Critique on the Book The Leadership Challenge The Leadership Challenge Summary The Leadership Challenge by Kouzes and Posner (2007) is the result of twenty years of research on the factors that influence and create great leadership. Through studies and stories from leaders with various backgrounds throughout the world, the practices and characteristics that create great leadership are delineated. Leadership is viewed not as a group of inherent characteristics, but as learned behavior that anyone can achieve. The goal of Kouzes and Posner’s book is to inspire and educate leaders through transformational leadership. As such, leadership is about mobilizing others to become and do extraordinary things. Leadership is mobilizing people through the use of five practices, that of modeling the way, inspiring the group vision, challenging the process, enabling others to achieve, and encouraging the emotions of others. Additionally, leadership is based upon credibility which includes the integrity of the leader and the trust of those following. This credibility will be influenced by a leader’s honesty, vision, ability to inspire, and competence or ability to succeed. The first of the five principles of leadership is modeling. This is defined by Kouzes and Posner (2007) as doing what you say and doing it first. This involves personally clarifying the values and priorities for the organization, and then sharing, teaching, and modeling those values to others. In leadership, the first step is always to fully understand your vision and become personally transformed and inspired by it. The second principle involves the leader’s vision for the organization. This vision must be exciting, ennobling, and s... ... middle of paper ... ... themselves, set their own vision and goals, are self accountable, responsible and grow from their own mistakes. A teacher’s passion, especially in high school, needs to be one of transforming her students. Transformational leadership also integrates well with a biblical worldview because both advocate valuing followers as well as leaders, the importance of ethical behavior, the need to forgive and learn from mistakes, and the value of a high moral example. Kouzes and Posner advocate leaders having a “moral authority to lead” (2007, p. 41), practicing personal accountability and working to improve all aspects of their follower’s lives. This others-centered leadership approach fits well in the Christ centered atmosphere of a Christian school. References Kouzes, J., & Posner, B., (2007). The leadership challenge, (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey- Bass.
According to Riggio (2009), the most popular theory of leadership is transformational. Many believe that these leaders get the job done through inspiring, modeling, and helping others develop their skills as leaders. Research provides clear evidence that groups lead by transformational leaders have higher levels of performance and satisfaction than groups led by other types of leaders (Riggio, 2009). Clear communication is vital to transformational leadership and in order to succeed further, one will need to work on their own skills, and set aside time and space for personal development (Manktelow, 2005).
Pierce, Jon L. and John W. Newstrom (2011) 6th edition. Leaders and the Leadership Process.
In the Leadership Challenge, 4th edition, it is Kouzes & Posner (2007) intention to present a road map for individuals to follow on their leadership journey. The authors stress that “leadership is not a gene and it’s not an inheritance.” Leadership they assert is “an identifiable set of skills and abilities that are available to all of us” (p. 23). They make clear that the “great person” theory of leadership is “plain wrong.” Leaders are our everyday heroes who do extraordinary things on a regular basis (p. 23).
Leadership is a communication process of a leader and individuals in which the leaders behavior or attitude directs individuals towards any goal effectively. It is widely believed that leadership creates the vital link between organizational effectiveness and people’s performance at an organizational level (Avolio, 1999; McGrath and MacMillan, 2000). The effectiveness of an organization depends upon the leader having an effective leadership style in order to effectively reach the goal of the organization; with it being one of the key driving forces for improving a firm’s performance. Scholars suggest that effective leadership behaviors can facilitate the improvement of performance when organizations face problems (McGrath and MacMillan, 2000). To effectively achieve leadership of individuals and organizational outcomes, four theories can be used; Fiedler’s Contingency Model, Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Model, Vroom & Yetton Participative Leadership Model, and House & Dessler Path-Goal Theory.
In many formal and informal settings, we have often heard the word “leadership”. Although this term is found in many textbooks, writings, news clippings, college level courses and papers, leadership is a concept that is consistently evolving. Leadership isn’t an attribute that individuals are born with. Although individuals are born with certain characteristics and traits of a leader, those traits are honed throughout the course of a lifetime.
Leadership is the procedure of influencing others to comprehend and concur about what should be done and how to do it, and the procedure of encouraging individual and aggregate endeavors to achieve shared targets/goals.
Leadership skills are essential for those who wish to lead change in an organisation. According to Kouzes and Posner leadership is a relationship between those who aspire to lead and those who choose to follow (2007). How this relationship works can be a determining factor in the success of a project or indeed an organisation. Not everyone is a born leader, but leadership skills can be developed and many theorists have come up with strategies and processes that can be followed to achieve this goal. Kouzes and Posner outlined a very successful 5 step model called the leadership challenge. Their theory is based on many decades of research that discovered that organisations, communities and individuals can and will
The emphasis on leaders being not just executives and managers, and that not all executives and managers are leaders, is extremely vital. Anyone can strive to be a leader in whatever organization in which they are involved. Bennis and Nanus claim that leadership is about character, setting the example for how team members treat one other (and in a corporate setting, their clients as well), being truthful and sustaining organizational trust, and encouraging themselves and others to learn. On one hand, it can be easy to see how many people in leadership positions do no match up to these standards of leadership. On the other, it seems a bit like common sense to be truthful to others and to effectively communicate with people who work together everyday. Leaders is an effective tool for summarizing and inspiring leadership not in that it teaches tough strategies and manipulations, but that when looking at an overview of its content, Bennis and Nanus are essentially teaching human relations and human decency. All in all, this book highlights strategies for us all to be better in our lives and our everyday
Although there are many outstanding, albeit necessary qualities of a good leader, it is the leader’s beliefs in which greatness is given its first breath, fostered by action, and spread throughout the institution. A great leader believes in encouraging, not destroying; in setting the precedence instead of yielding to prominence ; in collaboration, not division; in giving, not taking; and in having high standards and volunteering to be the first of many to be held to them. A great leader does not take advantage of the people being lead, but instead, creates an advantage for the people by giving them the opportunities to lead. Only when people take ownership of an institution will passion be cultivated, action be taken, and greatness be achieved.
The Model the Way principle is the first and the most fundamental action that enables leaders gain and preserve credibility. In other words, leaders must do what they say they will do. There are two parts to this practice. First, you must be able to find your own voice to clarify your values. As a leader we must be able to effectively express our values to everyone we work within our organization. The values you express must be applied to represent what the whole institution and department can believe in. Next, as a leader you must apply actions that represent the values you want to express. Set the example by letting your actions affirm your beliefs. My actions will show my coworkers how committed you are to the institution and the vision for the future.
Discovering what motivates this leader to lead is the belief that this she was sent to this earth to help others become autonomous and self-reliant; to help groups overcome their fears, to prepare the way for followers to embark upon their own progressive journey to help lead teams to authentic happiness. Therefore the proposed vision for this project oriented organization will be: “to strive to lead, the best way, every day (Crawford, 2013)!” Brilliant leaders comprehend their personal and professional strengths and seek prospects where their unique profici...
It is undeniable, in an honest examination of the world, to deny that leadership will determine the success, or lack of success in almost every endeavor. This holds true for small group projects through the largest possible business venture, and beyond. John Maxwell discusses principles followed by great leaders and utilized by others to increase their own talents. His book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, is a valuable resource to those who seek to improve individual leadership abilities.
Northouse, P. (2010). Leadership: Theory and practice (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
Describe a situation where you might reflect on applying these principles to lead your organization
Building leadership as the foundation, supports the 4 other factors and all of these five factors create a roadmap to the Organization Excellence as the result. [9]