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Learning Leadership: The Five Fundamentals of Becoming an Exemplary Leader
Uncover the extraordinary leader in you with straightforward exercises and advice from two of the world’s foremost leadership experts
From the bestselling authors of The Leadership Challenge and over a dozen award-winning leadership books comes a new book that examines a question of fundamental How do people learn to become leaders?
Learning The Five Fundamentals of Becoming an Exemplary Leader is a comprehensive guide to unleashing the inner leader in us all and to building a solid foundation for a lifetime of leadership growth and mastery. The book offers a concrete framework to help individuals of all levels, functions, and backgrounds take charge of their own leadership development and become the best leaders they can be.
Arguing that all individuals are born with the capacity to lead, bestselling authors Kouzes and Posner provide readers with a practical series of actions and specific coaching tips for harnessing that capacity and creating a context in which they can excel. Supported by over 30 years of research, from over seventy countries, and with examples from real-world leaders, Learning Leadership is a clarion call to unleash the leadership potential that is already present in society today.
Learning Leadership provides readers with evidence-based strategies to ignite the habit of continuous improvement and the mindset of becoming the best leaders they can be. Emerging leaders, as well as leadership developers, internal and external coaches and trainers, and other human resource professionals will learn from first-hand stories and practical examples so that they can deeply understand and apply the fundamentals for becoming the best leaders they can be.
Learning The Five Fundamentals of Becoming an Exemplary Leader is divided into digestible bite-sized chapters that encourage daily actions to becoming a better leader. Key takeaways from the book
Believe in Yourself. Believing in oneself is the essential first step in developing leadership competencies. The best leaders are learners, and they can’t achieve mastery until and unless they truly decide that inside them there is a person who can make and difference and learn to be a better leader than they are right now. Aspire to Excel. To become an exemplary leader, people must determine what they care most about and why they want to lead. Leaders with values-based motivations are the most likely to excel. They also must have a clear image of the kind of leader they want to be in the future—and the legacy they want to leave for others. Challenge Yourself. Challenging oneself is critical to learning leadership. Leaders must seek new experiences and test themselves. There will be inevitable setbacks and failures along the way that require curiosity, grit, courage, and resilience to persist in learning and becoming the best. Engage Support. One can’t lead alone, and one can’t learn alone. It is essential to get support and coaching on the path to achieving excellence. Whether it’s family, managers at work, or professional coaches, leaders need the advice, feedback, care, and support of others. Practice Deliberately. No one gets better at anything without continuous practice. Exemplary leaders spend more time practicing than ordinary leaders. Simply being in the role of a leader is insufficient. To achieve mastery, leaders must set improvement goals, participate in designed learning experiences, ask for feedback, and get coaching.
From the bestselling authors of The Leadership Challenge and over a dozen award-winning leadership books comes a new book that examines a question of fundamental How do people learn to become leaders?
Learning The Five Fundamentals of Becoming an Exemplary Leader is a comprehensive guide to unleashing the inner leader in us all and to building a solid foundation for a lifetime of leadership growth and mastery. The book offers a concrete framework to help individuals of all levels, functions, and backgrounds take charge of their own leadership development and become the best leaders they can be.
Arguing that all individuals are born with the capacity to lead, bestselling authors Kouzes and Posner provide readers with a practical series of actions and specific coaching tips for harnessing that capacity and creating a context in which they can excel. Supported by over 30 years of research, from over seventy countries, and with examples from real-world leaders, Learning Leadership is a clarion call to unleash the leadership potential that is already present in society today.
Learning Leadership provides readers with evidence-based strategies to ignite the habit of continuous improvement and the mindset of becoming the best leaders they can be. Emerging leaders, as well as leadership developers, internal and external coaches and trainers, and other human resource professionals will learn from first-hand stories and practical examples so that they can deeply understand and apply the fundamentals for becoming the best leaders they can be.
Learning The Five Fundamentals of Becoming an Exemplary Leader is divided into digestible bite-sized chapters that encourage daily actions to becoming a better leader. Key takeaways from the book
Believe in Yourself. Believing in oneself is the essential first step in developing leadership competencies. The best leaders are learners, and they can’t achieve mastery until and unless they truly decide that inside them there is a person who can make and difference and learn to be a better leader than they are right now. Aspire to Excel. To become an exemplary leader, people must determine what they care most about and why they want to lead. Leaders with values-based motivations are the most likely to excel. They also must have a clear image of the kind of leader they want to be in the future—and the legacy they want to leave for others. Challenge Yourself. Challenging oneself is critical to learning leadership. Leaders must seek new experiences and test themselves. There will be inevitable setbacks and failures along the way that require curiosity, grit, courage, and resilience to persist in learning and becoming the best. Engage Support. One can’t lead alone, and one can’t learn alone. It is essential to get support and coaching on the path to achieving excellence. Whether it’s family, managers at work, or professional coaches, leaders need the advice, feedback, care, and support of others. Practice Deliberately. No one gets better at anything without continuous practice. Exemplary leaders spend more time practicing than ordinary leaders. Simply being in the role of a leader is insufficient. To achieve mastery, leaders must set improvement goals, participate in designed learning experiences, ask for feedback, and get coaching.
245 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 25, 2016
162 people are currently reading
526 people want to read
About the author
James M. Kouzes
304 books96 followersJim Kouzes has been thinking about leadership ever since he was one of only a dozen Eagle Scouts to be selected to serve in John F. Kennedy's honor guard when Kennedy was inaugurated President of the United States. Kennedy's inaugural call to action -- "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." -- inspired Jim to join the Peace Corps, and he taught school in Turkey for two years. That experience made Jim realize that he wanted a career that offered two things: the chance to teach and the opportunity to serve. It was in his first job back in the U.S. training community action agency managers that Jim found his calling, and he has devoted his life to leadership development ever since.
Jim Kouzes is the coauthor with Barry Z. Posner of the award-winning and best-selling book, The Leadership Challenge, with over 3.0 million copies in print. He's a Fellow of the Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University and also served as the Dean's Executive Fellow of Leadership, Leavey School of Business, Santa Clara University. Jim and Barry have coauthored many bestselling leadership books including A Leader's Legacy, Encouraging the Heart, The Truth About Leadership, and Credibility. They are also the developers of The Leadership Practices Inventory—the bestselling off-the-shelf leadership assessment in the world. Their books are extensively researched-based, and over 500 doctoral dissertations and academic studies have been based on their original work.
Not only is Jim a highly regarded leadership scholar, The Wall Street Journal cited Jim as one of the twelve best executive educators in the U.S. He is the 2010 recipient of the Thought Leadership Award from the Instructional Systems Association, listed as one of HR Magazine’s Most Influential International Thinkers, named one of the Top 100 Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business Behavior by Trust Across America, and ranked by Leadership Excellence magazine as one of the Top 100 Thought Leaders. Jim was presented with the Golden Gavel, the highest honor awarded by Toastmasters International, and he and Barry are also the recipients of the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) Distinguished Contribution to Workplace Learning and Performance Award, presented in recognition of their extensive body of work and the significant impact they have had on learning and performance in the workplace.
Jim Kouzes is the coauthor with Barry Z. Posner of the award-winning and best-selling book, The Leadership Challenge, with over 3.0 million copies in print. He's a Fellow of the Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University and also served as the Dean's Executive Fellow of Leadership, Leavey School of Business, Santa Clara University. Jim and Barry have coauthored many bestselling leadership books including A Leader's Legacy, Encouraging the Heart, The Truth About Leadership, and Credibility. They are also the developers of The Leadership Practices Inventory—the bestselling off-the-shelf leadership assessment in the world. Their books are extensively researched-based, and over 500 doctoral dissertations and academic studies have been based on their original work.
Not only is Jim a highly regarded leadership scholar, The Wall Street Journal cited Jim as one of the twelve best executive educators in the U.S. He is the 2010 recipient of the Thought Leadership Award from the Instructional Systems Association, listed as one of HR Magazine’s Most Influential International Thinkers, named one of the Top 100 Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business Behavior by Trust Across America, and ranked by Leadership Excellence magazine as one of the Top 100 Thought Leaders. Jim was presented with the Golden Gavel, the highest honor awarded by Toastmasters International, and he and Barry are also the recipients of the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) Distinguished Contribution to Workplace Learning and Performance Award, presented in recognition of their extensive body of work and the significant impact they have had on learning and performance in the workplace.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
December 28, 2016
One of the best leadership books I've ever read. A must read for any leader.
The authors argue that leadership is about five fundamentals. They are "Believe You Can", "Aspire to Excel", "Challenge Yourself", "Engage Support", and "Practice Deliberately"
Here are a few of my favorite thoughts:
"Leadership is not a gene. It is not a trait. There is just no hard evidence to suggest that leadership is imprinted in the DNA of some people and not others."
"No one can put leadership into you. You have to bring it out of yourself."
"Leaders believe in their abilities to make a difference. The very first step to become a better leader is to acknowledge that I can improve my leadership skills and remind myself that I can make a difference."
"Leadership is not just about you and about realizing only your values and vision. It's more about helping others realize theirs."
"People expect their leaders to be forward-looking."
"To both do your best and develop as a leader, you have to challenge yourself and face challenges head-on. You have to step outside your comfort zone. You have to seek new experiences, make some mistakes, and keep ascending that learning curve. You're not growing until you feel you're pushing the edges."
"Try something new, fail, learn."
"You can't learn to become the best leader all by yourself. The top performers in every endeavor, including leaders, all seek out support, advice, and the counsel of others."
"You can't get any better at leading, or at anything else for that matter, without practice."
"There's an enormous difference between deciding and doing."
The authors argue that leadership is about five fundamentals. They are "Believe You Can", "Aspire to Excel", "Challenge Yourself", "Engage Support", and "Practice Deliberately"
Here are a few of my favorite thoughts:
"Leadership is not a gene. It is not a trait. There is just no hard evidence to suggest that leadership is imprinted in the DNA of some people and not others."
"No one can put leadership into you. You have to bring it out of yourself."
"Leaders believe in their abilities to make a difference. The very first step to become a better leader is to acknowledge that I can improve my leadership skills and remind myself that I can make a difference."
"Leadership is not just about you and about realizing only your values and vision. It's more about helping others realize theirs."
"People expect their leaders to be forward-looking."
"To both do your best and develop as a leader, you have to challenge yourself and face challenges head-on. You have to step outside your comfort zone. You have to seek new experiences, make some mistakes, and keep ascending that learning curve. You're not growing until you feel you're pushing the edges."
"Try something new, fail, learn."
"You can't learn to become the best leader all by yourself. The top performers in every endeavor, including leaders, all seek out support, advice, and the counsel of others."
"You can't get any better at leading, or at anything else for that matter, without practice."
"There's an enormous difference between deciding and doing."
April 29, 2018
Just like The Leadership Challenge, Kouzes and Posner fill Learning Leadership with practical, hands-on leadership applications. This book falls a little short of The Leadership Challenge though, simply because it feels, at times, redundant.
I used this book as part of a graduate course on leadership at the university level. Along with my students, I felt the book really found its footing in the last two sections. The material toward the end felt more like a conversation between authors and reader - a mentor/mentee type of discussion. This feels like when Kouzes and Posner are in their element.
I appreciated the self-coaching actions at the end of each chapter. Upon completing the reading, these actions could spur an entirely different opinion of the book over time should they be integrated into one's personal leadership development.
I used this book as part of a graduate course on leadership at the university level. Along with my students, I felt the book really found its footing in the last two sections. The material toward the end felt more like a conversation between authors and reader - a mentor/mentee type of discussion. This feels like when Kouzes and Posner are in their element.
I appreciated the self-coaching actions at the end of each chapter. Upon completing the reading, these actions could spur an entirely different opinion of the book over time should they be integrated into one's personal leadership development.
September 11, 2019
I have read a LOT of leadership oriented books and this one was actually very enjoyable. It was action oriented, supportive, encouraging, authentic, empathetic, and filled with diverse examples and activities that were actually interesting and thought provoking. It was a good overview of how leadership is part of everyone's life and can be learned and strengthened. I would have liked a bit more focus on leadership outside of the business world but the fact that they even looked outside of business was a breath of fresh air. And they didn't make us read a dumb parable about some white guy learning about leadership from a wise woman archetype so that was refreshing as well.
March 28, 2020
They distill decades of leadership research into simple, manageable chunks. It isn't fancy or complex, but it provides the mindset and habits needed for long-term success. This book is good for those looking to learn leadership or for those who want to be brought back to the fundamentals.
February 25, 2022
The authors, Kouzes and Posner, are legends in the leadership building world, with over three decades of work. Their magnum opus, "The Leadership Challenge", has been mandatory reading for manager wannabes for almost that long. This slim book, is intended as a sort of introductory pre-calculus for the differential equations of "The Leadership Challenge". The target market of this book is younger people who are getting into or want to get into team leadership or management. The book introduces the concepts that the authors fully develop in the other volume, and mostly focuses on convinces the reader that anyone can learn leadership and then learn to be better at it with practice. I highly recommend this book for anyone starting out or interested in how to get started.
January 18, 2018
Read one you've read them all? Just with slight modifications that speak the more updated language and scratch the latest itches of our time? Very possibly. Or perhaps I'm being too cynical. Anyway, what I do know is,
Kouzes and Posner have been writing on this style of leadership since the 1980's, but it seems only now, with their own extensive research, they've finally discovered what is fundamental to leadership. And when you look at the 5 they list: (1) model the way, (2) inspire a shared vision, (3) challenge the process, (4) enable others to act, and (5) encourage the heart, what strikes you immediately is how unremarkable they are. Because they are. Because these are variations on the same themes you've been reading in popular level leadership books for years.
But hey, maybe they make a difference and will change the way you lead. Like placebo. Too cynical? Well, it might depend on what kind of person you are. For those who have the desire for power and control, the type that tend to gravitate towards these books, one can see how 5 essential principles that are within your own power to enact can be a very welcome message. And hey, now you know the secret. Go change the world!
Kouzes and Posner have been writing on this style of leadership since the 1980's, but it seems only now, with their own extensive research, they've finally discovered what is fundamental to leadership. And when you look at the 5 they list: (1) model the way, (2) inspire a shared vision, (3) challenge the process, (4) enable others to act, and (5) encourage the heart, what strikes you immediately is how unremarkable they are. Because they are. Because these are variations on the same themes you've been reading in popular level leadership books for years.
But hey, maybe they make a difference and will change the way you lead. Like placebo. Too cynical? Well, it might depend on what kind of person you are. For those who have the desire for power and control, the type that tend to gravitate towards these books, one can see how 5 essential principles that are within your own power to enact can be a very welcome message. And hey, now you know the secret. Go change the world!
August 19, 2017
The Leadership Challenge is one of the more authoritative books on leadership. This book builds on those concepts, and is meant to function as a self-coaching guide.
Broadly, it addresses 3 leadership foundations:
• Everyone can lead;
• Leaders make a difference; and
• It’s about how frequently you lead.
And goes on to explain what you must do to build 5 leadership fundamentals:
• Believe you Can
• Aspire to Excel
• Challenge yourself
• Engage Support
• Practice Deliberately
Personally, I liked the tips and self-coaching action included after each major segment.
But, I wasn't a fan of the excessive repetition. Ideas like"Anyone can lead", "Believe in yourself" or "Leaders never stop learning" can be repeated over and over. I suppose this could be useful if the reader is new to leadership and lacks belief/ motivation in his/her ability to lead.
Overall, it's still a useful resource for new supervisors, those seeking to explore leadership, or for leadership trainers/developers. But I found the content to be a little thin as a "sequel" to The Leadership Challenge.
Book summary at: https://readingraphics.com/book-summa...
Broadly, it addresses 3 leadership foundations:
• Everyone can lead;
• Leaders make a difference; and
• It’s about how frequently you lead.
And goes on to explain what you must do to build 5 leadership fundamentals:
• Believe you Can
• Aspire to Excel
• Challenge yourself
• Engage Support
• Practice Deliberately
Personally, I liked the tips and self-coaching action included after each major segment.
But, I wasn't a fan of the excessive repetition. Ideas like"Anyone can lead", "Believe in yourself" or "Leaders never stop learning" can be repeated over and over. I suppose this could be useful if the reader is new to leadership and lacks belief/ motivation in his/her ability to lead.
Overall, it's still a useful resource for new supervisors, those seeking to explore leadership, or for leadership trainers/developers. But I found the content to be a little thin as a "sequel" to The Leadership Challenge.
Book summary at: https://readingraphics.com/book-summa...
October 26, 2020
I believe that most anyone can become a successful leader.
The multi-time bestselling authors of this book agree with me. But they don’t just believe it, they have the data to back it up (it’s in Chapter 3).
I also believe that while most everyone can become an effective and successful leader, many won’t; not because they can’t, but because they choose not to do what it takes to make that happen.
Kouzes and Posner agree, because this book helps all leaders see what is required to, as the title says, learn leadership.
Read more...
The multi-time bestselling authors of this book agree with me. But they don’t just believe it, they have the data to back it up (it’s in Chapter 3).
I also believe that while most everyone can become an effective and successful leader, many won’t; not because they can’t, but because they choose not to do what it takes to make that happen.
Kouzes and Posner agree, because this book helps all leaders see what is required to, as the title says, learn leadership.
Read more...
March 31, 2025
The Five Fundamentals of Exemplary Leadership:
1. “Believe You Can”,
2. “Aspire to Excel”, Courage gives you the energy to move forward.
3. “Challenge Yourself”, You cannot excel by staying the same. Seek new and uncomfortable challenges.
4. “Engage Support”, Valid and useful feedback is essential to learning. Learning cannot happen without knowing how you are doing and without identifying what you need to change to improve.,
5. Practice Deliberately, Practice is the reason top professionals perform their arduous tasks with apparent ease. That ease inspires people to believe mistakenly in natural leadership talent. No such thing exists.
1. “Believe You Can”,
2. “Aspire to Excel”, Courage gives you the energy to move forward.
3. “Challenge Yourself”, You cannot excel by staying the same. Seek new and uncomfortable challenges.
4. “Engage Support”, Valid and useful feedback is essential to learning. Learning cannot happen without knowing how you are doing and without identifying what you need to change to improve.,
5. Practice Deliberately, Practice is the reason top professionals perform their arduous tasks with apparent ease. That ease inspires people to believe mistakenly in natural leadership talent. No such thing exists.
May 17, 2017
3.75 stars.
Learning leadership does exactly what the title tells you it will do, teaches you the foundation of developing leadership qualities within you. The ideas are presented clearly and are easy to implement and the book wasn't too wordy/filled with needless fluff, that being said..I found myself speed reading the last third. For me, it lacked stories to keep my attention engaged. Examples are great, stories are better.
Learning leadership does exactly what the title tells you it will do, teaches you the foundation of developing leadership qualities within you. The ideas are presented clearly and are easy to implement and the book wasn't too wordy/filled with needless fluff, that being said..I found myself speed reading the last third. For me, it lacked stories to keep my attention engaged. Examples are great, stories are better.
August 22, 2017
This book is for the people who wanted to practice leadership; it tells that all of us have the capability to lead. I'm grateful, that I borrowed this book from the library of my school. I was really searching for books that are really self-educating, and I was glad I was bumped into this book. Well, maybe it's meant for me. It was really worth it and it motivates me to practice the skills that were taught in the book. Peace!
January 13, 2018
This book should be in every leaders toolkit
In Learning Leadership Kouzes and Posner provide a framework and practical exercise to engage in that help you set the right mindset for being a leader and then breaking down the habits should develop into small chunks. This book provides a good mix of real life stories that in many cases have a link to things that we all experience on the journey of becoming a leader.
In Learning Leadership Kouzes and Posner provide a framework and practical exercise to engage in that help you set the right mindset for being a leader and then breaking down the habits should develop into small chunks. This book provides a good mix of real life stories that in many cases have a link to things that we all experience on the journey of becoming a leader.
February 29, 2020
Maybe a good read if you are just exploring your leadership ability and goals. Very mantra heavy and repetitive, while mentioning and citing fixed and growth mindset work. The saving grace for this text, a required grad school read, was the self-coaching actions at the conclusion of each chapter to reflect on and journal.
July 18, 2018
This book is about the fundamentals of leadership. The authors take a practical approach to helping the reader develop leadership skills and enhance their effectiveness. I took away several ideas, most importantly, leaders don't grow on their own. We all need peers, coaches and mentors.
December 6, 2018
I believe there are better books available on this topic, but I think it is a good recommendation for those that are just looking to scratch the surface on becoming a leader. They definitely reference other books that have been utilized in education like Grit and Mindset.
November 19, 2020
Настоящий лидер это не ДНК, а упорный труд. 5 основных правил развития лидерских навыков:
1. Верить в себя и другие поверят.
2. Стремятся к совершенству
3. Соревнуйтесь и бросайте себе вызов
4. Искать поддержку и уметь делегировать.
5. Учиться, учиться и ещё раз учится!
1. Верить в себя и другие поверят.
2. Стремятся к совершенству
3. Соревнуйтесь и бросайте себе вызов
4. Искать поддержку и уметь делегировать.
5. Учиться, учиться и ещё раз учится!
June 16, 2021
Required for work. Made it to page 115 then barely managed to even skim the rest. Terrible, mind-numbing. I didn't get anything out of this book. Read the leadership practices on page 26 and then skip the rest.
January 14, 2022
Solid steps on becoming a leader
The author gives clear steps to take to be a better leader This book is not just theory. It contains clear steps and follow up ideas to help make you a better leader.
The author gives clear steps to take to be a better leader This book is not just theory. It contains clear steps and follow up ideas to help make you a better leader.
September 2, 2023
Fundamentals Found Here
Learning leadership is a daily marathon habit. This book dispels the myths about leadership and places leadership at the lower shelf but leads you to Mt. Everest. A must add to your library.
Learning leadership is a daily marathon habit. This book dispels the myths about leadership and places leadership at the lower shelf but leads you to Mt. Everest. A must add to your library.
November 19, 2025
This is a textbook for my class, and I read every word, every chapter, and took copious notes. I'm in a doctoral program for Leadership. It's an Ed.D. in Leadership from American College of Education. I really liked this book, and I like the program!
October 2, 2018
This book provided interesting insights on leadership from a very approachable perspective.
December 7, 2018
A great read for emerging and experienced learners!
February 16, 2019
Interesting book with some useful insight
December 17, 2019
I enjoyed that this book was quick and to the point. It had interesting points and good ways to journal after each chapter for further thought processing.
January 26, 2020
Not too impressed.
February 20, 2020
Solid Book on Leadership
Lots of great advice on proven ideas to be a better leader. I think there are better models of leadership than their model.
Lots of great advice on proven ideas to be a better leader. I think there are better models of leadership than their model.
January 8, 2021
Great Book.
April 27, 2021
Read for MBA program. Pretty corny but some bits worthwhile.
January 27, 2022
Very repetitive in the content. It was OK, but a lot of page filler.
February 27, 2022
Required by school, but I enjoyed it. Much more concrete and actionable than most leadership reads.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews