Whenever and wherever, leaders can seize the opportunities to bring out the best in others and guide them on the journey to accomplishing exceptionally challenging goals, explain the authors.

They discover, after studying thousands of best leadership experiences, ‘five practices of exemplary leadership’ that have stood the test of time, and can be adopted by “anyone who accepts the leadership challenge.” These are: model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act, and encourage the heart.

The first practice is about setting the example. Because leadership is not about personality, it’s about behaviour, as the authors distinguish. “Titles are granted, but it’s your behaviour that wins you respect… People follow first the person, then the plan.”

Inspiring a shared vision, the second practice, is essential because “visions seen only by leaders are insufficient to create an organised movement or a significant change in a company.” Leaders have to enlist others, by speaking their language; “leadership is a dialogue, not a monologue.”

The third practice requires leaders to venture out, into the unknown, searching for opportunities “to innovate, grow, and improve.” Interestingly, innovation comes more from listening than from telling. “Product and service innovations tend to come from customers, clients, vendors, people in the labs, and people on the front lines; process innovations, from the people doing the work.”

Prescribed read for the leadership challenged.

D. Murali

http://BookPeek.blogspot.com

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