The identity of our program rests on a foundation of the common good which we view as acting individually and collectively in the individual as well as communal interest. The common good entails sustaining our environment and ourselves by building communities of trust and dignity where everyone is valued, where everyone has an opportunity to learn and to become. So the group module is concerned with relationships that rest on shared commitment to ideals and goals as well as to processes. Our commitment to the common good is not merely espoused, it is put to the test of practice. We enter the fray of relationships to learn how to work and live with one another and achieve collaborative purpose through mutual learning and mutual action.
Leadership is the process of facilitating our becoming and learning.
The role of the leader is not to heroically control work flow but rather to constantly search for conditions which allow each member to improve him or herself and to enhance the common good. The leader is thus more concerned with meaning-making than with control of the group. It operates at the process level. Most critically, it facilitates the process of social reflection. It helps to orchestrate the management of conflicts among community members so as to reach a community of practice.