The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations

" The Leadership Challenge is still popular and relevant after 25 years for a reason: it is a classic. No one provides more practical real–world advice than Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner. This is the book on leadership that I recommend to all of my clients, and I think this is the greatest book on leadership ever written." — Marshall Goldsmith , bestselling author, MOJO and What Got You Here Won′t Get You There "This is perhaps the most comprehensive field guide ever written for leaders. It has been a key part of my personal journey as a leader for years." — Patrick Lencioni , president, The Table Group; bestselling author, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and The Advantage "Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner have done it again! In this all–new fifth edition of The Leadership Challenge —the bible for leaders everywhere—they have taken their leadership ideas to new heights, befitting of the challenges leaders face in this global era." — Bill George , author, True North; former chairman and CEO, Medtronic, Inc. "No book has ever chronicled the practices of true leadership better than The Leadership Challenge , and this updated edition deftly outlines how to be a phenomenal leader in the 21st century." — Chip Conley , founder, Joie de Vivre Hotels; author, PEAK and Emotional Equations "Now in its fifth edition, The Leadership Challenge has stood the test of time for good reason: it′s quite simply one of the best books you′ll ever read on leadership." — Ken Blanchard , coauthor, The One Minute Manager and Great Leaders Grow "I read The Leadership Challenge as a new manager building Oracle University and was deeply affected by it. It shaped me as a leader and influenced my career. Reading the fifth edition twenty years later, I am struck by how its wisdom stands the test of time while also providing fresh, relevant insights for leading at your best and mobilizing others to achieve the extraordinary." — Liz Wiseman , author, Multipliers " The Leadership Challenge remains one of the five best books I have ever read. Twenty–five years after its first publication, I still continually recommend it to others looking to improve as leaders." — John C. Maxwell , leadership expert; bestselling author, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership "Leaders get people moving. They energize and mobilize. They take people and organizations to places they have never been before. Leadership is not a fad, and the leadership challenge never goes away."—from the Introduction Visit www.leadershipchallenge.com to learn more. Download the app The Leadership Challenge Mobile Tool below, which will help you engage with and act on the ideas in this book.

Introduction: Making Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations 1 1 When Leaders Are at Their Best 9 The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership—Leadership Is a Relationship—Putting It All Together: Credibility Is the Foundation PRACTICE 1 MODEL THE WAY 41 2 Clarify Values 43 Find Your Voice—Affirm Shared Values 3 Set the Example 71 Live the Shared Values—Teach Others to Model the Values PRACTICE 2 INSPIRE A SHARED VISION 99 4 Envision the Future 101 Imagine the Possibilities—Find a Common Purpose 5 Enlist Others 127 Appeal to Common Ideals—Animate the Vision PRACTICE 3 CHALLENGE THE PROCESS 155 6 Search for Opportunities 157 Seize the Initiative—Exercise Outsight 7 Experiment and Take Risks 185 Generate Small Wins—Learn from Experience PRACTICE 4 ENABLE OTHERS TO ACT 213 8 Foster Collaboration 215 Create a Climate of Trust—Facilitate Relationships 9 Strengthen Others 241 Enhance Self–Determination—Develop Competence and Confidence PRACTICE 5 ENCOURAGE THE HEART 271 10 Recognize Contributions 273 Expect the Best—Personalize Recognition 11 Celebrate the Values and Victories 301 Create a Spirit of Community—Get Personally Involved 12 Leadership Is Everyone’s Business 329 Look to Leaders Everywhere—Know How Important You Are—Practice—Reflect—Remain Humble and Human—Seize the Moment—Remember the Secret to Success in Life Notes 347 Acknowledgments 375 About the Authors 379 Index 383 For Tae and Jackie with all our love. Thank you for all you do and all that you have given us.

James Kouzes is the Dean's Executive Fellow of Leadership, Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University, and lectures on leadership around the world to corporations, governments, and nonprofits. Barry Posner is Accolti Professor of Leadership and former Dean (1997-2009) of the Leavey School of Business, Santa Clara University. An accomplished scholar, he also provides leadership workshops and seminars around the world. Kouzes and Posner are the authors of Credibility, The Truth About Leadership, A Leader's Legacy, Encouraging the Heart, and The Student Leadership Challenge , among many other works. They also developed the highly acclaimed Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI).