This course focuses on the disciplined “asceticism of excellence” required to sustain a lifelong vocation.
Using Jim Collins’ Good to Great, students will explore how the transition from a “good” life to a “great” (transfigured) vocation requires a specific type of humility and focus that aligns with the Eastern Orthodox path of theosis (union with God).
Required Text: Good to Great by Jim Collins. Required Reading: Chapters 2, 3, 5, and 8 (4 chapters out of 9; approximately 44% of the book).
Course Schedule
| Week | Topic | Reading Assignment | Learning Objectives |
| 1 | Level 5 Leadership and Tapeinosis | Good to Great: Chapter 2 | Contrast worldly ambition with tapeinosis (humility) as the foundation of “Level 5” leadership. |
| 2 | First Who… Then What: Koinonia | Good to Great: Chapter 3 | Explore vocation as a communal journey, discerning the charismata (spiritual gifts) of the body of Christ. |
| 3 | The Hedgehog Concept and Telos | Good to Great: Chapter 5 | Identify your specific calling by finding the intersection of passion, gift, and “economic engine” (stewardship). |
| 4 | The Flywheel and Hypomone | Good to Great: Chapter 8 | Understand the power of hypomone (patient endurance) through the image of the “Flywheel” in the spiritual and professional life. |
| 5 | Confronting the Brutal Facts with Nepsis | Supplemental Case Study | Apply nepsis (watchfulness) to the current realities of one’s vocational field without losing hope. |
| 6 | The Sustainable Vocation | Final Synthesis | Synthesize Collins’ principles with the 10 BAMA outcome of becoming a “lifelong learner” in service to the Kingdom. |
Detailed Weekly Breakdown
Week 1: Level 5 Leadership and Tapeinosis (Humility)
Collins identifies “Level 5 leaders” as those who possess a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will. This week, we frame this as the Orthodox virtue of tapeinosis. True greatness in a vocation is found when the “ego” is crucified so that the work might serve a higher purpose—the glory of God and the benefit of the community.
- Outcome Indicator: Articulate the meaning of being created for service through the lens of humility.
Week 2: First Who… Then What: Koinonia (Communion)
Before deciding “where” to go, great organizations decide “who” is on the bus. This reflects the Orthodox understanding of koinonia. We discuss vocation not as an individualistic career path, but as a commitment to a specific community where each person’s charismata (gifts) are honored and utilized for the common good.
- Outcome Indicator: Bring the time with your mentor team to a close by considering the “right people” who provide support for your future.
Week 3: The Hedgehog Concept and Telos (Purpose)
The “Hedgehog Concept” is the disciplined pursuit of what you can be the best in the world at, what you are passionate about, and what drives your “engine.” We will view this as the discernment of one’s telos—the specific end or goal for which God created you. It is the intersection of your unique design and the world’s deep need.
Week 4: The Flywheel and Hypomone (Patient Endurance)
Greatness is not a single “miracle moment” but the result of consistent, small pushes in a single direction. This mimics the Orthodox spiritual life of ascesis and hypomone. Students will reflect on how a lifelong vocation is built through the steady accumulation of habits and the “rhythms of rest, work, and worship” established in the previous course.
- Outcome Indicator: Transition toward a journey of lifelong learning by identifying the “Flywheel” habits of your field.
Week 5: Confronting the Brutal Facts with Nepsis (Watchfulness)
“You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end… with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality.” This week, we practice nepsis (spiritual watchfulness/sobriety). We learn to look honestly at the challenges in our vocational context without succumbing to despair, trusting in God’s ultimate providence.
Week 6: The Sustainable Vocation
In the final week, students will prepare their “exit items” for the BAMA outcome. They will articulate how the principles of Good to Great (Level 5 leadership, the Hedgehog Concept, and the Flywheel) provide a framework for a sustainable, lifelong vocation that honors the eikon of God and participates in the synergeia of Kingdom ministry.
- Outcome Indicator: Assess and shape the future through self-assessment, reflecting on the Kairos journey as a “Great” transition.
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