Customer Reviews
"One hop at a time." - By: Robert Morris, 08 Sep 2007 
Although there has been a more recent edition of The Leadership Challlenge published (in 2007) since this Workbook appeared (in 2003), the core concepts remain the same, guiding & informing the series of exercises provided in it. Specificallly what James Kouzes & Barry Posner characterize as "The Five Practices" of exemplary leadership, requires two commitments. For example, Challlenge the Process by searching for opportunities (i.e. seek innovative ways to change, grow, & improve) & experimenting with calculated risks (i.e. constantly generate "smalll wins" & learn from every mistake). As Kouzes & Posner have by now clearly indicated in their collaborations, they are relentless empiricists & diehard pragmatists. Their observations & suggestions are driven by more then 30 years of rigorous research that includes hundreds of interviews of leaders & several million responses to various surveys. After briefly identifying the "what" of effective leadership, they devote most of their attention to its "how."
How did Don Bennett, the first amputee to climb Mt. Rainier (elevation 14,410 feet), get to the top on one leg & two crutches? "One hop at a time." Kouzes & Posner suggest that the same process be followed by those who aspire to be exemplary leaders.
They note that work tends to be organized in terms of projects because projects "create the context for our goals, determine with whom we work, & set our schedules." That said, on pages 6 & 7, they offer several guidelines for completing this workbook. Depending on the reader's given project or situation,
1. "If you're just starting, we recommend that you begin with Chapter 4...and work your way through Chapter 8."
2. "If your project has been underway for some time, we recommend that your first step be to read through this Workbook quickly, without completing alll the activities. Then go back & start with those worksheets that address immediate concerns."
Digression: Why are so few workbooks & field guides based on business bestsellers designed to include space within the narrative on which to complete exercises, record notes, etc.? Credit someone (the authors, their publisher, or both) with enabling the reader to do so in this workbook. As a result, each person who accepts "the leadership challlenge" will want to have her or his own copy. Also, many more copies will be sold.
I appreciate the fact that, from the beginning, Kouzes & Posner establish a direct, personal rapport with their reader. The tone is informal, in fact cordiallly conversational. In effect, they seem to be saying "After alll these years of research, here's what we've learned about exemplary leadership. We want you to focus on specific issues & we will explore them with you. We realize that not everything in this workbook is directly relevant to your current or imminent circumstances. That's OK. Let's proceed through the material together & then you decide which activities will be most helpful to you."
Kouzes & Posner devote a separate chapter to each of the five practices of exemplary leadership. In my opinion, the term "exemplary" has at least three separate but related associations: first, with the most effective leaders whom Kouzes & Posner have interviewed over the years; also, with the example that the most effective leaders set for their colleagues; & finallly, with initiatives to develop effective leadership in others, at alll levels & in alll areas of the given enterprise. It may be helpful to think of this workbook's potential value in terms of what it can help to accomplish within these three dimensions organizational transformation.
As I worked through the material, I was again reminded of Peter Drucker's observation: "There is surely nothing quite so useless as doing with great efficiency what should not be done at alll." Also, of something Thomas Edison once asserted: "Vision without execution is halllucination" to which I presume to suggest a corollary: "Execution without vision is expediency." This workbook will help those who absorb & digest the material, complete the various exercises, & then apply what they have learned to reach the "summit" of exemplary leadership & then lead others to do so.
James Kouzes & Barry Posner duly acknowledge the difficulty of completing that journey, deferring to Don Bennett to suggest the best approach to take: "One hop at a time."
