Learning to Listen, Discern, and Decide in Online Organizational Leadership Education: Insights from Ignatius of Loyola and Robert Greenleaf

This pedagogical paper explores the teaching and learning experiences in, Listen, Discern, Decide, an online graduate course in organizational leadership inspired by the insights of Ignatius of Loyola (1548/1991) and Robert Greenleaf (1977/2002). The presenter will provide an overview of the course objectives, content, assignments, and how graduate students have responded to the perspectives of Ignatian spirituality and servant-leadership on listening. Both worldviews encourage all leadership learners to cultivate a posture and practice characterized by patience, humility, openness to diverse perspectives, and a recognition of the inherent dignity of all human persons. Ultimately, the purpose of this graduate course in organizational leadership is to cultivate an abiding commitment to and concern for deep listening – a discerned leadership choice that involves developing the capacity to listen to the essence of an issue, which can nurture awareness and wisdom at the individual, collective, and societal levels.