Critique on the Book The Leadership Challenge

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Critique on the Book

The Leadership Challenge

The Leadership Challenge

Summary

The Leadership Challenge by Kouzes and Posner (2007) is the result of twenty years of research on the factors that influence and create great leadership. Through studies and stories from leaders with various backgrounds throughout the world, the practices and characteristics that create great leadership are delineated. Leadership is viewed not as a group of inherent characteristics, but as learned behavior that anyone can achieve. The goal of Kouzes and Posner’s book is to inspire and educate leaders through transformational leadership. As such, leadership is about mobilizing others to become and do extraordinary things.

Leadership is mobilizing people through the use of five practices, that of modeling the way, inspiring the group vision, challenging the process, enabling others to achieve, and encouraging the emotions of others. Additionally, leadership is based upon credibility which includes the integrity of the leader and the trust of those following. This credibility will be influenced by a leader’s honesty, vision, ability to inspire, and competence or ability to succeed.

The first of the five principles of leadership is modeling. This is defined by Kouzes and Posner (2007) as doing what you say and doing it first. This involves personally clarifying the values and priorities for the organization, and then sharing, teaching, and modeling those values to others. In leadership, the first step is always to fully understand your vision and become personally transformed and inspired by it.

The second principle involves the leader’s vision for the organization. This vision must be exciting, ennobling, and s...

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... themselves, set their own vision and goals, are self accountable, responsible and grow from their own mistakes. A teacher’s passion, especially in high school, needs to be one of transforming her students.

Transformational leadership also integrates well with a biblical worldview because both advocate valuing followers as well as leaders, the importance of ethical behavior, the need to forgive and learn from mistakes, and the value of a high moral example. Kouzes and Posner advocate leaders having a “moral authority to lead” (2007, p. 41), practicing personal accountability and working to improve all aspects of their follower’s lives. This others-centered leadership approach fits well in the Christ centered atmosphere of a Christian school.

References

Kouzes, J., & Posner, B., (2007). The leadership challenge, (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-

Bass.

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