5 Leadership Practices

Kouzes & Posner developed these 5 Leadership Practices from years of research and they are as solid now as they were when their Leadership Challenge book was first published 10 years ago.

MODEL THE WAY
Credibility is the foundation of leadership; effective leaders are clear on their values, guiding principles and what they stand for. People will not believe the message unless they believe the messenger, so you must lead from what you believe. Leaders who model the way, do what they say they will do. They have the courage of their convictions and set an example for their people to follow. Modeling the way is essentially about earning the right and the respect to lead through direct individual involvement and action. People first follow the person, then the plan

INSPIRE A SHARED VISION
Leaders passionately believe that they can make a difference. They have a clear vision of an exciting, highly attractive future for their organisation and have a strong desire to make it happen. To enlist people in a vision, leaders must know their constituents and speak their language. They get people to see how their own dreams can be realised through a common vision and shared aspirations. Leaders’ enthusiasm is catching as they communicate their vision through vivid language and an expressive style, inspiring others to believe in it too.

CHALLENGE THE PROCESS
The work of leaders is growth; they focus on improvement, not the status quo. Leaders search for opportunities by seeking innovative ways to change, grow, innovate and improve. They recognise others’ good ideas, support their development and challenge the system to get new products, processes, services and systems adopted. Leaders encourage experimentation and take risks by constantly generating small wins and learning from mistakes as well as successes.

ENABLE OTHERS TO ACT
Leaders know they can’t do it alone, leadership is a team effort. Leaders promote a sense of “we’re all in this together”. They foster collaboration by promoting cooperative goals and building trust. They engage all stakeholders and the extended team, not just direct reports. They understand that mutual respect is what sustains extraordinary efforts. Leaders make it possible for others to do good work and strengthen others by sharing power and discretion, so they feel a sense of power and ownership. Through relationships founded on trust and confidence, leaders turn their constituents into leaders themselves.

ENCOURAGE THE HEART
The challenge to achieve the long-term goals and objectives demands hard work and persistence. People may become exhausted, frustrated and disenchanted and be tempted to give up. Leaders encourage their people to carry on by recognising contributions and showing appreciation for excellence. They celebrate the values and victories in small (eg. note of thanks) and large (eg. party) ways and through this create a spirit of community, which can carry a group through tough times.

Leadership is a relationship

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