This course systematically examines John C. Maxwell’s framework for personal and organizational growth—Position, Permission, Production, People Development, and Pinnacle—through the lens of Christian stewardship and Eastern Orthodox spiritual traditions. By synthesizing Maxwell’s 5 Levels of Leadership with Michael Lewis’s Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game and Patristic perspectives on stewardship (e.g., St. John Chrysostom, St. Basil the Great), students evaluate their own leadership practices, transition from title-based authority to relational trust, and build a framework for leadership development within churches, non-profits, and marketplace vocations. Leaders learn to look past worldly metrics of prestige and scarcity, developing the analytical capacity and spiritual discernment required to cultivate human and spiritual gifts that institutional biases routinely overlook (1 Cor. 1:27). Through research assignments, peer engagement, and a capstone oral assessment, students cultivate proficiency in identifying quality leadership resources tailored to their specific vocational contexts.
Required Text
- John C. Maxwell, The Five Levels of Leadership: Proven Steps to Maximize Your Potential. Center Street / FaithWords, 2011. (ISBN: 978-1599953632).
- Lewis, Michael. Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. W. W. Norton & Company, 2004. ISBN: 978-0393324815.
Recommended Text
- St. John Chrysostom. On Wealth and Poverty.
- St. Basil the Great. On Social Justice.
Course Requirements & VTC Expectations
- Virtual Teleconference (VTC) Participation: Live class sessions occur on Tuesday nights. Students are expected to attend all Zoom meetings, arrive on time, and remain present for the full duration. Students must come prepared to discuss the reading block completed for that week’s class.
- Reading & Assignment Workflow: Reading blocks are completed leading up to Tuesday night’s live class. Written assignments are introduced after class on Wednesday–Saturday (so no written assignment is due on a reading block prior to its live class discussion) and are finalized during the Sunday–Tuesday window.
- Oral Assessment & Grad Prep Track: The course culminates in an Oral Assessment presentation in Week 8. Optional Graduate Preparation Track students complete a parallel 5-paragraph comparative essay workflow.
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