Notes #42 The Leadership Challenge

The Leadership Challenge by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner is now in its fifth edition (2012).  It’s proved to be a very popular work, spawning workshops, a conference, and various support materials, including a 360 degree assessment tool (the Leadership Practices Inventory) and a journal, a workbook and activities book.  It’s even lead to a version developed for students, which can be used in high school or college level programs.   The Student Leadership Challenge (2nd edition, 2014) has its own LPI and support material. (I plan to look at this in depth in a future Notes)  Information on all this can be found at the website www.leadershipchallenge.com, which has a variety of material available.

The authors of the LC set out to research and interview leaders about leadership itself.  From this research, which included leadership in both business and non-profit groups, they developed their model of leadership.  They make a big point that their work is based on 25 years of research.

Notes #41 Communication & Presentation

As leaders we need to be communicators.  This is important for many aspects of leadership.  As leaders we should develop a vision.  But what good is that vision if we are unable to convey that vision to those we lead such that they accept and buy in to that vision.  In leading people, we must be able to communicate with them, and that includes finding out what they need and want.  This communication could be one on one or small groups.

 Too often communication is seen as being totally separate from leadership.   There are programs and classes on speech and communication, but divorced from leadership.  On the flip-side, sometimes people think that leaders must be great orators.  Well, yes, some have been, for good or bad.  But there have also been quiet people who are great leaders as well, but they still were able to communicate.

And always keep in mind that communication can be written as well as verbal.  Can you organize your thoughts, put them down in a form that others can understand?  This, too is important.