Course Syllabus

Jump to Today

Overview

Welcome to GS 294 Decision-Making and Leadership. As indicated by its title, the purpose of this course is to help each of us develop better decision-making and disciple leadership skills. The mission of BYU-Idaho is to develop disciples of Jesus Christ who are leaders in their homes, the Church, and their communities.

On January 9, 2024, in the opening semester devotional, President Alvin F. Meredith III shared the following:

"Be thoughtful and intentional now about creating a vision of what being a leader in your home looks like. How will you treat those in your home? What kind of spouse do you want to be? What kind of parent? When it comes to leading in the Church, irrespective of calling, how can you lead in the cause to gather Israel? How can you do that on this side of the veil? What can you do to gather Israel on the other side of the veil? Ask those same questions about being a leader in your communities, your workplace, and all your other interactions with people."

Preparing the way for the gathering of Israel is both a spiritual and a temporal work. It requires unusual character and competence. The scriptures show that these qualities can be found in the relatively young and inexperienced. Mormon, for instance, was entrusted to solve difficult spiritual and temporal problems even as a boy (Mormon 1:2, 15–16 and Mormon 2:1–2). As BYU-Idaho graduates, you will be recognized by the world for having such an unusual capacity. Knowing that you can be relied on, people will turn to you over others who are older and more experienced. Your service will not always be high-profile, but your ability to perform it well will be a blessing to those who rely on you to prepare the way. This course will help you qualify for that kind of service.

Requirements

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites to this course.

Course Materials

There is no textbook for this course. All preparation materials you need are provided directly within the weekly modules. These include short essays and/or videos that explore disciple leadership and decision‑making principles, as well as case studies that illustrate real situations requiring thoughtful choices and disciple leadership. Among these cases are examples of both success and failure, giving you opportunities to apply the I‑PLAN framework and practice responding to challenging leadership situations.

You are also encouraged to draw on your personal scripture study throughout the course. Insights from the scriptures often connect naturally to the principles we study and may strengthen your understanding as you complete assignments and grow as a disciple leader.

Structure

Course Outcomes

  1. Students will practice disciple leadership, effective communication, and decision-making strategies.
  2. Students will identify characteristics of Christlike leadership.
  3. Students will apply the I-PLAN framework to analyze challenges, problems, and differing viewpoints in case study situations.

Major Assignments

The table below is meant to help you see the relevance of each major assignment as it pertains to the course outcomes (CO).

Major Assignments
Major Assignment Description CO#
Discussions Teach One Another 1, 2
Case Studies Case Studies 1,2,3
DLP Two six-week projects 1,2,3

Weekly Patterns

The table below displays typical weekly activities, due dates, and activity descriptions. 

Weekly Patterns
Due Date Learning Model Activity Title Description
Midweek Prepare and Teach One Another Discussion Read the provided content and reflect. Build on other student's posts.
End of the Week Ponder and Prove Case Study Analyze a case study.
End of the Week Ponder and Prove Disciple Leadership Project Work on elements of the project.

NOTE: Set your time zone within user preferences so the dates and times for course activities will display correctly for your time zone.

Course Activities

Your grade in this course will be based on your performance in three key learning areas. Each area is designed to help you practice and apply the principles of decision‑making and disciple leadership in different, meaningful ways. Together, these categories create a balanced learning experience that blends personal application, analytical thinking, and collaborative learning.

Discussion Board 

The discussion boards are an essential part of your learning experience in this course. They give you a space to practice the BYU–Idaho Learning Model by actively engaging in the principle of Teach One Another. Each week, you will explore key ideas from the preparation materials and help one another see new perspectives and deepen understanding.

These discussions are more than a place to post your thoughts—they are a collaborative learning environment. As you respond to others, ask questions, and build on your classmates’ insights, you strengthen your ability to communicate clearly, think critically, and support others in their growth. This shared learning reflects real disciple leadership: listening with intention, offering thoughtful guidance, and helping others see challenges more clearly.

After answering one of the questions in the assignment, you will respond to three classmates. Each reply should add insight, ask a meaningful question, or build on their ideas. In at least ONE of your posts (either your initial post or one of your peer responses), be sure to: 1. Pose an interesting question that invites classmates to think more deeply and 2. include one authoritative source (scripture, a quote from a modern apostle, or another credible source) and briefly reference where it came from. As you include the authoritative source, you demonstrate that your ideas are grounded in real principles and trusted voices—not just casual advice You do not need to include a question or a source in every post—just once somewhere in your weekly discussion.

These discussions are designed to help you grow as a disciple leader—someone who listens with intent, communicates with charity, and helps others progress. As you respond to classmates, ask questions, and build on their insights, you strengthen your ability to make thoughtful decisions, create safety in conversations, and lead with pure motives in your home, ward, and community.

Case Analysis 

Each case study describes a leadership situation that called for good decision‑making and thoughtful guidance. Among the cases are stories of both failure and success, giving you the chance to learn from a wide range of leadership experiences. Some cases focus on leaders and/or events from the past, while others highlight real‑life leadership situations you might encounter in your home, ward, workplace, or community.

As you study each scenario, you will apply the I‑PLAN framework to evaluate the situation, assess how effectively the leader used the principle taught that week, and consider alternative approaches. Think of each case as a leadership briefing—an opportunity to practice offering thoughtful counsel that helps someone see their situation more objectively and respond with greater wisdom. You will learn to Identify Key Objectives and Issues, Procure Essential Information, Lay Out the Analysis, Adopt a Provisional Course of Action, and Narrate the Planned Story with clarity and maturity.

By working through these cases, you will strengthen your ability to analyze challenges, understand multiple perspectives, and support others with compassion and clarity. These skills prepare you to approach your own real‑life decisions—and the decisions of those you influence—with greater confidence as a disciple leader.

Disciple Leadership Project (DLP) 

At the beginning of the semester and at midterms, you will choose an area in your personal life to which you want to apply the decision-making and disciple leadership skills you are learning. The project will be called the Disciple Leadership Project (DLP). At the beginning of the semester, you will choose any area of leadership that focuses on your personal leadership role (friends, family, roommates). At midterms, you will choose a different area of leadership that focuses on your role with others (church, employment, or school).

The Disciple Leadership Project will provide you with practice applying the principles you learn to your chosen leadership role. Each week, you will write a reflection journal entry to report the progress of your project. At the end of the semester, you will submit your completed reflection journal and summarize your experience.

The Disciple Leadership Project is the heart of this course. It is where you move beyond learning principles to living them, using real experiences from your own life. These weekly reflections are designed to help you recognize patterns, practice new skills, and see how disciple‑leadership actually changes the way you think, act, and influence others.

By returning to your project each week, you will build a habit of intentional leadership—one small, consistent step at a time. This steady practice is what allows the principles from class to take root, deepen, and become part of who you are as a disciple leader.

Learning Model

Following a two-week introduction to the course, you will follow a regular weekly schedule. Please see the Calendar and the Modules tab for specific information on due dates.

The Learning Model is an essential characteristic of this course. You will be expected to prepare, teach one another, ponder, and prove each week by completing a variety of activities.

Prepare

Following the two-week introduction to the course, you will be expected to prepare each week by reading a case study and an essay. These readings are the core of the class. In order to be successful in this course, you will need to spend a significant amount of time each week reading, annotating, and analyzing these documents.

Teach One Another

Teaching one another will be the primary method of learning in this course. By the end of the course, you will be an expert at teaching and learning from your peers. The primary way that you will teach one another will be through weekly discussions. This weekly discussion allows you to ask each other questions and challenge each other's thinking.

Ponder and Prove

In addition to preparing and teaching one another, you will have several opportunities each week to ponder what you have learned and prove your understanding. Each week, you will do the following:

  • You will read and ponder an essay and video, then answer posted questions, and respond to other students continuing the meaningful conversation.
  • You will demonstrate your understanding of I-PLAN by applying it to the case studies and to your Disciple Leadership Project (DLP).
  • You will write a reflection entry about how you are going to change based on the new information and skills you have learned.

Course Topics

In this course, you will work to develop a set of thinking abilities and leadership traits. These are the core topics of the course, and your goal will be to practice and develop in each area. See the topics below:

Thinking Abilities:

  • Thinking intuitively and intentionally
  • Tracing system effects
  • Using history and analogies aptly
  • Interrogating data and statistics
  • Negotiating mutual wins
  • Knowing how to nurture

Leadership Traits:

  • Harnessed impulses
  • Divine love
  • Eternal perspective
  • Unalloyed motives
  • Humble diligence

We will spend an entire week on each of the eleven topics as follows:

  • Week 01: Introduction
  • Week 02: Jesus, the Perfect Leader
  • Week 03: Thinking Intuitively and Intentionally
  • Week 04: Harnessed Impulses
  • Week 05: Tracing System Effects
  • Week 06: Divine Love
  • Week 07: Using History and Analogies Aptly
  • Week 08: Interrogating Data and Statistics
  • Week 09: Eternal Perspective
  • Week 10: Negotiating Mutual Wins
  • Week 11: Unalloyed Motives
  • Week 12: Knowing How to Nurture
  • Week 13: Humble Diligence
  • Week 14: Conclusion

I-PLAN Framework 

As you work through the course topics and learn from the case studies, you will use a planning process called I-PLAN to help develop solutions for the problems presented. I-PLAN is a way to help you slow down and think through a problem in an intentional and systematic way. The goal is that, by the end of the semester, each of you will be able to effectively apply I-PLAN to any decision-making or leadership situation that you might face. I-PLAN stands for the following:

  • Identify Key Objectives and Issues.
  • Procure the Essential Information.
  • Lay Out the Analysis,
  • Adopt a Provisional Course of Action.
  • Narrate the Planned Story.

Class Policies

Academic Honesty

Academic Honesty means students do their own work. This also means their instructors will evaluate that work. Work derived from generative artificial intelligence (AI) resources without express permission from instructors is not considered the students’ original work (see course policy below). Honesty must extend to all forms of coursework. For more information, please refer to the Academic Honesty Policy.

Original work means you are expected to compose the sentences in your written assignments yourself, except for a small amount of well-cited quoting. In other words, the final product you turn in should be 80% or more of your own work.

 Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use for GS 294

Students have limited use of AI to complete the Case Study Assignments only. AI is not to be used for discussion board posts or reflection assignments.

Students are permitted to use generative AI in the following ways:

  • Brainstorming
  • Citation Assistance
  • Grammar and Style Checking
  • Concept Understanding

You may not use AI-generated content as your original work without attribution. AI is a tool, but one that you need to acknowledge using. Please include a citation and a statement at the end of any assignment that uses AI explaining what you used the AI for and what prompts you used to get the results. Failure to do so is in violation of the academic honesty policies. (See citation examples below).

All course assignments will be submitted through Turnitin, which includes an AI detection feature to identify potentially plagiarized content, including text generated by artificial intelligence tools. Submitting any work containing substantial portions of AI-generated text without proper citation and disclosure will be considered a violation of academic integrity 

Citation Examples

Proper Citation:

ChatGPT, response to “Explain how to make pizza dough from common household ingredients,” OpenAI, March 7, 2024.

AI Statement: You need to include the following statement with any assignment where generative AI is used for assistance.

“I used a generative AI platform [such as ChatGPT] for assistance in the following ways on this assignment: [Insert ways used, such as brainstorming, citation assistance, grammar and style checking, concept understanding, research assistance, and so on].”

Late Work

No late work in this course will be accepted. All assignments are due on the day and time listed in the course Calendar. You will be responsible for keeping track of when your assignments are due. Assignments submitted after the posted due date will be given a zero. Please contact your instructor if you have an emergency or extenuating circumstance that you feel deserves consideration. These situations will be handled on a case-by-case basis as determined by your instructor. Remember, it never hurts to turn in your assignments early.

Grading Scale

Your grade in the course will be based on your performance in the activities listed above. Below are the grading policies for this course.

In this course, we will be using the standard BYU-Idaho grading scale outlined below:

Grading Scale
Letter Grade Percentage Range
A 100%–93%
A- 92%–90%
B+ 89%–87%
B 86%–83%
B- 82%–80%
C+ 79%–77%
C 76%–73%
C- 72%–70%
D+ 69%–67%
D 66%–63%
D- 62%–60%
F 59%–00%

University Policies

Students with Disabilities

Brigham Young University-Idaho is committed to providing a working and learning atmosphere that accommodates qualified persons with disabilities. If you have a disability and require accommodations, please contact the Disability Services Office (Links to an external site.) at 1-208-496-9210 or visit their website and follow the Steps for Receiving Accommodations (Links to an external site.). Reasonable academic accommodations are reviewed for all students who have qualified documented disabilities. Services are coordinated with students and instructors by the Disability Services Office.

This course may require synchronous meetings. If you are currently registered with the Disability Services Office and need an interpreter or transcriber for these meetings, please contact the deaf and hard of hearing coordinator at 1-208-496-9219.

Other University Policies

Honor Code

Student Support

Disclaimers

The instructor reserves the right to change any part of this syllabus at any time during the semester in order to adapt to changing course needs. You will be notified prior to any changes that may take place.

Course Summary:

Course Summary
Date Details Due