Truth About Leadership

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The Truth About Leadership, written by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner, discusses their research on leadership. In it the authors expose some of the characteristics that are inherent in leadership. Their research is the basis for what the book calls its conclusions and truths. By defining their ten truths, the authors explore the fundamentals of great leadership, and show how to become a more effective leader. The first truth, Individuals Make a Difference, explains that each individual can make a difference regardless of their position within an organization. The book seeks to challenge the notion, many people believe, that leadership is only present in the upper echelons of business. The authors explain that leadership can be utilized …show more content…
A leader must create strong relationships in order to have the help they may need in times of struggle. The sixth truth is that trust is king. The authors found that companies who are highly trusted by their employee perform better than companies with lower ratings. This truth directly ties into the previous truth, showing that strong relationships built on trust has a tangible effect of productivity. Challenges lead to greatness takes the number seven spot on the list. This truth centers on the importance of perceiving challenges as opportunities, and how difficult it can be to maintain that attitude. The eighth truth is that leaders must lead by example, or will not lead at all. The book describes how effective leaders must show others how they should act, think, and feel. Leader’s behaviors are studied by their followers, ho then compare them to what they said they would do. People will lose trust in a leader who is inconsistent. The best leaders are the best learners according to the ninth truth in the book. The authors pointed out that leadership can be learned, and in order to be a great leader you must study the craft. Leadership requires heart rounds out the …show more content…
While the book centers on leadership being present at all levels it points out that leadership is not only an executive behavior. It does not require a title, or authority over others. The most effective leaders can garner control without formal means. When I started this course I had assumed that leadership was something that was only effective in the upper echelons of organizations, and that management filled in the rest. I have since changed that view, realizing that leadership and management should be practiced in tandem. Both the credibility, and trust is king truths tie into the honesty and integrity (pg42) in our textbook. The authors did not have backdrop of recent corporate scandals in this section, which I felt was missing after reading the textbook. After some thought I realized that these principles are important regardless of that type of external factors. Without trust, a leader will never have the full cooperation of their followers. The value drives commitment portion of the book had a focus on knowing your own values and committing to them, but lacked the distinction of end values and instrumental values. While both reads note the importance of values, I think that the textbook was more effective in exploring the differences in values. In addition, the text demonstrated that values can also include the ways in which a company invests in its community. The book focused on the
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