the leadership challenge- kouzes & posner

By: Matt Lambro Pepperdine University Ph.D. Global Leadership & Change

For nearly 30 years Kouzes and Posner have been studying expectations

for leaders.

Specifically Asking Others The Question:“What values, personal traits or

characteristics do you look for and admire in a leader?”

The promise of The Leadership

Challenge is to make leaders more

effective and improve the

performance of their organizations.

This led to 20 traits ...... and a checklist

The researchers then asked people to:Select the qualities that they most look

for and admire in a leader, someone whose direction they would willingly

follow.

The resulting data has been strikingly consistent

Varying IndustriesGender

Geographies

The Resulting Data Has Been Strikingly Consistent Across…

Age Groups

Time

1987199520022007

The Top 4 Characteristics of Admired Leadership

HonestForward-looking

InspiringCompetent

Honest: It indicates positive and virtuous attributes such as integrity, truthfulness, and straightforwardness.

Forward-looking: is not a magical power, it is the characteristic that “most distinguishes leaders from other credible people”

Inspiring: “speaks to people’s need to have meaning and purpose in their lives”

Competent: Encompass knowledge, skills, attitudes, and actions that distinguish excellent performers.

The 5 Practices of Exemplary Leadership

The 4 most importantCharacteristics of Admired

Leadership

“Complimentary perspectives on the same subject”

The 5 Practices of Exemplary Leadership

The 4 most importantCharacteristics of Admired

Leadership

“Complimentary perspectives on the same subject”

Model the WayInspire a Shared VisionChallenge the Process

Enable Others to ActEncourage the Heart

HonestForward-lookingInspiringCompetent

What Do All Of These Have In Common?

Model the WayInspire a Shared

VisionChallenge the

ProcessEnable Others to

ActEncourage the

Heart

HonestForward-lookingInspiringCompetent

They’re All behavioral

The #1 success factor for people in the top three jobs in large

organizations:“Relationships with subordinates”

“It’s how leaders visibly and behaviorally link rewards with

performance.”

Credibility is the foundation of leadership

DWYSYWDDo

WhatYouSayYou WillDo

Model The Way

Clarify valuesSet the example by aligning actions and values

“People follow first the person, then the plan.” Group Activity: Simon Says

“Exemplary leaders know that if they want to gain commitment and achieve the highest

standards, they must be models of the behavior they expect of others. Leaders must

model the way.”

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Model The Way“People follow first the person, then the plan.”

“Trifles make perfection, and perfection is no trifle.”-Michelangelo

Discussion: What does this mean to you? How do you translate this to your daily work, your philosophy, and the organization you are in? What are the trifles that you deal with? How do these trifles lead to perfection? Which trifles do you need to set a personal example? How do you plan to do that?

Patch Adams: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pr9ruvxA3K4

Inspire A Shared Vision

“Leaders passionately believe that they can make a difference. They envision the future, creating an ideal and unique image of what the organization can become. Through their magnetism and quiet persuasion, leaders enlist others in their dreams. They breathe life into their visions and get people to see exciting possibilities for the future.”

“Leaders cannot command commitment, only inspire it.”

Inspire A Shared Vision

Dead Poets Society https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vi0Lbjs5ECI

“Leaders cannot command commitment, only inspire it.”How do you do this?

• Significance: We desire to be valued by others and engaged in meaningful work.• Security: We want to feel safe in our relationships, our finances, our bodies, etc.• Satisfaction: We want relationships we enjoy and some sense of the “good life.”

An inspiring vision speaks strongly to one or more of these motivators.

Shared Vision: Able to connect many people to a single thought, idea or action.

Inspire A Shared Vision“Leaders cannot command commitment, only inspire it.”Steps to Creating a Vision:

What would you like your workplace to be known for or to have accomplished in the future?

What is it about this envisioned future makes this vision

important to you? In what way does it speak to the three

motivators described above?Don’t assume that everyone is similarly

motivated orrelates to each motivator the same way. How

mightothers connect to the vision? Does the vision

bring valueto all of them?

Challenge The Process“Every single personal-best leadership case is

involved some kind of challenge.”

This is all about challenging the status quo – always looking for opportunities to grow, innovate and change. Leaders who do this are always looking to introduce new products, processes or systems, and are willing to take risks in doing so. They’re not afraid to challenge other people or speak their mind.

Challenge The Process

Moneyball: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpBcwGOvO80

“Every single personal-best leadership case is involved some kind of challenge.”

Group Exercise: In groups we are going to recreate our list of assignments for this class.Was it liberating to do this? Why?

Leading Variable: Does a leaders humility effect the ability for this process to happen? What is another variable be in why some leaders are better at this then others?

Enable Others to Act“Leaders make it possible for others to do good

work.”Foster collaboration + Strengthen others

“Leaders foster collaboration and build spirited teams. They actively involve others. Leaders understand that mutual respect is what sustains extraordinary efforts; they strive to create an atmosphere of trust and human dignity. They strengthen others, making each person feel capable and powerful.”

The Blindside: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuYlHxijIho

Enable Others to Act“Leaders make it possible for others to do good

work.”Foster collaboration + Strengthen others

“Leaders foster collaboration and build spirited teams. They actively involve others. Leaders understand that mutual respect is what sustains extraordinary efforts; they strive to create an atmosphere of trust and human dignity. They strengthen others, making each person feel capable and powerful.”

Good Will Hunting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gfipuaIA68

Encourage the Heart“It’s how leaders visibly and behaviorally

link rewards with performance.”

Recognize contributionsCelebrate values and victories to create community

“Leaders encourage the heart of their constituents to carry on.

Genuine acts of caring uplift the spirits and draw people forward.”

Encourage the Heart“It’s how leaders visibly and behaviorally

link rewards with performance.”Activity: Get into groups of 3 of people you know. Write your name down on a piece of paper. Pass the paper around and everyone take a minute to write a note encouraging the person whose name is at the top.

Discussion Questions: Why does it feel so good to be acknowledged for our work? What is your favorite way to be acknowledged? What are some creative ways to celebrate success?

Shawshank Redemption: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiNMRVqLI_c

1. What are the 5 steps to the leadership challenge

2. What was the best part of today’s class?

3. What will you take away as something you need to improve upon in your leadership?

4. What is the most important step of the leadership challenge to you?

5. What is the most difficult step of the leadership challenge for you?