The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership

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The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership

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njeri.sherry

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The Five Practices of Exemplary

Leadership Model ®

Leadership is not about personality; it’s about behavior—an observable set of skills and
abilities. When the co-authors of The Leadership Challenge, Jim Kouzes and Barry
Posner, first set out to discover what effective leaders do when they’re at their personal
best, they collected thousands of stories from ordinary people—the moments they
recalled when asked to think of a peak leadership experience. Despite differences in
culture, gender, age, and other variables, these “personal best” stories revealed similar
patterns of behavior. The authors discovered that when leaders experience their
personal best, they display five core practices: they Model the Way, Inspire a Shared
Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act, and Encourage the Heart. Jim and
Barry called these behaviors The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership . Together,
®

these practices provide the basis for The Leadership Challenge .

Model the Way

Leaders establish principles concerning the way people (constituents, peers,
colleagues, and customers alike) should be treated and the way they should pursue
goals. Leaders create standards of excellence and set an example for others to follow.
They put up signposts when people feel unsure of where to go or how to get there.
Leaders create opportunities for victory.

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Inspire a Shared Vision

Leaders passionately believe they can make a difference. They envision the future and
create an ideal and unique image of what the organization can become. Through their
magnetism and persuasion, leaders enlist others in their dreams. They breathe life into
their visions and get people to see exciting possibilities for the future.

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Challenge the Process

Leaders search for opportunities to change the status quo. They look for innovative
ways to improve the organization. In doing so, they experiment and take risks. Since
complex change threatens to overwhelm people and stifle action, leaders set interim
goals so that people can achieve small wins as they work toward larger objectives.
Effective leaders unravel bureaucracy when it impedes action. And, because leaders
know that taking risks involves mistakes and failures, they accept occasional
disappointments as opportunities to learn.

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Enable Others to Act

Leaders foster collaboration and build spirited teams. They actively involve others.
Leaders understand that mutual respect sustains extraordinary efforts. They strive to
create an atmosphere of trust and human dignity. They strengthen others, making each
person feel capable and powerful.

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Encourage the Heart

Accomplishing extraordinary things in organizations is hard work. To keep hope and
determination alive, leaders recognize the contributions that individuals make. In every
winning team, the members need to share in the rewards of their efforts, so leaders
celebrate accomplishments. They make people feel like heroes.

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