvement steps, empowerment plan).
  • Activity 1.4 Survey
    • Interview 3 Ignatian leaders on ability to unite talent, care for vulnerable, share experience; compare & conclude.
  • Activity 1.5 Checking for Understanding (QR-based).

Lesson 2 – Value-Based Leadership

Context & Competencies
  • Outcomes
    • Recognize risks of leadership models lacking moral foundations.
    • Identify "Two Standards"—dynamics of good & evil in leadership.
    • Reflect on character/values as pillars of purposeful, authentic leadership.
    • Suggest practices to cultivate ethical authenticity.
  • Values integration: become effective critical thinker/problem-solver by discerning good vs evil dynamics.
  • Essential understanding: Leadership surpasses charisma; anchored in character, ethics, continuous self-improvement.
Prelection – Activity 2.1 “Lead the Sheep”
  • Identify sheep exhibiting positive leader traits; color accordingly.
  • Guide: propose additional necessary traits & rationale.
Experience – Concept Notes
  • Vocabulary
    • Inferior, Complacency, Assertive.
Beyond Charismatic Leadership (David McCallum SJ)
  • Trend: shift from charismatic to quieter leaders (humility, self-control, realism).
  • Authentic/ethical leadership depends on character & inner development, not fixed personality traits.
  • Distinction:
    • Personality traits = relatively fixed.
    • Character attributes = developable through testing experiences.
  • Thomas Lickona: character involves Knows → Desires → Acts Right\text{Knows → Desires → Acts Right}.
  • Love = essence of ethical leadership (Kouzes & Posner). Genuine care drives acquisition of skills & inspires higher moral reasoning (Burns; Dukerich et al.).
Ten Practices to Build Character & Authenticity
  1. Schedule regular reflection.
  2. Learn from pivotal/critical moments.
  3. Narrow gap between professional & personal selves.
  4. Seek trustworthy feedback.
  5. Engage coaches/mentors/spiritual guides.
  6. Emulate inspiring role models.
  7. Form virtuous habits (e.g., courageous honesty).
  8. Own mistakes & foster collective responsibility.
  9. Nurture spiritual life; appreciate transcendent meaning.
  10. Audit values; ensure behaviors align (consistency + empathy for weakness).
The Two Standards in Leadership (Nikolaas Sintobin SJ)
  • Ignatian meditation: two value scales—one attractive (evil), one initially unattractive (Jesus/good).
I. Dynamics of Evil – Goal: isolate human person, ruin relationships.

A. Path of Systematic Self-Overestimation (Upward Spiral)

  1. RICHES (Self-Reliance/Greed/Assertiveness)
    • Resource accumulation → identity with success → complacency.
  2. HONORS (Arrogance/Complacency)
    • Attribute success solely to self; superiority mindset.
  3. PRIDE (Loneliness/Isolation)
    • Believe self central & unique; relationships deteriorate; contrary to human nature.
      B. Downward Spiral – Systematic Self-Underestimation
  4. Excessive focus on lacking riches → stagnation, burden, dismiss success, interpret praise as pity; entrenched inferiority.
II. Dynamics of Good – The Way of Jesus (Golden Path)

a. POVERTY (Limitation/Powerlessness)
- Recognize human smallness; need collaboration; mistakes inevitable.
b. HUMILIATION
- Imitate Christ’s humility; embrace humiliations as entry to deeper God-union.
c. HUMILITY
- Accept dependence; view others as partners; fosters gratitude, authentic relationship, growth.

  • Both pride & humility operate; discernment required to choose good.
Pause & Reflect Prompt
  • How comprehension of these dynamics informs purposeful/authentic decisions.
Ignatian Spirituality – Finding God in All Things (Loyola Press)
  • Seek/Find God "already at work" in personal/institutional life.
  • Ignatian environments embrace interconnected world; partner with God at local-to-global levels.
Activities & Assessment
  • Activity 2.2 "Values Exploration"
    • List 5 leader-values; note significance to self & others; answer alignment questions.
  • Activity 2.3 Personal Values Statement (concise articulations of core principles).
  • Activity 2.4 Reflection (calling, integrity alignment, daily practice integration).
  • Written work (in-class) & Evaluation via QR.
Performance Task 1 (for Unit I & II) – Leadership Speech Manuscript
  • Role: guest speaker to Grade 10 conference; script ≤ 1 page (draft + final in-class).
  • Criteria (rubric): Content ×3, Organization/Clarity ×2, Theme Development ×2, Originality/Convention ×1, Legibility ×1.
  • Guidance: compelling opening, authentic experiences, meaningful dialogue, memorable ending, concise language, proofreading.

Cross-Unit Pedagogical Elements

  • Ignatian Pedagogy Principle (CERAE): Context, Experience, Reflection, Action, Evaluation – embedded in major performance tasks (e.g., IPP action plan).
  • Awareness Examen & Discernment practices integrated across lessons.
  • Activities cycle: Prelection (anticipatory), Experience (content build), Guided Practice, Reflection, Action, Evaluation.

Ethical / Philosophical / Practical Implications

  • Leadership detached from spiritual/moral roots risks self-destructive dynamics (greed, pride, isolation).
  • Ignatian model posits poverty-humility-service as pathway to authentic influence and communal flourishing.
  • Integration of CST anchors decision-making in justice, dignity, common