Nothing could be further from the truth. While each setting may look different from the outside, we find that what leaders do when they are at their best is quite similar. This pattern of behavior varies little across locations and circumstances. It's true enough that the context keeps evolving, and the landscape of workplaces, communities, and countries has shifted over time, but leadership remains an understandable and generalizable process. While each leader is a unique individual, there are shared patterns to the practice of leadership. In each chapter of this book, you will find empirical evidence that shows the positive difference leaders without titles make across a wide spectrum of settings.
You can find out more about how we conducted the research for this book in the Appendix. Details about the research methodology, including psychometric properties of the Leadership Practices Inventory and analytics, as well as highlights of validation studies by various independent scholars are available on our website: www.leadershipchallenge.com. Those interested in broadening their perspective on leadership should look at some of our other leadership books, such as Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It, Why People Demand It; The Truth About Leadership: The No-Fads, Heart-of-the-Matter Facts You Need to Know; and Learning Leadership: The Five Fundamentals of Becoming an Exemplary Leader.
A Guidebook on Leadership
Consider Everyday People, Extraordinary Leadership as a guidebook to take along on your leadership journey. We have designed it to describe what leaders do, explain the fundamental principles that support these leadership practices, and provide actual case examples of real people in the workplace or community who demonstrate each practice. Based on the real-world experiences of thousands of people who have answered the call for leadership, we offer specific recommendations on what you can do to make these practices your own and to continue your leadership development.
Chapter 1 introduces you to our point of view about leadership—specifically that leadership is not a position, hierarchical place, or genetic trait. We discuss leadership as a relationship, and we reveal who is at the top of the list of leadership role models. We describe the characteristics that people most desire in their leaders and present the foundation on which all great leadership is built. We briefly describe The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership® revealed in our research. We tell the leadership story from the inside and move outward, describing leadership first as a personal journey of exploration and then as a mobilization of others. The research shows that leadership is not the private reserve of a few charismatic men and women, but instead a learnable set of behaviors and actions people use when they are bringing forth the best from themselves and others.
In Chapters 2 through 6 we explore each of The Five Practices, one to a chapter, and demonstrate that taken together they provide an operating system for leadership. Once you understand the “operating system,” you can create and run any number of different applications off of it, akin to what an operating system provides for computer software. Discussions build on the results of our original research, buttressed by studies from other scholars, and provide a particular point of view on leadership that is empirically sound and practically useful. Case examples and empirical evidence generously illustrate each leadership practice and document how using more of each practice yields more favorable outcomes. Each chapter has recommended actions, concluding with two specific first steps that you should take to put the leadership practice to use in developing your leadership capabilities.
In Chapter 7, we share some concluding research on how leadership matters not only to your colleagues or community, but also to you personally. We discuss six fundamentals for learning leadership, and explore three basic types of learning opportunities. In so doing we aim to demystify leadership and show how every person has the capacity to learn to lead. Finally, we advise that the process of becoming the best leader you can be will fundamentally change who you are and how you present yourself day in and day out. To that end, we offer a concluding reflective activity to help you get started on the next stage of your leadership journey.
The Future of Leadership
The domain of leaders is the future. We hope this book contributes to the ongoing revitalization of the workplace, to the renewal of healthy communities, and to greater respect and understanding among people of all traditions. We fervently hope that it enriches your life and the lives of your colleagues, your friends, and family. The most significant contribution you can make as a leader is to strengthen others so they can adapt, grow, and flourish.
Leadership matters. It's essential in every sector, in every community, and in every country. In these times of unprecedented change, organizations and communities need more leaders, and now more than ever they need leaders who can unite and mobilize others in a common cause.
So much extraordinary work needs to be done, and you have the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in how it is done. Accept the challenge to learn to become the best leader you can be—for the sake of your community, your workplace, and for those you love.
James M. Kouzes
Barry Z. Posner
November 2020
CHAPTER 1 Leadership Is Not a Position
WHEN YOU HEAR the word “leader,” what immediately comes to mind?
Maybe you think of someone with a title, such as CEO, president, prime minister, or admiral. Maybe you think of some famous public figure, such as a celebrity actor or singer, start-up founder, or pro athlete. Maybe you think of someone from the history books who led a revolution, conquest, or world-changing movement. Or maybe you think of someone who created a breakthrough invention, won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize, wrote a best-selling novel or Grammy-winning song. It's rather common to see these kinds of responses. They are reinforced every time you read one of those lists of the “50 Greatest Leaders of the Year.” In fact, if you take a look at one of the most well-known lists, you'll see that 100 percent of the so-called “greatest leaders” fall into these categories.1 It's true for young leaders as well. In a list of young global leaders prepared by the World Economic Forum, 85 percent of the young leaders held the title of a senior executive, founder, or government official.2 The majority of “leaders” who make these lists and are featured in the popular press are people with titles and at the apex of their organizations.
It's not that these individuals aren't leaders. They are. It's just that they are not the only leaders on the planet. In fact, they aren't even the majority of leaders. We've collected data from millions of people around the world and we can report, without a doubt, that there are leaders everywhere. There are leaders in every profession, discipline, and field, in every type of organization and industry, every religion, and every country; you find them from young to old, male, female, and gender non-conforming, across every ethnic and cultural category. Leaders are not just found at the top of organizations; they abound at all levels, including the middle, as well as on the front lines. There are leaders outside of formal organizations, too, in neighborhoods, community associations, clubs, sports teams, and families.
You could have a title like manager, director, or vice president. You could have people who report to you directly, but these would not necessarily make you a leader. Titles are granted, but being a leader is something that you earn, and you earn it not by your
