The Leadership Challenge: How to Keep Getting Extraordinary Things Done in Organizations, 2nd Edition: Amazon.ca: James M. Kouzes, Barry Z. Posner: Books

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From Publishers Weekly

An inspirational and practical handbook, this expanded revision of a bestselling manual originally published in 1987 offers sound advice to corporate leaders and entrepreneurs, to managers and employees and to aspiring leaders in retail, manufacturing, government, community, church and school settings. Drawing on interviews and a questionnaire survey of more than 3000 leaders, the authors identify five fundamental practices of exemplary leadership: challenge the status quo; inspire a shared vision; enable others to act; model the way forward by setting an example; tap individuals' inner drives by linking rewards and performance. Kouzes, chairman and CEO of TPG/Learning Systems, and Posner, managing partner of Santa Clara University's Executive Development Center in California, write insightful, down-to-earth, jargon-free prose. This new edition has been substantially updated to reflect the challenges of shrinking work forces, rising cynicism and expanded telecommunications. An appendix includes the author's Leadership Practices Inventory, a tool for assessing leadership behavior. 75,000 first printing; Executive Program Book Club main selection; author tour.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"A mini-bible for executives and apprentices alike." -- San Francisco Chronicle

"I found myself constantly nodding and saying to myself, 'That's right! That's how it's done! That's what it feels like!' [Kouzes and Posner] capture the essence of what I've found is at the heart of transforming leadership." -- Robert D. Haas, chairman and CEO, Levi Strauss & Co

"The Leadership Challenge is a masterpiece!" -- Herbert D. Kelleher, president and CEO, Southwest Airlines Co

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First Sentence
Employees at Synergistic Systems, Inc. (SSI), located in Los Angeles's San Fernando Valley, have always known Jean Campbell, founder and CEO, to be positive, organized, enthusiastics, personable, caring, and unflappable. Read the first page

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24 Reviews

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4.6 out of 5 stars (24 customer reviews)

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Guidelines and Parameters for the Perilous Journey Within, Mar 1 2002

By

Robert Morris (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME) (TOP 10 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Leadership Challenge: How to Keep Getting Extraordinary Things Done in Organizations, 2nd Edition (Hardcover)

I recently re-read this brilliant book before proceeding to Kouzes and Posner's more recently published Encouraging the Heart. I highly recommend both and suggest that they be read in the order in which they were written. Those of us who presume to review books such as this one can merely indicate their breadth and depth of substance as well as their stimulation of thought about the material presented. For example, Kouzes and Posner identify what they call "five leadership practices common to successful leaders" and then suggest ten "behavioral commitments" among those leaders studied. Here they are:

Practice: Challenge the process
Commitments: (1) Search for opportunities and (2) Experiment and take risks

Practice: Inspire a shared vision
Commitments: (3) Envision the future and (4) Enlist others

Practice: Enable others to act
Commitments: (5) Foster collaboration and (6) Strengthen others

Practice: Model the way to the desired objectives
Commitments: (7) Set the example and (8) Plan small wins

Practice: Encourage the heart of everyone involved
Commitments: (9) Recognize individual contribution and (10) Celebrate accomplishments

Those who conduct "360 Feedback" programs could do much worse than to base evaluations on criteria suggested by these practices and commitments. They provide the thematic infrastructure of the material which Kouzes and Posner present within seven Parts. The first introduces key concepts and terms: "Knowing What Leadership Is Really All About." Each of Parts Two-Six is devoted to one of the five Practices. Kouzes and Posner conclude with Part Seven, "The Beginning of Leadership', followed by two appendices which enable the reader to complete "The Personal Best Questionnaire" before reviewing "The Leadership Practices Inventory."

There are dozens of outstanding books on leadership and this is one of the best. I am especially impressed by the balance Kouzes and Posner maintain throughout between theory and practice. More specifically, they introduce and explain various core concepts and then draw upon real-world situations to illustrate those concepts. Obviously, "Encouraging the Heart" (Part Six) introduces ideas which Pouzes and Posner develop in much greater depth in a sequel volume which bears the same name. They conclude this book as follows: "We have said that leaders take us to places we have never been before. But there are no freeways to the future, no paved highways to unknown, unexplored destinations. There is only wilderness. If you are to step into the unknown, the place to begin is with the exploration of the inner territory." Those who agree (as do I) with these final remarks are urged to check out David Maister's Practice What You Preach, Tim Sanders' Love Is the Killer App, David Whyte's The Heart Aroused, and Larry Davis' Pioneering Organizations.

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5.0 out of 5 stars The Beauty of Leadership In Action, Sep 9 2002

By

Serge J. Van Steenkiste (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Leadership Challenge: How to Keep Getting Extraordinary Things Done in Organizations, 2nd Edition (Paperback)

James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner clearly articulate the "Leadership Challenge" around ten commitments. They sub-divide these ten commitments into five practices: Challenging the process, inspiring a shared vision, enabling others to act, modeling the way and encouraging the heart. Kouzes and Posner illustrate each of these practices with a wide variety of examples that give life to leadership. To their credit, Kouzes and Posner refrain from using jargon that makes their analysis of leadership, its rewards and pitfalls a very enjoyable read that is easily accessible to a wide audience. "The leadership Challenge" is ultimately a quest of self-discovery that helps its readers better know themselves and improve their leadership skills in thought and action.

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5.0 out of 5 stars The Beauty of Leadership In Action, Sep 4 2002

By

Serge J. Van Steenkiste (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Leadership Challenge: How to Keep Getting Extraordinary Things Done in Organizations, 2nd Edition (Paperback)

James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner clearly articulate the "Leadership Challenge" around ten commitments. They sub-divide these ten commitments into five practices: Challenging the process, inspiring a shared vision, enabling others to act, modeling the way and encouraging the heart. Kouzes and Posner illustrate each of these practices with a wide variety of examples that give life to leadership. To their credit, Kouzes and Posner refrain from using jargon that makes their analysis of leadership, its rewards and pitfalls a very enjoyable read that is easily accessible to a wide audience. "The leadership Challenge" is ultimately a quest of self-discovery that helps its readers better know themselves and improve their leadership skills in action.

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