WELD VI Leadership Book Review
Title:The Leadership Challenge
Author: James M. Kouzes & Barry Z. Posner
Year Published: 2007
Reviewer: Debbie Marcusson, University of Nevada Reno
Date of Review:June 2011
The Leadership Challenge is a book for all leaders, aspiring leaders or anyone who wants a personal journey. Kouzes and Posner have done extensive research on how to be an effective leader. The Leadership Challenge details five practices of exemplary leadership and within those practices are the ten commitments of leadership.
There are five practices of exemplary leadership: model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act and encourage the heart. The book has a chapter for each of the practices. Model the way discusses how leaders should model how they expect others to act. To assist in the process leaders need to let people know how they think and believe. Inspire a shared vision discusses how “the dream or vision is the force that invents the future.” Leaders need to enlist others in the vision and show the path to that vision. Challenge the process states “leaders know well that innovation and change involve experimenting and taking risks.” Staying in the “status quo” is not the path leaders generally take. Leaders search for opportunities to learn, grow and improve. Enable others to act is a valuable chapter reminding leaders to engage everyone involved as well as creating an environment of collaboration. Encourage the heart can be the practice that some leaders tend to forget. As leaders, we need to recognize all contributions. “Genuine acts of caring uplift the spirits and draw people forward”.
Within the five practices of exemplary leadership are the ten commitments of leadership. In discussing the ten commitments Kouzes and Posner, state two essential components of each commitment as well as a detail discussion of each. The two essential components of the ten commitments of leadership: (1) Clarify values: Find your voice, Affirm shared values; (2) Set the example: Personify the shared values, Teach others to model values; (3) Envision the future: Imagine thepossibilities, Find a common purpose;
(4)Enlist others: Appeal to common ideals, Animate the vision; (5) Search for opportunities: Seizethe initiative, Exercise outsight; (6) Experiment and take risks: Generate small wins, Learn from experience; (7) Foster collaboration: Create a climate of trust, Facilitaterelationships; (8) Strengthen others: Enhanceself-determination, Develop competence and confidence; (9) Recognize contributions: Expect the best, Personalize recognition; (10) Celebrate the values and victories: Create a spirit of community, Be personally involved.
Kouzes and Posner do an excellent job in discussion the five practices and ten commitments of leadership. The detail descriptions of each principle as well as examples allow the reader to go on their own personal journey of leadership development. The Leadership Challenge has a wealth of information and specifics on how to be an exemplary leader. The principles in this book cannot only empower leaders in the workforce but in all aspects of life. The Leadership Challenge has a workbook that can accompany this book that provides the reader the opportunity to work through the principles discussed.
In conclusion, The Leadership Challenge is a part of the process of developing into a leader. As Kouzes and Posner state, “leadership development is self-development. Meeting the leadership challenge is a personal and daily challenge for all of us.”