The Leadership Challenge quotes

The Leadership Challenge (Portuguese edition, 2009) of Koutzes & Posner continues to be a fundamental book on understanding the concept of leadership. Here are some notes to "sharpen" our ingenuity. (P.13) The Leadership Challenge ... speaks of strategies that leaders use to transform values into actions, visions into realities, obstacles into innovations, separateness into solidarity and risks into rewards. …The abundance of challenges is not the problem. It’s how we respond to the challenges that counts. With the response we give to the challenges, we can seriously aggravate or substantially improve the world in which we live and work. (P.14) …Restore hope and create a deeper sense of meaning in life. …What we found and re-discover that leadership cannot be reduced to a few charismatic men and women. …When the leader in all of us is released, extraordinary feats happen. (P.18) The first place where you should look for is a leader within ourselves. (P.19) The domain of leaders is the future. The leader's unique legacy is the creation of recognized institutions that endure over time. We need more exemplary leaders and we need them now more than ever. There is so much extraordinary work that needs to be done. We need leaders who can unite and awaken us. (P.36) The leadership isn’t about personality, but rather with behavior. ... The exemplary leaders know that if they want to achieve commitment and achieve the highest standards, must show the behavior they expect of others. The leaders show the path. (P.37) To show behaviors that we expect from others, first of all leaders must present clearly the guiding principles. They must clarify values. ...The leaders have to stand up for what they believe in, so it's better to have something to believe. But the leader's values are not the only ones that matters. The leaders are not representing themselves. They speak and act on behalf of something bigger, a larger organization. ...The acts of leaders are more important than what you say when it’s needed to determine the relation between the seriousness of a leader and what he says. ...The exemplary leaders are the first to comply. (P.38) Showing the path implies earning the right and respect to lead through direct involvement and direct action. People follow the person first and then the plan. ...All organizations, all social movements begin with a dream. The dream or vision is the force that creates the future. Leaders inspire a shared vision. (P.39) A clear picture of the future pulls them forward. ...The leaders cannot order the commitment, only inspire it. ...Leaders must attract others to the common vision. ...People have to believe that leaders understand their needs and they are aware of their interests. Leadership is a dialogue, not a monologue.