What constitutes good leadership? Kouzes and Posner in ‘The Leadership Challenge’ identify five practices of exemplary leadership.
The best leaders:
• Model the way – act and behave according to their spoken values
• Inspire a shared vision – have a vision for the future and able to gain support
• Challenge the process – encourage innovation, learning and are unafraid of failure
• Enable others to act – foster collaboration, delegation and empowerment
• Encourage the heart – show appreciation, recognition and promote celebration
Leadership is not confined to the Chief Executive of the organisation. An effective leader will encourage leadership at all levels of the organisation so that managers become team leaders within their sphere of influence and exhibit the traits of good leadership.
This model of leadership is as applicable to Christian leadership as much as within a commercial context and is the subject of a later book by the same authors .
The Leadership Challenge is best introduced and discussed within organisations through a questionnaire inventory and a one-day workshop with appropriate follow-up. Contact us to discuss further.
1 Kouzes J & Posner B (2002): The Leadership Challenge (3rd Edition). ISBN:0787968331