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The Leadership Challenge: How to Keep Getting Extraordinary Things Done in Organizations

by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner
Jossey Bass, 1995

There seem to be 1,001 books on leadership out there. I am finding that nearly every one I read has some very good and important points—even when they contradict each other. The not very insightful conclusion I draw from this is that leadership is a slippery subject. There are lots of valid and helpful points to be made about leadership, but I am finding it hard to identify one framework or approach that really pulls it all together.

Kouzes and Posner, however, come pretty close, and that is evidenced by their book’s staying power—it was originally published in 1987, yet you still see it prominently displayed in the business section of the bookstores.

The book lays out five “fundamental practices of exemplary leadership”:

• Challenge the process
• Inspire a shared vision
• Enable others to act
• Model the way
• Encourage the heart.

Like some of the other books I recommend, the conclusions in this book are based in solid research. They are not merely good ideas; they are proven and documented. The book tells some of the stories from real life, so the lessons become very real and applicable. It is 340 pages, so it is not a quick read. But if you are serious about developing as a leader, it contains the kind of insight, advice, and inspiration that will serve you well.