The Leadership Challenge, 4th Edition - Hardcover

Kouzes, James M.; Posner, Barry Z.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0787984914 ISBN 13: 9780787984915

Publisher: Jossey-Bass, 2007

Synopsis

The most trusted resource on becoming a leader is now updated and revised for a new generation.

This leadership classic continues to be a bestseller after three editions and twenty years in print. It is the gold standard for research-based leadership, and the premier resource on becoming a leader. This new edition, with streamlined text, more international and business examples, and a graphic redesign, is more readable and accessible than ever before.

The Leadership Challenge, Fourth Edition, has been extensively updated with the latest research and case studies, and offers inspiring new stories of real people achieving extraordinary results. The authors' central theme remains the same and is more relevant today than ever: "Leadership is Everyone?s Business." Their "five practices" and "ten commitments" have been proven by hundreds of thousands of dedicated, successful leaders. This edition, with almost one-third new material, emphasizes the global community and refocuses on business leaders.

About this title

Review:

Guest Reviewer: Marshall Goldsmith
Marshall Goldsmith has been recognized by almost every major business publication as one of America's leading executive educators and coaches. He is the author or co-editor of 22 books, including What Got You Here Won't Get You There--a New York Times bestseller and Wall Street Journal #1 business book.

I consider Leadership Challenge by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner to be the best research-based book ever written in the field of leadership.

What I love about this book is that it is actually written for its readers!

Let's face it--very few readers of business books are CEO's of multi-billion corporations. Yet many business books follow the same over-used formula--interviewing CEOs--talking about what they are doing so well--and suggesting that you do the same thing.

Leadership Challenge is based upon learnings from leaders at all levels--and shows how "regular people" can make a huge, positive difference in their organizations. It is written in a way that can help executives, mid-managers, first-line supervisors, project leaders--and even individual contributors--better understand how they can lead--and be able to immediately apply what they have learned in their work.

My favorite movie is The Wizard of Oz. Three of the movie's main characters are seekers: the scarecrow--who is searching for a brain--or wisdom, the tin man--who is searching for a heart--or compassion, and the lion--who is searching for the nerve--or courage. Leadership Challenge helps its readers, who are also seekers, find all three. It shows how real leaders can demonstrate the wisdom--needed to build a vision and show the way, the courage--needed to the challenge the system and do what is right, and the compassion--needed to care for and inspire others.

Although my Ph.D. is in Organizational Behavior, my undergraduate background is in mathematics. I respect people who gather real facts and don't just "shoot from the hip." Jim and Barry have developed the "Leadership Practices Inventory"--which is possibly the world's most widely-respected tool for 360° leadership feedback. They have thoroughly reviewed input from tens of thousands of respondents and used this data to form sound conclusions about what works--and what doesn’t work--in terms of leadership behavior.

My recent book, What Got You Here Won't Get You There, talks about why it can be so challenging for successful people to make the changes that they need to "go to the next level." Jim and Barry have not fallen into the classic "successful author's trap." Given the tremendous success of the first edition of Leadership Challenge, they could have easily thought, "Why change this? It is a huge winner!" Instead they have put in countless hours to make each new edition of this classic better than the previous editions. They have worked to incorporate both what they have learned, through their ongoing research--and what they have observed, through their observations of the changing world of work--to make this edition the best--and most relevant--for today's readers.

My final comment for you as a reader: don't just learn from this book--do something with what you learn. This is a practical guide that can help you lead in a way that makes your organization a better place. Take advantage of this opportunity to make a positive difference in your own life--and in the lives of the people that you lead. --Marshall Goldsmith

More to Explore
This leadership classic continues to be a bestseller after three editions and 20 years in print. It is the gold standard for research-based leadership, and the premier resource on becoming a leader. This new edition, with streamlined text, more international and business examples, and a graphic redesign, is more readable and accessible to business readers than ever before, and will prove to be the best edition yet.

FAQs About the Five Practices Model from The Leadership Challenge

Learn More About The Leadership Challenge Approach

From the Back Cover:

JOIN MORE THAN A MILLION PEOPLE WHO HAVE TAKEN THE LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE

Praise for The Leadership Challenge

"Leadership books are a dime a dozen, and most don't last a week, let alone years. The Leadership Challenge has lasted because it is research-based, it is practical, and it has heart! Believe me, Jim and Barry have hard evidence for what we usually think of as a soft topic."
—Tom Peters, management guru, founder, and chairman, Tom Peters Company, and author of In Search of Excellence

"For all who lead others or aspire to lead others, The Leadership Challenge is the indispensable guidebook. Its vision and message inspire, engage, and motivate leaders of the future to lead the organization of the future, into a future no one can yet describe. Once again Kouzes and Posner provide the leadership resource exactly right for the challenges of our turbulent times."
—Frances Hesselbein, chairman, Leader to Leader Institute; former CEO, Girl Scouts of the USA

"Jim and Barry have done the most practical, comprehensive, and inspiring research on leadership that I have ever read. Instead of another version of 'celebrity leadership,' The Leadership Challenge helps us gain practical wisdom from real leaders at all levels in many types of organizations. Every leader can relate to the knowledge in this book!"
—Marshall Goldsmith, best-selling author of What Got You Here Won't Get You There and one of Forbes' five top executive coaches

"This is a wonderful book about people. Kouzes and Posner know that companies and organizations don't accomplish great things, people do! They use sound research, true principles, and interesting real-life stories to make their case, and they teach the specific skills that each of us needs to be good leaders and better people. Already read an earlier edition? Me too. Now go read it again."
—David A. Petersen, president and CEO, O.C. Tanner Company

About this edition

• Publisher: Jossey-Bass
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0787984914
• ISBN 13: 9780787984915
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 4
• Number of pages: 416