Kouzes and Posner offer ten time-tested fundamental truths of leadership that remain universal, no matter the circumstance or situation. Their lessons apply equally to new leaders as to experienced ones.
Truth #1: Leadership starts with believing you can make a difference, then building trust by cultivating credibility to inspire a shared vision.
1. You Make a Difference
Leaders have the power to alter our world for good. They create vision, set paths for others to follow and energise followers along their way. But how are leaders supposed to achieve these feats? By building trusting relationships that allow others to come forward. Additionally, by being approachable enough that others feel safe coming forward when necessary and advocating for causes which matter to them personally.
They put others’ needs and interests ahead of their own out of love and the desire for them to succeed.
At a time when organizations and societies are being uprooted, leaders must move beyond pessimistic predictions, trendy fads, and simplistic solutions. Based on decades of research, this straight forward book presents ten timeless truths all leaders should abide by to get extraordinary things accomplished.
2. Credibility is the Foundation
Leadership is built upon trust. For this reason, it is crucial that leaders prioritize building their credibility.
Becoming credible involves being honest, forward-looking and inspiring; upholding shared values; providing opportunities to work as part of a team; prioritizing future issues over other leaders’; and striving towards organizational excellence.
Becoming credible requires demonstrating high levels of competence and grace under pressure, offering clarity to confusion while telling the truth and taking responsibility. Furthermore, credibility also necessitates being flexible and adapting your actions according to what your beliefs dictate – the hallmark of great leaders! Acquiring and upholding credibility requires constant work over time if one wishes to maintain personal credibility in today’s complex global society.
3. Values Drive Commitment
The greatest managers understand what values are important to them and commit fully to those values in order to become great leaders of their organizations.
Kouzes and Posner, two leaders in the leadership field, offer this accessible guide that distills decades of research to 10 time-tested fundamental truths that any manager looking to become an effective leader will find indispensable.
Many managers find creating a list of personal values an extremely helpful exercise. Doing this allows them to pinpoint their motivations for pursuing goals while outlining their role within an organization. By doing this, they will develop the courage necessary to live according to those values and inspire others around them – leading to an environment of commitment rather than one marked by cynicism that damages both employees and companies alike.
4. You Can’t Do It Alone
Many articles focus on finding your ideal leadership style and staying true to it. Common leadership styles discussed are authoritative/autocratic, commanding, democratic/participative, laissez-faire, delegating and coaching.
Although you may gravitate naturally toward one style of leadership, this doesn’t guarantee success without using other aspects as well. For instance, if you tend to lead with diplomatic traits without ever exploring any other areas of leadership beyond diplomacy alone. You could bog down decision making (if at all) and damage yourself as a leader as a result.
True leaders sacrifice their personal interests for what’s best for their constituents – this is what sets them apart and is why true leadership makes such an impressionable statement about them. True leaders love what they do, which is why they can never do it alone; love is what drives them forward no matter the circumstance.
5. Challenge is the Crucible for Greatness
History is littered with examples of difficult times igniting unprecedented innovation and breakthroughs. Amid times of change, leaders can be brought face-to-face with themselves as individuals: how committed and resilient they are when faced with setbacks; their response to setbacks; whether or not they admit their errors when needed etc.
Leadership is ultimately about serving others and helping those less fortunate than ourselves. Leaders who focus solely on themselves will never achieve true leadership success; on the other hand, those who acknowledge mistakes and learn from them often win respect among their team – an exemplary trait of true leaders that forms truth #5. Search this title now on Libby by OverDrive Library Reading App!
6. You Either Lead by Example or You Don’t Lead at All
Search “leadership definition” on Google and you will likely receive around 2.5 billion results (that’s an estimate). Merriam-Webster provides this simple definition: ‘a process of social influence which maximizes efforts of others towards common goals.”
Sometimes leadership can be an arduous journey. It takes courage to make the difficult decisions and stand up in the face of criticism or backlash; it requires visioning a future state and steering people toward that direction; it necessitates setting aside personal ambition in pursuit of something bigger.
At a time of turmoil and change, world needs leaders with heart and vision. Leaders who look beyond pessimistic predictions and fleeting trends to focus on what’s real and true are essential – this is something James Kouzes and Barry Posner, two respected leadership writers worldwide, address in their new book.
7. Leadership is an Affair of the Heart
Clear vision, strong sense of purpose, and effective communication help people work toward a common goal – that’s what leadership is all about! It doesn’t belong solely to one role or person and can come from anywhere in society.
Leaders take pride in the work they do and show it through their enthusiasm. They encourage others to join them in sharing this enthusiasm for whatever task is at hand.
Though our world may be changing fast, leaders must remain true to timeless truths if they wish to succeed in today’s demanding environment. This book, drawn from decades of research by leading experts in their respective fields, provides emerging and experienced leaders alike with tools they need for successful leadership – no fads; just hard facts recognized by anyone interested in leadership!
8. The Best Leaders Are the Best Learners
Of course, to become great at any endeavor requires continuous learning. But when you commit yourself to this effort with all your heart – be it through new tactics experiments, best selling books read, coaching sessions or reflecting upon past failures – then the rewards can be tremendous – perhaps even leading to greatness!
CHRO of a medical device company believes this is why she takes time to listen to each member’s stories, ultimately striving to create an environment in which employees feel empowered and secure.
Leadership is a complex undertaking, one which takes many forms in different settings and organizations. Yet there are certain time-tested truths which hold up no matter the circumstance; embrace these and you’ll become better prepared to lead. –James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner from Jossey-Bass 2021.
9. You Can’t Do It Alone
Leadership isn’t all about you; rather it should focus on those following you and their wellbeing. That is why having great followers is crucial; they will carry your load and hold you accountable when something goes amiss.
Kouzes and Posner present in this engaging and personal book ten time-tested truths that outline what every leader must know – as well as questions they should be ready to answer – from 30 years of research and over one million responses to their leadership assessment tool. Their new work provides emerging leaders with all of the information needed to take real and essential actions necessary for essential change within organizations and communities.
10. You Can’t Do It Alone
Leadership requires sacrifice. While many perceive leaders to be selfish, true leaders put others’ interests before their own and shoulder significant responsibility.
Leaders face constant scrutiny from both their colleagues and outside observers. Sometimes their decisions lead to people becoming disgruntled or even cause them to lose their jobs; but leaders don’t allow themselves to become mired in disappointment.
James Kouzes and Barry Posner’s helpful leadership guide offers 10 timeless truths that will enable emerging leaders to understand what knowledge and actions are necessary for them to become effective leaders in any context. Anyone aspiring to be better leaders must read this book thoroughly!