A Leader's Legacy

In twenty-one separate but related essays that comprise this volume, James Kouzes and Barry Posner share their thoughts about the positive and enduring impact that an effective leader can have. The nature and extent of each effective leader's legacy, of course, varies from one to another. While reading the Introduction and then the first few chapters, I began to think about great leaders throughout history such as Jesus, Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, and Mohandas Gandhi. Obviously, there are differences between and among them and other great leaders in terms of when and where they lived, the circumstances in which they were born and raised, and the challenges they faced. However, all of them had a vision of what ought to be as well as an absolute faith that it could be fulfilled, they attracted the support of others who shared their vision and their faith, and they possessed what Bill George characterizes as "authenticity." Also as I read this book, I thought about the film It's a Wonderful Life in which George Bailey (portrayed by James Stewart) is given the opportunity to know what would have happened, and not have happened, had he not lived. He eventually realizes that the quality and value of his own life are best measured by the quality and value he gives to the lives of others. That is his "legacy," the core concept that Kouzes and Posner rigorously examine throughout their book. A simple idea? Yes and no. We are well-advised to remember Oliver Wendell Holmes' assertion, "I would not give a fig for the simplicity this side of complexity, but I would give my life for the simplicity on the other side of complexity." Kouzes and Posner are persistent empiricists and diehard pragmatists. They devote almost all of their attention in this book - as they do in their previously published classic, The Leadership Challenge - to the practice of effective leadership. Their observations and insights are based on decades of research that included hundreds of interviews and responses to surveys from thousands of leaders within all manner of organizations throughout the world. What they learned is what they share in their two books, this one and the aforementioned The Leadership Challenge. Here are two brief composite excerpts that, I hope, suggest the thrust and flavor of their thinking: Not a week goes by "that we don't hear someone in an executive role say something to this effect: `I don't care if people like me. I just want them to respect me." Get real! This statement is utter nonsense - contrary to everything we know about leadership...people perform significantly more effectively when their leaders treat them with dignity and respect, listen to them, support them, recognize, make them feel important, build their skills, and show confidence in them. Likeability is a major factor in being successful in just about every endeavor in life." "You can leave a lasting legacy only if you can imagine a brighter future, and the capacity to imagine

I am in the midst of a serious crisis in our work environment. I purchased multiple books to help me evaluate our situation. This book was one of the best I read. It made me question why it's taken me so long to act on a problem that we have had for a while. Thank you for such a wonderful book that asked great questions to get me to realize how important this change is to our organization. This book will inspire you to be a better leader and it is quite easy to read. Some of my favorite passages are: - "We're (leaders) presented with the chance to change a life." - "Nothing really significant can ever be achieved unless people feel appreciated by their leader." - "Extraordinary achievements never bloom in barren and unappreciate settings." - "Leadership requires a resonant connection with others over matters of the heart." - "Leadership is personal." - "If you have people working for you in leadership roles who truly don't care if other people don't like them, THEN FIRE THEM." (emphasis I added) My personal favorites, which just emphasized that my intuition was right along... - "It's about intimacy. It's about familiarity. It's about empathy. The kind of communication needed to enlist others in a common vision requires understanding constiuents at a much deeper level than we normally find comfortable. It requires understanding others' strongest yearnings and their deepest fears. It requires a profound awareness of their joys and their sorrows. It requires experiencing life as they experience it." - "When was the last time I fought for a value that I cherished? When was the last time I was resolute in the face of stern resistance? And we also have to ask ourselves am I ready for my next RPM (Rosa Parks Moment)?" This is one of those books that should be in every new manager's library and every manager that has been leading for more than five years. It will give you great ideas to start and will bring you back to what made you successful. But, it also challenges you to try new ideas and learn from your mistakes, as well as others. BUY THIS BOOK!

Kouzes and Posner boil down their 20+ years of research on the characteristics that define true leaders in this easy to read, no nonsense book. They discuss the fact, by definition, no one can be a leader unless they have followers, and no one will follow those with poor leadership skills. Leadership is about treating people with respect, no matter where they may be on the corporate ladder. The authors really hit the mark with this concise, but well thought out and extremely relevant synopsis of the traits of true leaders. This is a must read for those in positions of responsibility for others in the corporate world, as well as in our government and educational institutions.

I found the authors nailed it with this book. It's full of insights into being a leader. . . and in a conversational, easy to read format. The book is full of compelling stories, I read it in a couple of sittings. I guess what I loved most about it was the common sense, no nonsense way leadership is viewed. Simple statements (not simplisitic) such as "We will work harder and more effectively for people we like. And we will like them in direct proportion to how they make us feel." As they point out we don't need to read mountains of studies on emotional intelligence to understand the truth of these words.

I have become increasingly familiar with the work of Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner for the past 5 years and now they've taken Leadership to an even more exciting level. We all leave a legacy and have a choice of how we want people to remember us. It's the way we live and this is an inspiring resource to how we each can do that in the most positive way. This a great follow up to their insightful research of The Leadership Challenge and is filled with stories of how I can facilitate learning in others to not only take the challenge, but to also accomplish extraordinary results. Anyone can do it, and this book helps us learn how. I use it in every class I teach. This is a "must have" resource for anyone teaching leadership or wanting to learn more of the logical ways to simply move closer to living the legacy we desire.