The leadership challenge: perspectives and insights

¶ … Leadership Challenge

The book by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner - the Leadership Challenge - has launched these two management and HR consultants into a highly visible and very successful position as "experts" on leadership. And they have achieved international renown for good reason, because their books and ideas resonate with people who strive to be good leaders, or who already are good leaders and want to continue to improve their skills.

What is the book about? The book is about how leaders go about mobilizing others in order to get "extraordinary things done in an organization" (Kouzes et al. xviii). The theme that plays throughout this book is that leaders don't become effective by simply "leading" but in fact they are constantly mobilizing others and motivating others to do great things and to achieve a high level of success in their office, business, or special project.

The book is about "practices" that real leaders use "to transform values into actions, visions into realities, obstacles into innovations, separateness into solidarity, and risks into rewards" (Kouzes xviii). The preceding quotation shows that these authors like to present narrative that is at a fairly high level of literary achievement. Great speakers use juxtapositions like these that the book offers; when they write that their format can help a person turn "obstacles into innovations" and "risks into rewards" for example, they're basically saying that one needs a positive attitude. They're saying that the glass should be seen as half full, not half empty.

Turning "separateness into solidarity" is easy to write in a nice neat narrative, but it's not at all a simple task for a leader. Still, the book goes on to explain that its purpose is to create a "climate" in which people "turn challenging opportunities into remarkable successes." This kind of enthusiastic writing is designed to draw the person deeper into the book, to see just how one can turn a challenge into a success that is "remarkable." So really, the book is about challenging people to read it, and get out of it what they can.

The authors build a case for leadership by saying this is a time in America of "heightened uncertainty" (xviii). They mention that since September 11, 2001, the country has been on edge, and this is a perfect time, they say, for people to learn to become leaders. More than that, they assert that their book is about how to cope with the fact that "intellectual capital is no longer supreme" (xx). There is a new "champ in the ring," and it isn't intellectual capital, it's "social capital," which, they go on, is "the collective value of people who know each other and what they'll do for each other."

The book makes clear that "human networks" will get things done, not "computer networks." No sooner do they say computer networks won't get the things done that need to get done, than they add that the world is "boundaryless" economically because "capital flows easily and instantly from one nation to another." That capital of course flows due to the Internet. The book points out that the new global marketplace requires "global leadership" and that leadership needs "global understanding" (xxi). The questions and points asked and raised by the authors that have the most urgency for many HR people and others in management positions make this book an important one for business.

For example, with such diversity of cultures represented in the workplace, how can a leader "...unite" this "disparate constituency"? (xxi) With a sense of "distrust and wariness" so prevalent in the workplace, they ask, "how do leaders make an asset out of a difference and find a common purpose with which all can identify?"

Of course, the book isn't about just asking questions, it's about setting the reader up with questions that will be answered later. The authors insist that their book is important when they say that "...we need more exemplary leaders, and we need them more than ever" (xxviii). When they implore the reader with the need for leaders "who can unite us and ignite us," they are again using descriptive, entertaining narrative, alliterative narrative in fact, which is designed to light a fire under people - which again, is the point of the whole book.

What is the authors' definition of leadership or ideas about what they believe it to be? The authors believe that a leader, first of all, has followers. And that leaders are defined by their followers. The followers follow because they trust the leader, and the relationship between those who want to lead and those who are inspired enough to follow that leader must be constantly attended to, nurtured, and re-energized. There are five major leadership themes in the book. They are as follows:

Model the Way." I believe this is the most important of the five leadership definitions. Unless a leader presents a believable and inspirational role model, no one will follow. On page 14 the authors write, "open up your heart and let people know what you really think and believe." To do that, it will take actually "talking about your values." And if the so-called leader doesn't have any beliefs to stand up for and share with his followers, he or she will quickly be dismissed as an imposter. Speeches aren't enough, they write; "Deeds are far more important." Moreover, a leader has "high expectations" because that leads to "high performance" from their followers (323). High performance results from a sense of "self-confidence, courage, and volition to live up to their leader's expectations." For parks and recreation leaders, this means get out there and do the exercises, do the lawn mowing on the softball fields, show how to play the game at the highest level rather than telling others how it should be done.

Inspire a Shared Vision." This is really an offshoot of "Model the Way." Because leaders are persons with vision and imagination, because they are able to "gaze across the horizon of time, imagining the attractive opportunities that are in store..." when that "distant destination" is reached. True leaders tend to live their lives backwards, the book points out; they see "pictures in their minds' eye of what the results will look like even before they have started their project" (15). Persuasion is an important part of this aspect of their leadership definition. For parks and recreation leaders, this would mean imaginative summer recreational programs that create a buzz in the community; getting sponsors to pay for the costs of soccer or softball tournaments that have never been held before; an inspired shared vision of what's possible.

Challenge the Process." Part of this challenge is to "innovate and create" (186); to "seize the initiative" (117); "make something happen" (178); and moreover, to venture out into new ideas, be a groundbreaker. In parks and recreation, "little victories" could mean having more sign-ups than ever before; doing things a new way, challenging the old boring typical activities; for example, maybe having an "American Idol" styled competition for kids who write their own cool hip hop lyrics, or dance moves with couples similar to "Dancing with the Stars."