Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It, Why People Demand It (Jossey-Bass Management) (Paperback)

by James S. Kouzes (Author), Barry Z. Posner (Author) "Leadership is a reciprocal relationship between those who choose to lead and those who decide to follow..." (more)
Key Phrases: appreciating constituents, affirming shared values, discovering your self, Ortho Biotech, United States, Levi Strauss (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Behavioral savants Kouzes and Posner ( The Leadership Challenge ) here provide philosophical and practical guidance for business executives at a time when computers, consultants, coproduction and ever-growing employee empowerment leave less for managers to do. Unsurprisingly, the authors place honesty, competence and a talent to inspire ("a set of values that can be learned") at the core of effective leadership. From a penetrating survey of business methods and employee attitudes worldwide, Kouzes and Posner pinpoint future trends--e.g., more authority for customer contact personnel--in a logical, integrated and symbiotic organizational plan to replace a now-outdated omnipotent-boss system. Unfortunately, a hucksterish title and an introductory essay on "credibility" do a disservice to this broad and serious work's potential readership. 50,000 first printing; Executive Program book club selection; author tour.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
"With the hundreds of look-alike, sound-alike, self-help books available on how to succeed in just about any field, it is a pleasure to read a book that contains something new and useful. In Credibility, not only have the authors captured the essence of leadership, they also alert us to the hazards surrounding leaders, would-be leaders and followers in all walks of life, including the health field.'' (Canadian Hospital Association)

"Credibility' may well move quickly into the lexicon as the next leadership buzzword.''

"Kouzes and Posner have found a way to communicate the importance of hope and offer practical ways of keeping it alive.'' (from the foreword by Tom Peters)

"A much needed human approach to leadership, finally focusing on issues that really matterhonesty, sensitivity to diversity, and the need for community.'' (Ken Blanchard, chairman, Blanchard Training and Development, Inc. and coauthor, The One Minute Manager)

"A well-crafted work. Kouzes and Posner see beyond today's survey results to challenge their assertions with the test of time and circumstance. This solid book persuades readers that credibility is fundamental in spite ofor perhaps because ofthe instability and cynicism that characterize many American work places.''

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (March 3, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787900567
• ISBN-13: 978-0787900564
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #649,101 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Research-based counsel!, January 2, 2001

By	Boris Martinez "borismartinez" (Guatemala, Central America) - See all my reviews

This book was an optional reading in a course I recently took as part of my PhD studies in organisational leadership. The text flows logically, with highly readable prose; it excels at providing a great depth of insight on a) discovering one self; b) appreciating constituents and their diversity; c) affirming shared values; d) developing capacity; d) serving a purpose; and d) sustaining hope. Even though the research upon which the text is based was done mostly in the first world, I found it quite useful and applicable to my own context in Guatemala. I definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to understand how crecibility affects leadership success.

26 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How credibility is important in your life, January 9, 1997

By A Customer

Deals with what credibility is, how you gain it, lose it. More importantly, the authors discuss why this issue is one of the keys to a successful personal and business life. If you are a parent, spouse, manager, or deal with people in any way, this book will help you analyze how you deal with people, what they expect, and how you can fullfil their expectations and yours and have them think you are wonderful. Experience how much better your life is when your relationships are on a sound footing. Warning - if you like playing games with people or messing with their minds, this book will be a disappointment to you.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good information to excel, April 17, 2001

By	Craig A. Meyer "PutInWords" (OH United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book has an interesting topic that is needed in todays fields. Citing great examples of people who do more than just talk the talk. The beginning and end are most useful, the middle gets a little boring but is still useful. They back up what they say with studies (from which I also did a study and came up with surprisely similar results!). Overall a very good book for any manager in any business. It should be noted that this book is a bit more geared for a production manager such as in plant or factory. HOwever examples are universal and can be used in any "bag of tricks".