Story behind this Leadership teaching assignment using J Campbell's monomyth

'Quamplurimi et quam aptisimi" (As many as possible of the very best)

This Lecturer all of a sudden became member of the HR cluster and teacher of The Call to Leadership.   He used to teach Entrepreneurship as an elective.  He has not taught for a year, and ironically, his last assignment was also at AGSB Clark.  This lecturer would not be able to comply with the stringent requirement of the school with new head at the helm, ie to submit the grades within one week after the end of the term.   The work load of the students and the constraint of their job simply makes this conditionality impossible to meet.

Thus, this Lecturer was off the teaching staff of the school for more than a year until he met the head of HR cluster.  She toyed with the idea that perhaps, this Lecturer can teach a subject without a major paper.  Maybe he could teach Leadership.   So she asked this Lecturer (why this term? -  it is the rank of this writer;  part time teacher cant be called Professor)  So this Lecturer sat in one of sessions of the HR head class on Leadership. (ordinary life)





One month after this Lecturer got a text from the academic coordinator that he would teach Leadership at Clark in two weeks time.  What?   (call to adventure) This lecturer does not have mastery nor working knowledge of the course, no syllabus that he is familiar with, nor teaching materials and aids to buttress the teaching. and has been off the saddle for over a year  (refusal ore hesitancy to heed the call)   Thus he called the HR head requesting for materials and expressed his apprehension.  She assured that this Lecturer  (advice of a a mentor or old woman -  magagalit si Mam Chair) could do this;  the school wants practitioner, ie those who are business leaders, leaders who are made to teach this course, rather than academicians, and somehow, she said, this Lecturer could wing it.  She sent me the CD of her readings and sample of her list of assignments (which I copied)

Thus this lecturer on a panic mode, read the contents of the CD daily for the next two weeks, took down notes, reread, reflected, until some of the academic concepts sank in;   and supplemented this with research at the internet.  But somehow, the List of Assignments, and some of the materials were my own.  I did a lot of improvisation (being ingenious as per Lowney)  Like the Jesuit missionaries discussed by author Lowney, I being a part of the Ignatian community, have to live with one foot raised, with a suitcase nearby ready to answer the call, in this case at AGSB Clark, where the need for us is deepest. (Ingenuity as one of the Pillars of Heroic Leadership) And I must obey that call. (one of the vows of a vocation - obedience)

But honestly I was in a unfamiliar territory and with great trepidation I set forth to Clark, not knowing how the Lecturer or his course would be received that is 27 strong. Fortunately, the Leader students were all eager and willing to learn, and very gracious and hospitable.   The first to greet this adventurer were Leaders Anne and Suzette (the hero encounters test and helpers)

And so I keep on repeating, that this Lecturer, is just like the rest of you a student of Leadership.  Thus, like Steve Jobs who lost his job, and went back to lead Apple again, came with a clear mind, There was emptying and indifference that made this job easier.  This lecturer is blessed with having a lot of students who are Leaders in their own right, and who contribute much to make this class lively, fun, and filled with meaningful, practical learning.

It is going to be the 5th session, past midterm and I am at the innermost cave.

But I decided that this Leadership class shall be great, unforgettable, albeit unorthodox in style and methodology.  I will do my best to make a dent in the world of leadership, at least in Clark, and or the students of this core subject.  (tama?) or contribute just a little bit to the remeergence of Region 3 as economic power house (even if all I have our two office staff at school in Clark)

Thus there is this blog site, posting lessons even when it is not class day, summarizing for you some of the readings, using movies and songs to get across lessons, team building speech making, using the power of all to create great class activities (thus the unstructured group exercise madami akong natutunan - talaga) letting the Leaders handle the class, delegating decisions to the assigned class admin  and even encouraging your class to go beyond the classroom to make your leadership count in the outside world. To make this Leadership course that you are taking to be unique, to be unlike other MBA subjects that you took.  There is however a great danger.... (as there is always danger in leadership)

(I am trying to write a reflection using Joseph Campbell's monomyth.  That is what academicians are trying to do.  To put labels into our stories and experience)