What Is The Leadership Challenge?

The Leadership Challenge
Leadership skills are essential for those who wish to lead change in an organisation. According to Kouzes and Posner leadership is a relationship between those who aspire to lead and those who choose to follow (2007). How this relationship works can be a determining factor in the success of a project or indeed an organisation. Not everyone is a born leader, but leadership skills can be developed and many theorists have come up with strategies and processes that can be followed to achieve this goal. Kouzes and Posner outlined a very successful 5 step model called the leadership challenge. Their theory is based on many decades of research that discovered that organisations, communities and individuals can and will

This involves recognising contributions and celebrating wins. Having high expectations for your team shows a leader believes in the abilities of his team, which increases the likelihood of a higher performing group (p. 282). It is imperative at this stage that the group are rewarded in some way for their effort; this could be as simple as a “thank you”, a “half-day off”, a “celebratory coffee & cake”. When leaders commend individuals for achieving the values or goals of the organisation, they give them courage, inspiring them to experience their own ability to deliver-even when the pressure is on. When we recognize women and men for their contributions we expand their awareness of their value to the organization and to their co-workers, imparting a sense of connectedness that, being social animals, all humans seek. While we may all be connected, leaders make sure that we're in touch (Kouzes & Posner, 2003).

Bibliography:

Bergen, T. (2011). James Kouzes and Barry Posner’s ‘The Truth about Leadership’. Retrieved February 22, 2012 from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/leadership-books/post/james-kouzes-and-barry-posners-the-truth-about-leadership/2011/03/07/gIQApWJmjL_blog.html
Kouzes, J.M., & Posner, B.Z. (2003) Encouraging the Heart: A Leader's Guide to Rewarding and Recognizing Others. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2006). A Leader’s Legacy. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2007). The Leadership Challenge (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: