Good morning, Leaders! It’s Friday!

Perhaps the single best book I’ve been introduced to on leadership is written by James Kouzes and Barry Posner, titled “The Leadership Challenge”.

The authors highlight Five Practices of exemplary leaders I’d like to share with you.

The Five Practices aligned with the Ten Commitments of Leadership are:

•Model the Way
-1. Find your voice by clarifying your personal values.
-2. Set the example by aligning actions with shared values.

•Inspire a Shared Vision
-3. Envision the future by imagining exciting and ennobling possibilities.
-4. Enlist others in a common vision by appealing to shared aspirations.

•Challenge the Process
-5. Search for opportunities by seeking innovative ways to change, grow, and improve.
-6. Experiment and take risks by constantly generating small wins and learning from mistakes.

•Enable Others to Act
-7. Foster collaboration by promoting cooperative goals and building trust.
-8. Strengthen others by sharing power and discretion.

•Encourage the Heart
-9. Recognize contributions by showing appreciation for individual excellence.
-10. Celebrate the values and victories by creating a spirit of community.

The book is a must read.
The summary above should be committed to memory.

What it says to me is … build an environment where the people around you can be their best self everyday if they choose then make sure you don’t get in the way of their aspirations and development with policies and procedures that send different messages.

Set clear expectations for performance because people want to know how you define success so they can interpret it for themselves and take action accordingly.

Communicate with people. Open your heart, make yourself vulnerable, transparent, flexible, responsive…emote. If someone is asking the question in your organization,
“Do leaders really care about me?”
-What I deal with day-to-day,
-my dreams,
-aspirations,
-challenges,
-concerns?

Be assured that
“Good leaders do.”

Remember what Abe Lincoln said,
“Whatever you are, be a good one.”

The framework shared above is what I would call a good start. Buy, read and put into practice the principles in the book.

Lead on.

Have a blessed weekend!