The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership® - Kouzes and Posner

 

Based on research by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner and their best-selling book, The Leadership Challenge, we’ve found that when leaders are at their best, they exhibit five key Practices.
It's simple: The more often you display these behaviors, the better leader you’ll be.

Do what you say you will do.

What does it mean to Model the Way?

Modeling the way is about the kind of example you set for others as a leader. To effectively Model the Way, you first need to get in touch with who you are: what you believe in, how you communicate, and how your values inform your behaviors.

Leaders who Model the Way:

It’s easy to look to established leaders as a guide, but it’s important to take the time to explore your own communication style. People are drawn to authenticity, and when your people know that you are speaking and acting from your heart, they are more likely to see you as a leader.

When you Model the Way, You:

However, leadership isn’t only about your values. Organizations thrive when all people are committed and engaged, and it’s important to remember that your people’s values are their driving force. When you create space for everyone to explore their own belief systems, you will model commitment to the common cause. Be an example in your organization for the kind of behaviors you want to nurture. People look to leaders to see if they are, in fact, walking the walk.

How do you know it's working?

As you work to Model the Way more frequently, keep an eye out for some of these signs that your efforts are paying off:

See and share exciting possibilities for the future.

What does it mean to Inspire a Shared Vision?

Being a leader means charting a course into an unknown future and inspiring others to come with you. When you Inspire a Shared Vision, you know where you want to end up, and you’re prepared to paint a vivid picture for the people in your life. By starting conversations about the future, you make it possible for others to do the same.

Leaders who Inspire a Shared Vision:

Learning how to Inspire a Shared Vision might sound intimidating, but it starts with simple actions: describing what you want out of the future, asking others what they want, and talking about the similarities and differences.

When you Inspire a Shared Vision, You:

To create a vision for the future, start by reflecting on your past and present experiences. Identify the patterns, trends, and themes that have shaped your life and consider what inspires you. Strategize your future goals and share your vision with your team. By listening to their unique perspectives, you may gain fresh insights that can propel your vision forward. Remember, the most inspiring leaders are those who are passionate about the future and are willing to work hard to achieve their goals.

How do you know it's working?

Talking openly about the possibilities of the future may be new territory for you and your teammates, but as you get used to it, you’ll begin to appreciate the benefits:

Empower others to take initiative and experiment.

What does it mean to Challenge the Process?

Learning how to Challenge the Process means stepping back, questioning the status quo, and seeking out ways to improve the way you work. Think about what it means to take initiative, push for change, and learn from your struggles. Considering new ways to approach your work can benefit not only your organization but also your own path to exemplary leadership.

Leaders who Challenge the Process:

Regardless of your status or title, you have the power to assess the kind of work you do and the systems you typically work within to challenge yourself to think outside the box. Feeling nervous as you start to Challenge the Process is normal. Reframe your hesitation by considering why it's valuable and why you're the right person to push for change.

When you Challenge the Process, You:

Pursuing opportunities that challenge yourself while creating an environment where the people around you are encouraged to do the same can help you on your path toward exemplary leadership. Exploring new ways of doing things outside your experience can help you innovate right from where you are.

How do you know it's working?

Once you’ve started to Challenge the Process, you’ll probably begin to experience ripple effects in your workplace. Here are some signs that you’re making a difference:

Foster collaboration and build up others.

What does it mean to Enable Others to Act?

When you Enable Others to Act, it means strengthening your relationships with teammates and reflecting on what they need to do great work. This practice asks you to put effort into empowering others to create a work environment where people trust and respect each other. Think about how you can help the people you work with gain the confidence to excel, making your whole team stronger.

Leaders who Enable Others to Act:

As workplaces continue to evolve and teams are more diverse and globally dispersed, leaders must put in the work to get to know and understand the people they are working with.

When you Enable Others to Act, You:

Another important thing to consider as you gain the skills to Enable Others to Act is to ensure that everyone has the resources they need to grow. These can be tangible, like equipment, programs, and technology, or interpersonal, such as more frequent project check-ins, leadership opportunities, or access to educational programs. Arming your people with the resources they need to succeed will contribute to a climate of trust and empowerment.

How do you know it's working?

As you put more time and energy towards building the skills to Enable Others to Act, the more signs of trust and collaboration you’ll see in your workplace:

Celebrate others by showing gratitude.

What does it mean to Encourage the Heart?

When you Encourage the Heart, it means telling your teammates how much you value and respect them—and by doing so, creating a workplace that people are genuinely excited to be a part of. This practice asks you to let people know you appreciate their hard work and are glad to have them on your team.

Leaders who Encourage the Heart:

Many organizations overlook the importance of social connection. Creating a sense of camaraderie among coworkers can lead to better workplace well-being, accountability, and commitment to the organization. Celebrating the wins of high performers gives everyone something to work towards, but encouraging people along the way is just as important.

When you Encourage the Heart, You:

When you are involved with every level of your organization and seek to know and understand the people you work with, these celebrations and recognition events will be inherently more meaningful as you will have been there every step of the way.

How do you know it's working?

When you take the time to Encourage the Heart and go out of your way to acknowledge and uplift the people you work with, you’ll soon begin to experience the effects:

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What are the Five Practices of the Exemplary Leadership Model?

James Kouzes and Barry Posner offered a notable version of a functional leadership model in their book, The Leadership Challenge (1987). It is more prescriptive than Adair's model and aimed more at high-level leaders like CEOs, but it's a significant contribution to the thinking on effective leadership.

Kouzes and Posner's earlier Trait-Theory leadership model, which led them to develop their Five Leadership Practices model, is explained earlier in the Trait-Theory sub-section of leadership models.

Like some other leadership theorists, they developed a modular theory into a proprietary product, in this case, a program for leadership development.

• This model is also known as Kouzes and Posner's Leadership Challenge Model.

Kouzes and Posner summarise their program about what leadership is, and what they believe leadership means to people.

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The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership®

1. Model the Way
2. Inspire a Shared Vision
3. Challenge the Process
4. Enabling Others to Act
5. Encourage the Heart

Kouzes and Posner created their Five Leadership Practices model after researching people's personal experiences of excellent leadership. From this, they claimed that "...good leadership is an understandable and universal process..." involving five practices and, within each of those, two key behaviours.

Here is an outline of the Kouzes and Posner model.

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Five Leadership Practices - Summary

	Key Behaviours	Detail
Model the Way	Set the example by behaving in ways that reflect the shared values. Achieve small wins that build confidence, commitment and consistent progress.	The leader sets an example. Define the shared behavioural standards and then exemplify them. Kouzes and Posner also believe it is essential to achieve some small wins to build momentum.
Inspiring a Shared Vision	Envision an uplifting, exciting, meaningful future. Enlist others in a shared vision by appealing to their values, interests, hopes and dreams.	Leaders should begin work on their vision before enlisting others to refine it and make it theirs. Emphasis on visualisation and using powerful evocative language to capture the vision to inspire others.
Challenge the Process	Search out challenging opportunities to change, grow, innovate and improve. Experiment, take risks and learn from any mistakes.	The leader is an agent for change - questioning, challenging and seeking new ideas. Taking risks, experimenting, learning from and allowing for mistakes. Importantly, encourages new ideas to flourish.
Enabling Others to Act	Foster collaboration by promoting cooperative goals and building trust. Strengthen people's ability by delegating power, developing their competence and offering visible support.	Building a spirit of trust and collaboration. Encouraging people to share information. Kouzes and Posner believe that leaders must disclose what they believe and care about and, when necessary, show some vulnerability. This also entails delegating power, believing in others, and investing in followers' training and education.
Encourage  the Heart	Recognise individual contributions to the success of the project. Celebrate team accomplishments regularly.	Praise and celebration.

Kouzes and Posner's model is well researched and much work by the pair continues to extend the theory, and also the suggested means of adoption and implementation across large organisations.

Kouzes and Posner's theory is in the 'leader-as-hero' tradition. 

• It therefore largely ignores more recent ideas about sharing leadership. 
• It is also fair to say that a more naturally low-profile, a contemplative leader would probably find it harder to adopt these behavioural practices than a gregarious visionary leader, so the model may not work for everyone.

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