ML530: Lifelong Development (4 units)

J. Robert Clinton, Professor of Leadership
Fall 2004 Pasadena

DESCRIPTION:

This course explores the nature of Christian leadership development. Leadership emergence theory is a grounded theory derived from the comparative study of many life histories of biblical, historical, and contemporary leaders.
The development of a leader takes a lifetime. God processes or shapes a leader in terms of leadership character, leadership skills, and leadership values. The processes that God uses can be studied, categorized, and characterized. They can be integrated around a timeline of a leader that shows development from the big picture, the lifetime perspective. Patterns can be observed as God develops a person over a lifetime. These variables—that is, the large umbrella concepts of the course, processing, time, and patterns of response—form the backbone of the course. Emphasis in this course is upon recognition of values and lessons learned in God's processing as well as integration of them along a timeline.
Many individual concepts flowing from these variables such as various process items, the unique timeline, boundaries, giftedness development pattern, and many, many more are examined, all with a view toward understanding one's own shaping. The thrust of this course involves learning perspectives that will aid life-long development.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

• Ability to analyze one's life using leadership emergence theory concepts.
• Ability to construct a case study involving the following elements: unique timeline with additional information on it (response patterns, etc.); listing of process items; a narrative capsule (personal history); social base inventory; analysis of 5 key process items; major principles for the 5 key process items; analysis of one major boundary; giftedness analysis; destiny processing analysis; life purpose paragraph.
• See purposes and goals as given in the ML530 syllabus for measurements of the learning goals.

COURSE FORMAT:

This course meets for two two-hour sessions per week. The first session includes a time of spiritual formation. There are also instructor lectures and question/answer times. Half of the second session involves further input on lifelong development concepts. The other half is devoted to small group activities that apply the concepts.

REQUIRED READING:

ML530 Class Syllabus
ML530 Reader Articles (available on discs).
Clinton, J. Robert. The Making of a Leader. Colorado Springs: NAV Press, 1998.
Clinton, J. Robert. Leadership Emergence Theory. Altadena: Barnabas Publishers, 1989.
Trebesch, Shelley. Isolation. Altadena: Barnabas Publishers, 1997.
Choice of One:
Samuel. Altadena: Barnabas Publishers, 1993.
Barnabas. Altadena: Barnabas Publishers, 1997.
Joshua. Altadena: Barnabas Publishers, 1990.

ASSIGNMENTS:

1. Reading of all listed materials plus additional case studies on reserve shelf or in Reader or on CD handed out in class.
2. Weekly exercises from Leadership Emergence Theory and articles designed for analysis of a student’s own life.
3. A case study on the student's own life using leadership emergence theory concepts to prompt analysis. This case study will be completed by the end of the ninth week.
4. Th.M. Students: Presentation in small group from biographical case study.

PREREQUISITES: Students must have at least three years of ministry experience. • PRIOR WRITTEN APPROVAL FROM INSTRUCTOR IS NEEDED TO AUDIT and must be obtained prior to first class. Auditors must do all class work and major project. • Class size limited to 25 students due to format of the class; the Fall 2004 offering is limited to SIS students only.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Elective. Basic course in leadership concentration. Foundational concepts for other leadership courses.

FINAL EXAMINATION: No written examination. Final class day students share orally the results of the class on their lives.

Last Date Edited: June 24, 2004