The Leadership Challenge (Kouzes & Posner)

5 Practices of Exemplary Leadership

1) Model The Way

Refers to the fundamental way in which leaders earn & sustain credibility.
They do what they say they will do.
A leader clarifies his values, and then clearly expresses these values.
A leader follows his words with actions that reflect those expressed values.
Set the example - words & deeds must be consistent.
The best leaders are distinguished by relentless effort, steadfastness, competence and attention to detail.

2) Inspire A Shared Vision

A leader envisions the future by imagining and believing in an exciting, highly attractive future for the organisation.
Enlist others in a common vision.
Have intimate knowledge of people's dreams, hopes, aspirations, visions & values.
Create a unity of purpose by showing constituents how the dream is for the common good.

3) Challenge The Process

Search for opportunities to innovate, grow & improve.
listen and look outside yourself.
Experiment and take risks. Failure can be a valuable learning experience.
Look for small victories that build confidence.

4) Enable Others To Act

Success requires team effort, group collaboration & individual accountability.
Foster collaboration and build trust.
Make it possible for others to do good work.

5) Encourage The Heart

Genuine acts of caring to uplift the team members.
Recognise contributions.
Show appreciation for individual excellence.
Celebrate values and victories through creating a spirit of community.


Qualities in a leader that inspire others to follow that leader:

1) Honesty - truthful, ethical & principled

2) Forward-looking - sense of direction, concern for the future, clear destination in mind

3) Inspiring - enthusiastic, energetic, positive

4) Competence - track record of getting things done



All these attributes add up to making a leader credible. People who perceive their managers as having high credibility were more likely to:

1) be proud to tell others they're part of the organisation,
2) feel a strong sense of team spirit,
3) see their own personal values as consistent with those of the company,
4) feel attached & committed to the organisation,
5) have a sense of ownership of the operation.