The purpose of this assessment is to discuss and analyze your leadership development based on the Kouzes and Posner (2017) model.

The Leadership Challenge Kouzes & Posner (2017)

The Leadership Challenge “Leadership is not the reserve of a few

charismatic men and women. It is a process that ordinary people use when they are bringing forth the best from themselves and others. What we’ve discovered is that people make extraordinary things happen by liberating the leader within everyone”

(Kouzes and Posner, 2017).

The Kouzes & Posner Model

• Leaderships practices (x 5)

• Leadership Commitments (x 10)

• Leadership Behaviours (x 30)

(Kouzes and Posner, 2017).

Five exemplary Leadership Practices that enabled ordinary people to be successful leaders:

1. Model the way 2. Inspire a shared vision 3. Challenge the process 4. Enable others to act 5. Encourage the heart

(Kouzes and Posner, 2017).

Becoming a leader 1. Model the way

People will not believe the message unless they believe the messenger

DWYSYWD

• Leaders must stand for something, believe in something and care about something

• Leaders set the example with courage …in their own style expressing their values in their actions

(Kouzes & Posner, 2017)

Becoming a leader 2. Inspire a shared vision

Leaders believe they can make a difference. •Have a clear vision and communicate this with your team- get them on board

•Enlist others by getting people to see how their own dreams can be realised through a common vision

(Kouzes & Posner, 2017)

Becoming a leader 3. Challenge the process  search for opportunities to challenge

the status quo; seek innovative ways to change, grow and improve

 experiment and take risks  review the best available evidence

and ask others for their preferences  challenge the assumption that

“because we have always done it that way”, that it is the right way.

(Kouzes & Posner, 2017)

Becoming a leader 4. Enable others to act  Leaders know they can’t do it alone  Foster collaboration; Create a climate of

trust, mutual respect and positive interdependence, motivating others to feel ‘ we’re all in this together’

 Strengthen others by sharing power, providing choices and making each person feel confident and competent

(Kouzes & Posner, 2017)

5. Encourage the heart Leaders keep hope and determination alive, recognising contributions with genuine acts of caring, uplifting spirits and strengthening courage Working with peers to develop a focus on positive outcomes and ensure that successes – no matter how small – are celebrated

• Celebrate small wins • Give praise • Appreciate and support others

Becoming a leader

(Kouzes & Posner, 2017)

Leadership – what is it? “Leadership is not the

private reserve of a lucky few. It is an observable and learnable set of skills and abilities that are applicable at all levels”

(Kouzes & Posner, 2017)

The Leadership Challenge • Personal challenge is crucial to learning

and career enhancement • Boring, routine jobs don’t help you

improve your skills and abilities • You must stretch yourself • You must seek opportunities to test

yourself against new and difficult tasks • If you find yourself in a role that doesn’t

stretch you, figure out how to do it differently so that you are stretched

(Kouzes and Posner, 2017).

Support

C hallenge

Low Challenge

High Support

High Challenge

High Support

Low Challenge

Low Support

High Challenge

Low Support

Becoming a leader The 3 “E’s”

How did you learn to lead? – Experience: Learning through

trial and error – Example: Learning by

observing others – Education: Learning through

formal training (Kouzes and Posner, 2017).

Those who are best at leading are also best at learning

Learning to lead – Experience Experience: Learning through trial and error Seek opportunities to engage in leadership behaviours (practice)

– Make speeches – Be a mentor – Coach a team – Volunteer to manage

challenging projects – Help community groups find

innovative ways to raise funds (Kouzes & Posner, 2017)

Learning to lead - Example  Example: Learning by observing others Observe other leaders in practice – what do they do, say etc. Keep a journal, record your observations about what exemplary leaders do… review the journal regularly Read biographies and watch videos and films of exemplary leaders Listen to exemplary leaders speeches, notice what leaders do that makes them successful Interview leaders you admire & respect, ask permission to observe them in day-to-day activities

(Kouzes & Posner, 2017)

Learning to lead - Education Education: Learning through formal training

•Continue to take classes and self learning programs to expand your knowledge and skills in specific areas •Learn to use technologies, organise your activities, stay focused on your goals

•Work with coaches to improve in specific areas

(Kouzes and Posner, 2017).

10 top tips for becoming a better leader…

1. Be self aware 2. Manage your emotions 3. Seek feedback 4. Take the initiative 5. Engage a coach 6. Set goals and make a plan 7. Practice, practice, practice 8. Measure progress 9. Reward yourself 10. Be honest with yourself be humble with others

Learning to Lead Is discovering what

•You care about and value •About what inspires you •About what challenges you •About what gives you power and competence •About what encourages you

(Kouzes & Posner, 2017)

Worksheet Example Practice: Inspire a shared vision

Behaviour: Describes a compelling image of the future

Goal: I will know when I have reached my improvement goal when….. •I have written a 5 to 7 minute presentation of my vision •My colleague, Suzie gives me feedback that she finds my statement ‘compelling’ •My direct reports give me feedback that my vision statement is at least 3 on a scale of 1 (not all compelling) to 5 ( I’ll sign up)

Worksheet Example Action steps: Experience: Write a 5-7 minute vision statement Make sure to include metaphors, examples and other relevant imagery in my vision statement Sit down with Terry, who does this better than anyone I know and share what I have written. Get his feedback. Make changes accordingly and review with him again Present the vision statement to my team and ask for their honest feedback Revise again

Action Steps: Education: Listen to Martin Luther King Jr’s ‘I have a dream’ speech and take notes on what he does to enlist others – his method and content Read chapter 6 in Kouzes & Posner’s book, the leadership Challenge, on ‘enlist others’

The Process of Great Leadership • The road to great leadership that is common to

successful leaders: • Challenge the process - First, find a process that you

believe needs to be improved the most

• Inspire a shared vision - Next, share your vision in words that can be understood by your followers

• Enable others to act - Give them the tools and methods to solve the problem

• Model the way - When the process gets tough, get your hands dirty. A boss tells others what to do...a leader shows that it can be done

• Encourage the heart - Share the glory with your followers' heart, while keeping the pains within your own

(Kouzes & Posner, 2017)