The Leadership Challenge 7th Ed.

How to Make Extraordinary Thing Happen in Organizations

James M. Kouzes, Barry Z. Posner

Publisher: Wiley, 2023, 387 pages

ISBN: 978-1-119-73612-7

Keywords: Leadership

Last modified: May 26, 2025, 5:14 p.m.

In the Seventh Edition of The Leadership Challenge, renowned leadership researchers and educators James Kouzes and Barry Posner deliver a practical and straightforward discussion of exemplary leadership. Grounded in research and written by premier authorities in the field, this book offers insightful commentary on the complex interpersonal dynamics of the workplace. It positions leadership as both a skill to be learned and a relationship to be nurtured.

Exemplary leaders aspire to achieve more and inspire their followers to be their best. The latest edition of this leadership classic demonstrates how contemporary leaders can do exactly that while bridging the gap between getting things done and making extraordinary things happen. It also includes many new real-world leadership examples and anecdotes from international sources and maintains a laser focus on key workplace issues.

Readers will learn about leaders' critical roles in developing and maintaining organizational health and understand the modern shift toward team-oriented work relationships. They'll discover how to break through the cynicism that pervades much of the contemporary workforce and leverage the electronic global village to deliver optimal results.

As the world of business continues to evolve and transform at increasingly rapid rates, the most effective leaders will keep pace with the changes while the merely average will fall behind. The Leadership Challenge, Seventh Edition, explains how to lead and manage employees who work differently, are motivated differently, and have different expectations than they did a decade ago. It is your roadmap to staying current, relevant, and effective in the modern workplace.

  • Introduction
    1. When Leaders Are at Their Best
      • The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership
      • The Five Practices Make a Difference
      • Leadership Is a Relationship
      • Putting It All Together: Credibility Is the Foundation
  • Practice 1: Model the Way
    1. Clarify Values
      • Find Your Voice
      • Affirm Shared Values
    2. Set the Example
      • Live the Shared Values
      • Teach Others to Model the Values
  • Practice 2: Inspire a Shared Vision
    1. Envision the Future
      • Imagine the Possibilities
      • Identify a Common Purpose
    2. Enlist Others
      • Appeal to Common Ideals
      • Animate the Vision
  • Practice 3: Challenge the Process
    1. Search for Opportunities
      • Seize the Initiative
      • Exercise Outsight
    2. Experiment and Take Risks
      • Generate Small Wins
      • Learn from Experience
  • Practice 4: Enable Others to Act
    1. Foster Collaboration
      • Create a Climate of Trust
      • Facilitate Relationships
    2. Strengthen Others
      • Enhance Self-Determination
      • Develop Competence and Confidence
  • Practice 5: Encourage the Heart
    1. Recognize Contributions
      • Expect the Best
      • Personalize Recognition
    2. Celebrate the Values and Victories
      • Create a Spirit of Community
      • Be Personally Involved
    3. Treat Challenge as an Opportunity
      • Your Leadership Matters
      • Liberate the Leader Within Everyone
      • Everyone Can Learn to Lead
      • Become Your Best Self
      • You Won't Always Get It Right
      • Making Becoming a Better Leader a Daily Habit
      • Remember the Secret to Success in Life