The Leadership Challenge, Third Edition - Hardcover

Kouzes, James M.; Posner, Barry Z.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0787956783 ISBN 13: 9780787956783

Publisher: Jossey-Bass, 2002

Synopsis

When it was initially written in 1987, few could have predicted that The Leadership Challenge would become one of the best-selling leadership books of all time. Now, faced with the new challenges of our unpredictable global business environment, Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner--two of the country's premier leadership experts--have completely revised and updated their classic book. Building on the knowledge base of their previous books, the third edition of The Leadership Challenge is grounded in extensive research and based on interviews with all kinds of leaders at all levels in public and private organizations from around the world. In this edition, the authors emphasize that the fundamentals of leadership are the same today as they were in the 1980s, and as they've probably been for centuries. In that sense, nothing's new. Leadership is not a fad. While the content of leadership has not changed, the context has-and in some cases, changed dramatically.

About this title

Review:

In the 1980s and again in the '90s, James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner published The Leadership Challenge to address issues they uncovered in research on ordinary people achieving "individual leadership standards of excellence." The keys they identified--model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act, encourage the heart--have now been reexamined in the context of the post-millennium world and updated in a third edition. "What we have discovered, and rediscovered, is that leadership is not the private reserve of a few charismatic men and women," write Kouzes, chairman emeritus of the Tom Peters Company, and Posner, dean of the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University. "People make extraordinary things happen by liberating the leader within everyone." After explaining their concept and methodology, the authors detail the five essentials noted above in a pair of chapters apiece that bring clarity to their theories with case studies and recommended actions. The specificity of each (motivating through "the meaningfulness of the challenge, not the material rewards of success," for example, and being able to "accept the mistakes that result from experimentation") is enhanced by advice on sustaining the commitment and making leadership skills accessible to all. The results remain as relevant as when they were first published. --Howard Rothman

From the Back Cover:

More Than One Million People Have Taken The Leadership Challenge
Here's Why . . .

"This book is one of the very best on the topic of leadership, offering extraordinary stories from leaders at various ages and stages of their lives. Whether you're now in a leadership role and want to further strengthen and hone your skills, or you simply have the desire to learn to make a difference and help guide your company-- or even friends and family members-- to higher levels of success, you'll benefit by reading The Leadership Challenge."
-- David S. Pottruck, president & co-CEO, The Charles Schwab Corporation

"The first edition was seminal and totally original. It became a modern classic on leadership practically overnight. With this new edition, with new cases and concepts and action steps that are even riper and more important, Kouzes and Posner go way beyond their earlier work and have made yet another brilliant contribution to leadership studies. This new book, a product of an unusual collaboration, is essential reading for everyone involved or concerned with leading."
-- Warren Bennis, distinguished professor of business administration, University of Southern California, and author, Geeks and Geezers: Crucibles of Leading and Learning

"From the ten commitments of leadership to the emphasis on actions and relationships, this valuable book is full of enduring wisdom and practical insights essential for success in challenging times."
-- Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Harvard Business School, best-selling author of Evolve!: Succeeding in the Digital Culture of Tomorrow

"For twenty-five years I have written about and taught leadership. The Leadership Challenge is one of the five best books I have ever read. I continually recommend it to others."
-- John C. Maxwell, founder, The INJOY Group, and author, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

About this edition

• Publisher: Jossey-Bass
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0787956783
• ISBN 13: 9780787956783
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 3
• Number of pages: 496