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The Leadership Challenge, 3rd Edition [Paperback]

James M. Kouzes , Barry Z. Posner
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)


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The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations 4.7 out of 5 stars (27)
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Book Description

August 7, 2003 J-B Leadership Challenge: Kouzes/Posner (Book 53)
When it was initially written in 1987, few could have predicted that The Leadership Challenge would become one of the best-selling leadership books of all time. Now, faced with the new challenges of our unpredictable global business environment, Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner--two of the country's premier leadership experts--have completely revised and updated their classic book. Building on the knowledge base of their previous books, the third edition of The Leadership Challenge is grounded in extensive research and based on interviews with all kinds of leaders at all levels in public and private organizations from around the world. In this edition, the authors emphasize that the fundamentals of leadership are the same today as they were in the 1980s, and as they've probably been for centuries. In that sense, nothing's new. Leadership is not a fad. While the content of leadership has not changed, the context has-and in some cases, changed dramatically.


Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In the 1980s and again in the '90s, James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner published The Leadership Challenge to address issues they uncovered in research on ordinary people achieving "individual leadership standards of excellence." The keys they identified--model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act, encourage the heart--have now been reexamined in the context of the post-millennium world and updated in a third edition. "What we have discovered, and rediscovered, is that leadership is not the private reserve of a few charismatic men and women," write Kouzes, chairman emeritus of the Tom Peters Company, and Posner, dean of the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University. "People make extraordinary things happen by liberating the leader within everyone." After explaining their concept and methodology, the authors detail the five essentials noted above in a pair of chapters apiece that bring clarity to their theories with case studies and recommended actions. The specificity of each (motivating through "the meaningfulness of the challenge, not the material rewards of success," for example, and being able to "accept the mistakes that result from experimentation") is enhanced by advice on sustaining the commitment and making leadership skills accessible to all. The results remain as relevant as when they were first published. --Howard Rothman --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

This reissued and revised classic' is grounded in extensive research& -- Human Resources, January 2003

&this book is an easy read&well produced and despite the research clear of management jargon&well written& -- AccountingWEB.UK, 7 January 2003

"&will take you along a leadership journey of discovery and inspiration&" -- sps.org.uk, The Strategic Planning Society, October 2002

"...will take you along a leadership journey of discovery and inspiration..." (sps.org.uk, The Strategic Planning Society, October 2002)

"...This reissued and revised 'classic' is grounded in extensive research..." (Human Resources, January 2003)

"...this book is an easy read...well produced and despite the research clear of management jargonwell written..." (AccountingWEB.UK, 7 January 2003) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.


Product Details

  • Paperback: 496 pages
  • Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 3 edition (August 7, 2003)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0787968331
  • ISBN-13: 978-0787968335
  • Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 1.5 x 9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #56,626 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Barry Posner is the Accolti Professor of Leadership at the Leavey School of Business, Santa Clara University (located in the heart of Silicon Valley), where he served for 12 years as Dean of the School. Barry, along with his co-author Jim Kouzes, received the American Society for Training and Development's highest award for their Distinguished Contribution to Workplace Learning and Performance. Named as one of the nation's top management and leadership educators by the International Management Council and recognized as one of the Top 50 leadership coaches in America, and ranked among the 10 Most Influential HR thinkers in the world by HR magazine.

He is the co-author of the award-winning and best-selling leadership book The Leadership Challenge. Described as a groundbreaking research study, this book combines keen insights with practical applications and captures both why and how leadership is everyone's business. With over 2 million copies in print, this book has been named one of The Top 100 Business Books of All Time, book-of-the-year by the American Council of Health Care Executives, received the Critic's Choice Award from book review editors, and translated into over 20 foreign languages.

The Leadership Practices Inventory has been called "the most reliable, up-to-date leadership instrument available today," and the online version has been completed by over 3 million people around the globe. Barry has also co-authored several other award-winning, inspiring and practical books on leadership: Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It, Why People Demand It; The Truth About Leadership: The No-Fads, Heart-of-the Matter Facts You Need to Know; Encouraging the Heart: A Leaders Guide to Recognizing and Rewarding Others; The Academic Administrator's Guide to Exemplary Leadership; and A Leader's Legacy.

Barry is an internationally renowned scholar who has published more than 85 research and practitioner-oriented articles, in such journals as the: Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Applied Psychology, Human Relations, Personnel Psychology, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, and the like. He is currently on the editorial review boards of the International Journal of Servant-Leadership and Leadership and Organizational Development. Barry has served on the Board of Directors for both publicly-listed and privately-held companies, and for a number of public and community organizations, such as the American Institute of Architects, San Jose Repertory Theatre, Global Women's Leadership Network, and EMQ FamiliesFirst.

Barry received an undergraduate degree in political science from the University of California, Santa Barbara, a master's degree from the Ohio State University in public administration, and his Ph.D. in organizational behavior and administrative theory from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. At Santa Clara he has received the President's Distinguished Faculty Award, the School's Extraordinary Faculty Award, and several other outstanding teaching and leadership honors. He has been a visiting professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Sabanci University (Istanbul), and the University of Western Australia.

Described as a warm, engaging and pragmatic conference speaker and dynamic workshop facilitator, Barry has worked with such organizations as: Alcoa, Apple, Applied Materials, Australian Institute of Management, Charles Schwab, Conference Board of Canada, Dow, Hewlett-Packard, IKEA, Kaiser Permanente Health Care, L.L. Bean, Levi Strauss, Merck, NetApp, Northrop Grumman, Trader Joe's, among others, and been involved with leadership development efforts at more than 50 college campuses. He has made presentations and conducted workshops across the U.S., and around the globe, from Canada, Mexico, South America, and Europe to the Far East (China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Indonesia), Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.



Customer Reviews

Would recommend this book to anyone intested in improving their leadership abilities. Sherry J Preston  |  16 reviewers made a similar statement
It is by far one of the most informative and enjoyable leadership books I have ever read. J. Dziurgot  |  5 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Real How-To Information February 26, 2005
Format:Paperback
This book has been around in various editions for almost twenty years now. One reason for that is that it is an excellent overview of leadership in organizations and how you can do it yourself.

The book's structure follows its basic recommendations. The authors recommend five fundamental practices, each of which has two commandments, for a total of ten. In general, these are both straightforward and insightful. "Challenge the Process" talks about searching for opportunities, experimenting, and taking risks. "Modeling the Way" talks about setting the example and planning small wins. There is also material on "Enabling Others to Act."

Then there are a couple of weaker sections. Sections on inspiring and encouraging simply are too fluffy and lack the support that is given to other points.

Even having said that, this is a book that's worth reading if you are responsible for leadership in an organization of any size. The reason is the way the book came together.

The authors used two different kinds of research to develop their recommendations. They looked at over five hundred leaders, but they looked at them in a particular way.

In each case, they had asked the leader to talk about his or her actions as a leader when they were doing excellent work. In other words, they looked for excellent examples of leadership and tried to draw lessons from them.

They also went to the other side and talked to followers about what they wanted in leaders. When they put those two kinds of research together, you get recommendations that are both practical and, for the most part, behavioral.

Warren Bennis' recent book, Geeks and Geezers, is an excellent companion for this book. In that book, Bennis talks about crucibles of leadership or experiences, which provide intense stress and learning of leadership that form leadership values.

On the plus side this is good, practical, behavioral and helpful if you're responsible for a group of any kind or size. On the downside, some of the language can be fuzzy and simplistic, and some of the concepts, like "Encourage the Heart" sounds just a tad too New Age for my taste.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is an outstanding book and should be required reading for anyone who manages people or who is getting started in their career and will manage in the future. In addition to providing terrific insights into the art and science of leadership, the book serves as an excellent roadmap for those who want to improve their leadership skills and that of their management team. In addition to their extensive research and powerful discussions on what makes great leaders, the book is an absolute delight to read. Kouzes and Posner's command of the language and easy readability, along with their very relevant case studies and analyses, can help all of us improve our leadership skills and develop more effective organizations.
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13 of 16 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Concepts that have stood the test of time October 13, 2003
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I am the CEO of a Fortune 500 company who read the original version of this book in the late 1980's. As the five criteria for leadership success discussed in this book, namely -- model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act, and encourage the heart -- have stood the test of decades of exploration and execution, the subtleties explored in this new edition are a welcome addition to my library of leadership books. I strongly recommend this book and additionally, wholeheartedly recommend Optimal Thinking: How to Be Your Best Self as a superlative universal resource for leadership and corporate optimization.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars Very good guide for understanding Leadership
Good read if the reader is interested in knowing about the true meaning and value of leadership. By focusing on the human aspect required of leaders, Mr. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Robert Reid
4.0 out of 5 stars Good read
Also has lots of helpful information and tips for anyone who is trying to become a better leader. The communications section is especially important and useful.
Published 3 months ago by WAG
4.0 out of 5 stars Classic but unnecessarily verbose
Pro:
+ Thorough investigation... detailed
+ Complete A to Z
+ Credible, uses many references
+ Time tested (note: now shipping the 5th edition)
+... Read more
Published 8 months ago by M and K
4.0 out of 5 stars Leadership
This book has been very helpful in my studies of Leadership in organizations. It gives very helpful exercises to guide those who are in leadership positions as well as those who... Read more
Published 14 months ago by ahampton
1.0 out of 5 stars Leadership Challange
I order one book third edition and one book 10th edition, but amazon send me both third edition. I ordered one 10 book for my friend and she is not happy with 3rd edition so her... Read more
Published on February 7, 2010 by Manju Thapamagar
3.0 out of 5 stars Good book
Good book to have for any leader. One of the more practical leadership books. Not too hard of a read. Book arrived quickly and in good condition.
Published on January 12, 2009 by Vince S.
4.0 out of 5 stars Good text on leadership
We've used this text in a graduate school class I'm completing, and it has been very helpful in crystallizing my thoughts about leadership. Read more
Published on December 2, 2008 by Mark Youngkin
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring and Practical Leadership Guide
This book is filled with real-life stories of leaders who met the challenge to lead. It gives practical steps to improving leadership and is actually an interesting read because... Read more
Published on April 4, 2008 by James C. Hathaway
5.0 out of 5 stars great book on leadership
This is one of the best books I've ever read on leadership. What makes it so great is the practical steps that it outlines you can take to develop your leadership skills. Read more
Published on December 17, 2007 by Bryan A. Daniel
5.0 out of 5 stars Kouze & Posner
The Leadership Challenge was assigned reading for my online MBA course. It is by far one of the most informative and enjoyable leadership books I have ever read. Read more
Published on September 14, 2007 by J. Dziurgot
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