Darren Hardy Interviews Jim Kouzes
Jim Kouzes is the co-author of Leadership Challenge. Wall street Journal has called Jim one of the twelve best executive educators in USA.
Learning Lessons from the Interview: (as interpreted & understood by me)
Being a true and successful leader is always a challenge
Leadership – Art of mobilizing others to want to struggle for shared aspirations. Leadership is a science but practice of leadership is an art – a performing art and that art is about mobilizing shared aspiration.
LEADERSHIP IS NOT A MONOLOGUE BUT A DIALOGUE
FIVE PRACTICES OF A LEADER
- Model the Way – Clarifying your values and beliefs and then setting an example so your actions are consistent with those beliefs. First Journey is of self exploration, then shared aspiration. Then behavior how to be aligned with values. It is a daily practice of seeing if you have been true to your values today and what will you do tomorrow.
- Inspire a Shared Vision – Leaders should share an inspired vision. This is what distinguishes leaders with individual contributors. It is not about selling your vision but listening to others aspirations and vision and helping them to see how common vision can realize that.
- Challenge the Process – Leadership is acquainted with doing something different. “What are we going to do differently”. What are we going to do next. Finding opportunities and then experiment and take risks and learn from mistakes. Small Steps.
- Enable others to Act – It is never “My Personal Best”, it is always “Our Best” – foster collaborations, foster team and strengthen individuals. Leader cannot do it alone.
- Encourage the heart – Celebrate Values. Recognize individual values-
Individually oriented
Group Oriented
Could be as simple as saying “Thank You”.
Leader should think after every interactions with an individual, did the individual feel more empowered after my interaction? Say Thank you enough and recognize contributions often.
Group – At the end of a successful project have a “Pizza Party”.
STUMBLING BLOCKS & COMMON MISTAKES BY LEADERS –
Most difficult thing for a leader to do is to ask for feedback. We need more loving critics. Leaders need to cultivate that.
Get a Coach – Set some goals, design a learning experience. Get feedback. If you want to be a great leader you need to do that!
When a customer judges the company to solve their problem and meet their needs and we learn to see how to meet customer needs we can be a better leader.
Secret to Success in life is to stay in LOVE.
Leadership is not an affair of head but of heart!