A New Capstone for Decision Making, Volume 2: Discernment. : Volume 2

By Stegmann, Juan, Pablo, Ph.D.

Book Id: WPLBN0100751413
Format Type: PDF (eBook)
File Size: 1.52 MB.
Reproduction Date: 7/1/2025

Title:	A New Capstone for Decision Making, Volume 2: Discernment. : Volume 2
Author:	Stegmann, Juan, Pablo, Ph.D.
Volume:	Volume 2
Language:	English
Subject:	Non Fiction, Social Sciences
Collections:	Authors Community, Philosophy
Historic Publication Date:	2025
Publisher:	En Route Books and Media. https://enroutebooksandmedia.com/

Member Page:	Juan Pablo Stegmann
Citation APA MLA Chicago Pablo Stegmann, P. J. (2025). A New Capstone for Decision Making, Volume 2: Discernment. : Volume 2. Retrieved from https://gutenberg.us/

Description
Universities call Capstone (cornerstone, foundation stone) to the final course of many programs, as it integrates the subjects studied and prepares graduates for decision-making. is book proposes a new Capstone, as shown in Figure 1, where the decision-making mechanism is based on our “Discernment.” Volume 1 incorporates a new version of strategic management in the Capstone (on the le in Figure 1) that introduces unity, sim-plicity, clarity of ideas, and, most importantly, critical thinking and interdisciplinary thinking. ese are key competencies for decision-making. Volume 2 completes this exercise: it incorporates discern-ment, a much richer and more human mechanism than critical thinking, and broadens interdisciplinary thinking by incorporating several disciplines that are pillars of discernment: philosophy, cul-tures, religions, spirituality, psychology, ethics, and social responsi- 2 A New Capstone for Decision Making bility. Discernment incorporates the whole person and the commu-nity into decision-making. Volume 1 incorporates political economy into the Capstone, providing crucial insight for society: the success of a nation and of any organization is based on its intellectual capital, which is com-posed of human capital (knowledge, skills, health, motivation), so-cial capital (values, civility, community, democratic functioning, in-stitutions, culture of trust, social responsibility), renewal capital (ca-pacity for innovation and growth), process capital (production ca-pacity, technology, management). is Volume 2 completes that ex-ercise, showing how discernment helps build intellectual capital, promoting the success of society. Volume 1 incorporates leadership into the Capstone, a leader-ship based on an organizational process that seeks excellence and greatness. is Volume 2 completes that exercise, showing how discernment helps build great, excellent leadership, maximizing the happiness and success of individuals and societies. Making deci-sions with discernment humanizes and integrates society, maximizes its happiness and well-being, and leads to a peaceful world.

Summary
A New Capstone for Decision Making, Volume 2, adds discernment to strategic decision-making. Building on Volume 1, it integrates philosophy, spirituality, culture, religion, psychology, ethics, and social responsibility, each a powerful source of discernment, to form leaders who decide for the common good. Using the Baldrige Excellence Framework, ten “discernment” dimensions, and experiential exercises, it links personal transformation to organizational results—intellectual capital, well-being, and social peace. A practical guide for students, executives, policymakers, and educators seeking wise decisions. Capstone refers to the exercise of integrating our knowledge and relying on tools to make decisions. This two-volume book and videos present a new high-level Capstone for making the best decisions based on our discernment, to build a more humane and better world. Managers and students may prefer to start with Volume 1, to understand the fundamentals of new strategic management, political economy, and process-based leadership, as well as the role of critical thinking and intellectual capital in decision-making. You can download this and other related books, and watch related videos at: https://www.discernment.online/

Table of Contents
Table of Contents Introduction ..................................................................................................... 1 e value of discernment .................................................................. 2 A journey toward personal and social transformation, happiness, and peace ............................................................................................. 3 e practical approach of this book ................................................. 6 Towards peace .................................................................................... 7 Chapter 1: Building the cognitive dimension of our discernment; incorporating knowledge, awareness, wisdom, and humanism into our decisions ....................................................... 9 Introduction. Great, excellent leadership requires the best knowledge. .......................................................................................... 9 Experiential learning. Creating knowledge and awareness, sources of discernment. ................................................................... 12 Reflection, meditation, contemplation .......................................... 14 Multiple intelligences ....................................................................... 15 Emotional intelligence ..................................................................... 16 Spiritual intelligence ........................................................................ 17 Knowledge management ................................................................. 19 Discernment and the three epistemologies: how we construct knowledge and consciousness. ....................................................... 20 Empiricism ................................................................................. 21 Subjective idealism ..................................................................... 22 2 A New Capstone for Decision Making Realism ....................................................................................... 23 Discernment. Building wisdom and virtues on our way to happiness. .......................................................................................... 25 World peace ...................................................................................... 27 Chapter 2: Building the transcendental dimension of our discernment; incorporating ideals, the journey to transcendence, goodness, beauty, and truth in our decisions ........................................................................................... 29 Introduction. Great, excellent leadership requires a vision of the future that leads to transcendence. ................................................ 29 Experiential learning. Martin Luther King. An ideal transforms a nation. ................................................................................................ 32 e "Vision" according to Collins and Porras ............................... 33 Building an ideal, a source of discernment. .................................. 35 World peace ...................................................................................... 37 Chapter 3: Building the axiological dimension of our discernment; incorporating our superior values and leadership culture into our decisions ........................................................................... 41 Introduction. Great, excellent leadership requires a mission, based on superior values. ................................................................ 41 Experiential learning. Winston Churchill. Values liberate Europe from Nazi tyranny. ........................................................................... 43 Table of Contents 3 Values are at the heart of the "Mission", driving forces of leadership. ......................................................................................... 44 John Cassian. Values are the heart of discernment. ..................... 45 Phenomenology. How values are born. ......................................... 47 Building discernment. Value ranges. ............................................. 48 Scheler. Vertical value ranges. ................................................... 49 Hartmann. Horizontal value ranges. ........................................ 53 Building discernment. Geert Hofstede: cultural values. .............. 54 Origin of individualism .............................................................. 58 Origin of collectivism ................................................................. 58 Building discernment. e social impact of individualism vs. collectivism. ...................................................................................... 59 Building discernment ................................................................. 65 Building discernment. e social benefits of a leadership culture: statistical analysis. ............................................................................ 65 Values transform cultures ............................................................... 67 World peace ...................................................................................... 68 Chapter 4: Building the religious dimension of our discernment; incorporating our relationship with God in our decisions . 71 Introduction. Great, excellent leadership relies on our religiosity. ............................................................................................................ 71 First experiential learning. Living in the presence of God as a source of discernment. .................................................................... 75 Second experiential learning. Walking towards perfection as a source of discernment. .................................................................... 80 ird experiential learning. e transformative power of the Readings as a source of discernment. ............................................ 83 Fourth experiential learning. e Judeo-Christian liturgy as a source of discernment. .................................................................... 85 Building discernment. Experiencing God's presence in our daily lives. ................................................................................................... 90 Building discernment. Building a relationship with God, collaborating with him in creation, is an engine of leadership. .. 92 Building discernment. e connection between leadership, religiosity and spirituality. ............................................................... 93 Building discernment. Building a new man and a new society.100 World peace .................................................................................... 103 Chapter 5: Building the relational dimension of our discernment; incorporating awareness and community in our decisions ......................................................................................... 105 Introduction. Great, excellent leadership requires relationships and community. .............................................................................. 105 First experiential learning. Coach Gary Gaines. Uniting and empowering a soccer team. ........................................................... 109 Second experiential learning: epistemologies unite or divide society .............................................................................................. 109 Modern management relies on relationships ............................. 111 Phenomenology promotes awareness and relationships, building discernment .................................................................................... 113 Phenomenology promotes discernment, creates awareness and relationships, and humanizes society .......................................... 114 Building discernment. e value of social reality. ...................... 118 World peace .................................................................................... 118 Chapter 6: Building the personal dimension of our discernment; incorporating our interiority in our decisions .................... 121 Introduction. Great, excellent leadership requires us to get in touch with our inner self. .............................................................. 121 First experiential learning. Blind Bartimaeus performs a spiritual exercise, building discernment. .................................................... 124 e Spiritual Exercises ................................................................... 126 Ignatian discernment in decision making ................................... 127 e Enneagram as a tool for discernment in decision making 129 Second experiential learning: Using the Enneagram to gain insight into myself, my personality, compulsions, and strategies for overcoming them. .................................................................... 131 1. Identifying our personality type ........................................... 131 2. The compulsions of each personality type ........................... 133 3. Obstacles to discernment in each personality ...................... 134 4. How the Enneagram helps to overcome our obstacles to discernment .............................................................................. 135 World peace .................................................................................... 137 Chapter 7: Building the existential dimension of our discernment; incorporating the meaning of life in our decisions ........... 139 Introduction. Great, excellent leadership requires a sense of our existence .......................................................................................... 139 Experiential learning. Nelson Mandela. Transforming personal suffering led him to transform a culture and unify a nation..... 142 e Epic of Gilgamesh. Suffering transforms our decisions ..... 143 e asceticism of the Greeks. Discernment: accepting suffering to strengthen us. ................................................................................. 144 Buddhism. Our decisions generate suffering. ............................. 144 e Bible. Suffering for a higher purpose. ................................... 145 Christianity. Suffering as part of our life. .................................... 149 Modernity. e meaning and transformation of suffering. ...... 151 Chapter 8: Building the transforming dimension of our discernment; incorporating our power to create, recreate, and transform into our decisions ............................................ 155 Introduction. Great, excellent leadership requires transformational power. ................................................................ 155 Experiential learning. Steve Jobs. Overcoming the odds, transforming the world. ................................................................ 158 Strategic management and transformation ................................. 161 Our spirituality, an engine of transformation ............................. 163 Chapter 9: Building the healing dimension of our discernment; incorporating our capacity to heal the spirit, mind, and body in our decisions .................................................................. 171 Introduction. Great, excellent leadership requires healing power. .......................................................................................................... 171 Experiential learning. Mahatma Gandhi. Transforming a nation .......................................................................................................... 174 e cognitive dimension of our discernment is healing ........... 175 e transcendental dimension of our discernment is healing.. 177 e axiological dimension of our discernment is healing......... 177 e religious dimension of our discernment is healing ............ 178 e relational dimension of our discernment is healing ........... 179 e decisional dimension of our discernment is healing .......... 181 e existential dimension of our discernment is healing .......... 182 Scientific evidence confirms the healing power of spirituality . 183 Scientific evidence confirms the healing power of religiosity ... 183 World peace .................................................................................... 183 Chapter 10: Building the social dimension of our discernment; incorporating our capacity to promote and execute social actions in our decisions .............................................................. 185 Introduction. Great, excellent leadership requires the ability to execute social actions. .................................................................... 185 Experiential learning. Two examples of social action. ............... 187 Building discernment: ethics and social action .......................... 188 Empiricist ethics: utilitarianism, ethics based on consequences (teleology) ................................................................................. 188 Subjective idealistic ethics: Ethics based on norms (deontology) .................................................................................................. 189 Realistic ethics: virtues and values lead to social action ......... 191 Building discernment: social responsibility ................................ 192 Empiricist social responsibility: the shareholder's view ........... 192 Subjective idealist social responsibility: normative social responsibility ............................................................................ 193 Realist social responsibility: a leadership culture promotes the well-being of the community .................................................... 195 e Bible promotes social action .................................................. 196 Christianity promotes social action ............................................. 198 Modern spirituality promotes social action ................................ 200