Email
Twitter
Facebook
Linked InThe Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership® is an evidence-based leadership model based upon an intensive research project conducted by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner to determine the leadership competencies that are essential to getting extraordinary things done in organizations. To conduct the research,they collected thousands of “Personal Best” stories—the experiences people recalled when asked to think of a peak leadership experience.
Jim Kouzes
Are leaders born or made? “When we are asked this question, our answer, always offered with a smile, is this: Yes, of course, all leaders are born. We’ve never met a leader who wasn’t. So are all the accountants, artists, athletes, parent, zoologists, you name it. We’re all born. What we do with what we have before we die is up to us.”
~ Kouzes & Posner, 2002
Despite differences in people’s individual stories, their Personal-Best Leadership Experiences revealed similar patterns of behavior. The study found that when leaders are at their personal best, they:
- Model the Way: Leaders establish principles concerning the way people (constituents, peers, colleagues, and customers alike) should be treated and the way goals should be pursued. They create standards of excellence and then set an example for others to follow. Because the prospect of complex change can overwhelm people and stifle action, they set interim goals so that people can achieve small wins as they work toward larger objectives.
They unravel bureaucracy when it impedes action; they put up signposts when people are unsure of where to go or how to get there; and they create opportunities for victory. - 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.
- Challenge the Process: Leaders search for opportunities to change the status quo. They look for innovative ways to improve the organization. In doing so, they experiment and take risks. And because leaders know that risk taking involves mistakes and failures, they accept the inevitable disappointments as learning opportunities.
- Enable Others to Act: 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.
- Encourage the Heart: Accomplishing extraordinary things in organizations is hard work. To keep hope and determination alive, leaders recognize contributions that individuals make. In every winning team, the members need to share in the rewards of their efforts, so leaders celebrate accomplishments. They make people feel like heroes.
Barry Posner
“Challenge is the opportunity for greatness. People do their best when there is an opportunity to change how things currently stand. Maintaining the status quo facilitates mediocrity. Those who embrace this practice do not wish to rest on their laurels. They motivate others to exceed their limits and look for innovative ways to improve the organization.”
~ Kouzes & Posner, 2002
For the past 30 years this framework has been used to develop leaders and today is one of the most trusted sources for leadership development around the globe.
To learn more about the Five Principles of Exemplary Leadership and the “Leadership Challenge” read Kouzes & Posner’s “The Leadership Challenge” or visit the official Leadership Challenge website.
