The leadership challenge: how to make extraordinary things happen in organizations

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction xv

1 When Leaders Are at Their Best 1

The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership

The Five Practices Make a Difference

Leadership Is a Relationship

Putting It All Together: Credibility Is the Foundation

Practice 1 Model The Way 29

2 Clarify Values 31

Find Your Voice

Affirm Shared Values

3 Set the Example 59

Live the Shared Values

Teach Others to Model the Values

Practice 2 Inspire A Shared Vision 85

4 Envision the Future 87

Imagine the Possibilities

Identify a Common Purpose

5 Enlist Others 111

Appeal to Common Ideals

Animate the Vision

Practice 3 Challenge The Process 137

6 Search for Opportunities 139

Seize the Initiative

Exercise Outsight

7 Experiment and Take Risks 165

Generate Small Wins

Learn from Experience

Practice 4 Enable Others To Act 191

8 Foster Collaboration 193

Create a Climate of Trust

Facilitate Relationships

9 Strengthen Others219

Enhance Self-Determination

Develop Competence and Confidence

Practice 5 Encourage The Heart247

10 Recognize Contributions249

Expect the Best

Personalize Recognition

11 Celebrate the Values and Victories275

Create a Spirit of Community

Be Personally Involved

12 Treat Challenge as an Opportunity 303

Your Leadership Matters

Liberate the Leader Within Everyone

Everyone Can Learn to Lead

Become Your Best Self

You Won’t Always Get It Right

Make Becoming a Better Leader a Daily Habit

Remember the Secret to Success in Life

Endnotes 325

Acknowledgments367

About the Authors 371

Index375

In the new seventh edition of The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations, best-selling leadership authors and business scholars James Kouzes and Barry Posner deliver an essential strategic playbook for effective leadership. The book’s actionable advice is grounded in robust research and deep insights into the complex interpersonal dynamics of the workplace.

Premier authorities in the field, the authors frame leadership as both a skill to be learned and as a relationship to be nurtured. They demonstrate how to achieve extraordinary results in the face of contemporary business challenges with engaging stories, current case studies, and straightforward frameworks for those who seek continuous, incremental improvement.

The book also offers:

Incisive commentary on the shift toward team-oriented and hybrid work relationships
Key insights into how to break through a new and pervasive level of cynicism amongst the modern workforce
Strategies for leveraging the electronic global village to deliver better results within your team, in your department, and across your organization
Perfect for every practicing and aspiring leader who wants to stay current, relevant, and effective in a rapidly evolving business environment, The Leadership Challenge will help you remain impactful and capable of inspiring and motivating your constituents at every level.