Student Leadership Challenge

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Recommended: Strengths and weaknesses of authentic leadership

Throughout the novel, The Student Leadership Challenge: Five Practices for Exemplary Leaders, authors James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner share with young student leaders the skills they have found for effective leadership. The authors wrote The Student Leadership Challenge hoping to strengthen the abilities and uplift the spirits of leaders by introducing the five principles: modeling the way, inspiring a shared vision, challenging the process, enabling others to act, and encouraging the heart (Kouzes and Posner 3). Modeling the way is described as a leader practicing what they preach (Kouzes and Posner 29). A leader should set the example of what they expect from those that follow them. When a leader inspires a shared vision they “envision the future by imagining exciting and ennobling possibilities” and enlist others to join them by appealing to shared aspirations (22). Leaders know that in order to succeed they must experiment and take risks in order to challenge the process, build trust so that they may enable others to act, and “create a spirit of community” so that they can encourage the heart (17, 22). Along with reading The Student Leadership Challenge, student leaders can also find role models in various leaders throughout history, such as, Queen Elizabeth I, who exemplified the five practices of exemplary leadership because she was inspiring, took great risks, and encouraged her nation. Queen Elizabeth set a great example for the people of England in the 1500s and for the people of today—more than 400 years later. Biography Elizabeth Tudor was born on the 7th of September 1533, in Greenwich Palace, to the disappointed King Henry VIII and his second wife Anne Boleyn (Eakins 1). Both of Elizabeth’s parents were greatly... ... middle of paper ... ...ers and learn from her example: It’s just pure myth that only a lucky few can ever understand the intricacies of leadership. Leadership is not a gene, and it’s not a secret code that can’t be deciphered by ordinary people. The truth is that leadership is an observable set of skills and abilities that are useful in any campus, community, or work setting. And any skill can be strengthened, honed, and enhanced, given the motivation and desire, along with practice and feedback, role models, and coaching. (Kouzes and Posner 145) It is easy for leaders to want to give up when their plans do not play out accordingly. In Queen Elizabeth’s case, had she given up, she would not be considered one of the greatest monarchs in history. The most important lesson I think any leader can learn, from not just Elizabeth I, but all leaders in history and our community is not to give up.

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