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A Leader's Legacy
Uncover the latest developments in leadership development and coaching with insights from two of the most respected voices on the subject
In this provocative book, leadership experts and authors of the best-selling The Leadership Challenge, Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner take on a unique challenge and explore questions of leadership and legacy. In 22 stand-alone chapters, Kouzes and Posner examine the critical questions all leaders must ask themselves before they can leave a lasting impact.
These powerful essays are grouped into four categories: Significance, Relationships, Aspirations, and Courage. In each essay the authors consider a thorny and often ambiguous issue with which today's leaders must grapple--such as how leaders serve and sacrifice, why leaders need loving critics, why leaders should want to be liked, why leaders can't take trust for granted, why it's not just the leader's vision that matters, why failure is always an option, why it takes courage to "make a life," how to liberate the leader in everyone, and ultimately, how the legacy you leave is the life you lead.
In the book, you'll find:
A free-flowing discussion of leadership topics and lessons Incisive explorations of ambiguous issues and paradoxes that have bedeviled leaders for generations Concise and to-the-point essays representing new approaches to familiar themes, new stories, and new experiences A Leader's Legacy is an indispensable resource for managers, executives, and other business leaders looking for insightful new ways to push their leadership development further than they ever thought possible.
In this provocative book, leadership experts and authors of the best-selling The Leadership Challenge, Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner take on a unique challenge and explore questions of leadership and legacy. In 22 stand-alone chapters, Kouzes and Posner examine the critical questions all leaders must ask themselves before they can leave a lasting impact.
These powerful essays are grouped into four categories: Significance, Relationships, Aspirations, and Courage. In each essay the authors consider a thorny and often ambiguous issue with which today's leaders must grapple--such as how leaders serve and sacrifice, why leaders need loving critics, why leaders should want to be liked, why leaders can't take trust for granted, why it's not just the leader's vision that matters, why failure is always an option, why it takes courage to "make a life," how to liberate the leader in everyone, and ultimately, how the legacy you leave is the life you lead.
In the book, you'll find:
A free-flowing discussion of leadership topics and lessons Incisive explorations of ambiguous issues and paradoxes that have bedeviled leaders for generations Concise and to-the-point essays representing new approaches to familiar themes, new stories, and new experiences A Leader's Legacy is an indispensable resource for managers, executives, and other business leaders looking for insightful new ways to push their leadership development further than they ever thought possible.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
52 people are currently reading
445 people want to read
About the author
James M. Kouzes
300 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 47 reviews
June 11, 2018
If you have never read a management book before, this is a perfectly serviceable and book with solid concepts and lines of inquiry. If you've read a bunch of management books, read on. I had to pick up this book for a leadership/management course and wasted a perfectly nice June Sunday reading the entire thing. It's not a terrible book - but it's not "provocative" nor earth-shattering.
In fact, I did find it to be a bit fluffy -- and could write out the "long" version of this in 8 pages, single spaced without missing any key concepts. At best, it's a series of PowerPoint slides that have been fluffed up to make a short book with a lot of repetition. There's a lot of redundancy -- there are 3 chapters about "Courage" -- which is critical considering that most people manage based on fears/insecurities (per the authors of "Mastering Leadership).
At worst - it's derivative. There are no ground-breaking concepts, even though the authors were floored by the idea that the best way to learn is by teaching. It's not as good as Maxwell's "Mind of the Leader 2.0" (which has a ton of repetition and fluff) and no where near the caliber of "Mastering Leadership" which dives deeper into the concepts of strengths and values.
Chapter 1 - Leaders Serve & Sacrifice
- P 15 “Loyalty is earned when constituents decide that their needs are getting met. “
- Leadership requires commitment, suffering/passion (the same word in Latin), hard work
- P 18 “The most significant contributions leaders make are not to today’s bottom line but to the long-term development of individuals and institutions that adapt, prosper, and grow. People should never take on the job of leadership if they’re unwilling to see beyond their own needs. If they do, they will ultimately fail.”
Chapter 2 – The Best Leaders are Teachers
- Lesson One: The Best way to learn is to Teach: discover new methods, invent new tools, design new experiences that will help others grow and develop. Always provide opportunity for participants in workshops to become teachers. Use performance appraisals as a mutual learning experience and transform it from from monologue to dialogue – boss/subordinate to mentor/protégé
- Lesson Two: Legacies are passed on in the stories we tell; Each of us will become a character in someone’s story at some point: What lessons am I teaching in each interaction that I have? Am I even aware of it?
Chapter 3 – We All Need Loving Critics
- “Pity the leader caught between unloving critics and uncritical lovers.” – John Gardner
- Leaders at higher levels don't always lead with “How am I doing?” - afraid of exposure, vulnerability.
- P 29 – Credibility – foundation of leadership – is about doing what you say – how do you know if you don’t ask “how am I doing?”
Chapter 4 – You Are the Most Important Leader in Your Organization
- Manager is the most important to direct reports; Longitudinal studies of execs show best predictor of career success is the relationship with their first supervisor
- Leaders with the most influence are those closest to us
- You Matter – “Just because your manager doesn’t do leadership well doesn’t excuse you from doing your very best. Your direct reports don’t really care about what your manager does, but they care a lot about what you do.”
Chapter 5 – No One Likes to Be an Assumption
- No one likes being taken for granted / overlooked / ignored / dismissed
- Work is about more than productivity – people want to know their hard work and efforts matter
PART 2: RELATIONSHIPS
- Leadership is a relationship between those who aspire to lead and those who choose to follow
- P48 “Lasting success depends on whether we like our leaders. It’s only logical that all leaders should want to be liked. Not caring about whether or not you’re liked will never bring about the best results.”
- “Being motivated to be liked will result in more enabling actions – actions such as listening, coaching, developing skills, providing choice, making connections—will create higher levels of performance.” P48
This doesn’t mean “going along” or coddling weaknesses, leaders have to build a team that can express differences and still be productive which requires building & maintaining trust.
Chapter 6 – Leadership is Personal
- “People want to know about you. They want to know about your values and beliefs, your aims and aspirations, and your hopes and dreams. They want to know who most influenced you, what prepares you for the job you’re doing, and what you’re like.” P 52
Chapter 7 – Leaders Should Want to Be Liked
- “You don’t love someone because of who they are, you love them because of the way they make you feel.” P56
- We work harder/more effectively for people we like which is in direct proportion to how they make us feel
Chapter 8 – When You Don’t See Eye to Eye, Seek to Understand
- Conflict avoidance is a natural human instinct/response that tests dedication & commitment but it's also an opportunity to show leadership skills by working with people who you don’t always agree with or who are difficult.
- There’s a lesson in every conflict about ourselves
- The only person you can change is you: Learn to adapt and change others’ perceptions by speaking their language and serving their needs/goals/values
- Focus on the Purpose and Not the Person: make sure outcomes are the primary subject
- Promote Constructive Insubordination: homogeneity of opinions and background doesn’t yield the best performance or results
Chapter 9 – You Can’t Take Trust for Granted
- “You have to keep working on trust and never take it for granted” p74
- If you don’t trust – many things just won’t get done – you’ll have more and more work, results in stress & burnout
- When trust breaks down – tempting to hold on tighter, more control – that sends signals that you don’t trust someone – creates a vicious cycle
Chapter 10 – Let Your People Go
- Create a climate of trust – give independence – increases sense of responsibility and accountability
- No One Wants a Micromanager: hire good people and let them do what they do best
o “we won’t know what people are capable of if we don’t give them the opportunity to grow and develop.” P 82
- Give People Freedom of Choice: motivation has to come from within; leaders can increase team confidence by giving them more input into the process or developing the framework/projects
o “Choice is the glue that binds individuals to actions, motivating them to accept responsibility.” P84
“To make a meaningful difference we each have to make our own meaningful choices. If leaders steal from others the opportunities to make such choices, they steal a bit of the legacy those others might have created.”
PART 3 – ASPIRATIONS
- “People commit to causes, not to plans.” P 90
- “…leadership development is first and foremost self-development.” P90
- “Leaders must decide on what matters in life, before they can live a life that matters.”
CHAPTER 11 – Lead from the Inside Out
- “Become the author of your own story and maker of your own history.” P 92
- “The quest for leadership, therefore, is first an inner quest to discover who you are … find the awareness needed to lead.” P 93
- “Clarity of personal values matters greatly to our feeling motivated, creative, and committed tour workplaces.” because it makes you feel empowered and prepared to act, and provides the foundation from which you can elicit support from others.
Chapter 12 – Forward-Looking is a Leadership Prerequisite
- “You can leave a lasting legacy only if you can imagine a brighter future, and the capacity to imagine exciting future possibilities is the defining competence of leaders.” P99
- Need to be more mindful, pay attention to what's happening now, don't be on "auto-pilot" and look toward the horizon - get the team involved in "what's next" and "what's better"
Chapter 13 – It’s Not Just the Leader’s Vision
- Leaders have impression they have to be visionaries – but this is not what people expect – they want leaders to be forward-looking – people want to hear aspirations and vision, not clairvoyance (don’t expect all the answers)
- People don’t like being told where/what/when – they like to be part of the process – constituents want to be involved which means leaders need to leaders communicate a vision of the future that draws others in. This requires knowing what others want/need (dreams/hopes/motives/interests).
Chapter 14 – Liberate the Leader in Everyone
- Leadership is Learned: “…leadership is an observable set of skills and abilities that are useful whether one is in the executive suite or on the front line” p118
Chapter 15 – Leaders Are Followers, Too!
- “Leadership is a dynamic relationship between leaders and followers in which the roles of leader and follower are often exchanged. It’s the kind of relationship in which leaders transform followers into leaders.” P123
- We Follow a Process and Not a Person: “The key to high performance is not only god leaders but good leadership. It’s not the person we should be focusing on; it’s the process.” P124
- People want to follow:
- Clear values and beliefs consistent with their own;
- A vision of the future they share
- Creative ideas that enable the organization to make changes so the values and vision can be realized
- Other people whose strengths and talents contribute to achieving the values/vision & teams whose collective capacity exceeds their leader
-- Leaders are responsible for doing what they can to maximize a team’s effectiveness
- Leaders should be thinking about what’s best for the mission not themselves – developing talent on their teams
- Everyone can be a follower and a leader at the same time; Leaders don’t have to come up with ideas by themselves
PART 4 – COURAGE
- “Ever one of us is capable of taking stands on things that matter”
- “Personal courage usually means taking the initiative in moments that matter – moments when our core values are challenged.” P132
Chapter 16 – There’s Courage in All of Us
- Courage is a State of Mind: Gives one the capacity to face danger without being overcome by fear; persist in adversity
- Courage not purely emotional – has a rational component – requires making a choice in the face of adversity
- Courage is required to break out of your comfort zone, stay aligned with your values
Chapter 17 – You Can’t Plan to be Courageous but You Can Choose It
- Practice "courage" by opening up conversations about it around adversities, fears and suffering
Chapter 18 – It Takes Courage to Make a Life
- Takes courage to make a life vs just making a living; meaning & significance
Chapter 19 – The Courage to Be Human
- Leadership – humbling, hard work, tension between expectations of others and personal limitations
- It Takes courage to admit you aren’t always right; human/humble; it may take more courage to admit to oneself
- Let your guard down – invite others to join in co-creation in something you couldn’t create on your own
-- “We need the challenges, surprises, and adversities to strengthen our courage and unleash our resolve.” P 158
Chapter 20 – Failure Is Always An Option
- If we’re doing something we’ve never done before – getting it right the first time is usually luck
- Professionals Believe in Possibilities:“despite the probabilities, professionals believe in the possibilities” p165
- Most innovations fail the first few times – leaders persist – more attempts improve the innovations and the possibility of success
- We only learn and move forward when we experiment and experience doing things differently
- Right out of Maxwell: “…failures and disappointments are inevitable. It is how you handle them that will ultimately determine your effecrtiveness and success.” P167
o “You gain credibility when you admit you make mistakes and aren’t perfect.” P 168
Chapter 21 – No Money-Back Guarantee
- “None of us will ever get everything right.” P172
- Strengths Can Become Weaknesses -- dangers of not maintaining balance, for example: Finding your voice and setting an example are important but becoming overly focused closes you off from the views/feedback of others --> listen, remain open, learn from others around you
-- Forward-focus is important but don’t become overfocused --> develops blind spots, makes it hard to see other possibilities around you
-- Collaboration & teamwork are essential --> over reliance can can result in avoiding critical decisions or errors in judgment; too much polling/socialization --> indecisiveness/inconsistency
- So What Should We Do?
-- Make everything more personal – use your gifts to help others, shape their lives
-- “If we stay focused on the difference and the people, the legacy will take care of itself.” P175
Afterword: The Legacy You Leave Is the Life You Lead
- “each day provides an opportunity to make a difference.”
-- Listen better, coach someone better, more positive, say “thank you”
-- Choose long-term significance over short-term measures of success
-- Leaders have to be willing to turn followers into leaders, and to follow as well
-- “Legacies aren’t the result of wishful thinking – they are the result of determined doing.”
In fact, I did find it to be a bit fluffy -- and could write out the "long" version of this in 8 pages, single spaced without missing any key concepts. At best, it's a series of PowerPoint slides that have been fluffed up to make a short book with a lot of repetition. There's a lot of redundancy -- there are 3 chapters about "Courage" -- which is critical considering that most people manage based on fears/insecurities (per the authors of "Mastering Leadership).
At worst - it's derivative. There are no ground-breaking concepts, even though the authors were floored by the idea that the best way to learn is by teaching. It's not as good as Maxwell's "Mind of the Leader 2.0" (which has a ton of repetition and fluff) and no where near the caliber of "Mastering Leadership" which dives deeper into the concepts of strengths and values.
Chapter 1 - Leaders Serve & Sacrifice
- P 15 “Loyalty is earned when constituents decide that their needs are getting met. “
- Leadership requires commitment, suffering/passion (the same word in Latin), hard work
- P 18 “The most significant contributions leaders make are not to today’s bottom line but to the long-term development of individuals and institutions that adapt, prosper, and grow. People should never take on the job of leadership if they’re unwilling to see beyond their own needs. If they do, they will ultimately fail.”
Chapter 2 – The Best Leaders are Teachers
- Lesson One: The Best way to learn is to Teach: discover new methods, invent new tools, design new experiences that will help others grow and develop. Always provide opportunity for participants in workshops to become teachers. Use performance appraisals as a mutual learning experience and transform it from from monologue to dialogue – boss/subordinate to mentor/protégé
- Lesson Two: Legacies are passed on in the stories we tell; Each of us will become a character in someone’s story at some point: What lessons am I teaching in each interaction that I have? Am I even aware of it?
Chapter 3 – We All Need Loving Critics
- “Pity the leader caught between unloving critics and uncritical lovers.” – John Gardner
- Leaders at higher levels don't always lead with “How am I doing?” - afraid of exposure, vulnerability.
- P 29 – Credibility – foundation of leadership – is about doing what you say – how do you know if you don’t ask “how am I doing?”
Chapter 4 – You Are the Most Important Leader in Your Organization
- Manager is the most important to direct reports; Longitudinal studies of execs show best predictor of career success is the relationship with their first supervisor
- Leaders with the most influence are those closest to us
- You Matter – “Just because your manager doesn’t do leadership well doesn’t excuse you from doing your very best. Your direct reports don’t really care about what your manager does, but they care a lot about what you do.”
Chapter 5 – No One Likes to Be an Assumption
- No one likes being taken for granted / overlooked / ignored / dismissed
- Work is about more than productivity – people want to know their hard work and efforts matter
PART 2: RELATIONSHIPS
- Leadership is a relationship between those who aspire to lead and those who choose to follow
- P48 “Lasting success depends on whether we like our leaders. It’s only logical that all leaders should want to be liked. Not caring about whether or not you’re liked will never bring about the best results.”
- “Being motivated to be liked will result in more enabling actions – actions such as listening, coaching, developing skills, providing choice, making connections—will create higher levels of performance.” P48
This doesn’t mean “going along” or coddling weaknesses, leaders have to build a team that can express differences and still be productive which requires building & maintaining trust.
Chapter 6 – Leadership is Personal
- “People want to know about you. They want to know about your values and beliefs, your aims and aspirations, and your hopes and dreams. They want to know who most influenced you, what prepares you for the job you’re doing, and what you’re like.” P 52
Chapter 7 – Leaders Should Want to Be Liked
- “You don’t love someone because of who they are, you love them because of the way they make you feel.” P56
- We work harder/more effectively for people we like which is in direct proportion to how they make us feel
Chapter 8 – When You Don’t See Eye to Eye, Seek to Understand
- Conflict avoidance is a natural human instinct/response that tests dedication & commitment but it's also an opportunity to show leadership skills by working with people who you don’t always agree with or who are difficult.
- There’s a lesson in every conflict about ourselves
- The only person you can change is you: Learn to adapt and change others’ perceptions by speaking their language and serving their needs/goals/values
- Focus on the Purpose and Not the Person: make sure outcomes are the primary subject
- Promote Constructive Insubordination: homogeneity of opinions and background doesn’t yield the best performance or results
Chapter 9 – You Can’t Take Trust for Granted
- “You have to keep working on trust and never take it for granted” p74
- If you don’t trust – many things just won’t get done – you’ll have more and more work, results in stress & burnout
- When trust breaks down – tempting to hold on tighter, more control – that sends signals that you don’t trust someone – creates a vicious cycle
Chapter 10 – Let Your People Go
- Create a climate of trust – give independence – increases sense of responsibility and accountability
- No One Wants a Micromanager: hire good people and let them do what they do best
o “we won’t know what people are capable of if we don’t give them the opportunity to grow and develop.” P 82
- Give People Freedom of Choice: motivation has to come from within; leaders can increase team confidence by giving them more input into the process or developing the framework/projects
o “Choice is the glue that binds individuals to actions, motivating them to accept responsibility.” P84
“To make a meaningful difference we each have to make our own meaningful choices. If leaders steal from others the opportunities to make such choices, they steal a bit of the legacy those others might have created.”
PART 3 – ASPIRATIONS
- “People commit to causes, not to plans.” P 90
- “…leadership development is first and foremost self-development.” P90
- “Leaders must decide on what matters in life, before they can live a life that matters.”
CHAPTER 11 – Lead from the Inside Out
- “Become the author of your own story and maker of your own history.” P 92
- “The quest for leadership, therefore, is first an inner quest to discover who you are … find the awareness needed to lead.” P 93
- “Clarity of personal values matters greatly to our feeling motivated, creative, and committed tour workplaces.” because it makes you feel empowered and prepared to act, and provides the foundation from which you can elicit support from others.
Chapter 12 – Forward-Looking is a Leadership Prerequisite
- “You can leave a lasting legacy only if you can imagine a brighter future, and the capacity to imagine exciting future possibilities is the defining competence of leaders.” P99
- Need to be more mindful, pay attention to what's happening now, don't be on "auto-pilot" and look toward the horizon - get the team involved in "what's next" and "what's better"
Chapter 13 – It’s Not Just the Leader’s Vision
- Leaders have impression they have to be visionaries – but this is not what people expect – they want leaders to be forward-looking – people want to hear aspirations and vision, not clairvoyance (don’t expect all the answers)
- People don’t like being told where/what/when – they like to be part of the process – constituents want to be involved which means leaders need to leaders communicate a vision of the future that draws others in. This requires knowing what others want/need (dreams/hopes/motives/interests).
Chapter 14 – Liberate the Leader in Everyone
- Leadership is Learned: “…leadership is an observable set of skills and abilities that are useful whether one is in the executive suite or on the front line” p118
Chapter 15 – Leaders Are Followers, Too!
- “Leadership is a dynamic relationship between leaders and followers in which the roles of leader and follower are often exchanged. It’s the kind of relationship in which leaders transform followers into leaders.” P123
- We Follow a Process and Not a Person: “The key to high performance is not only god leaders but good leadership. It’s not the person we should be focusing on; it’s the process.” P124
- People want to follow:
- Clear values and beliefs consistent with their own;
- A vision of the future they share
- Creative ideas that enable the organization to make changes so the values and vision can be realized
- Other people whose strengths and talents contribute to achieving the values/vision & teams whose collective capacity exceeds their leader
-- Leaders are responsible for doing what they can to maximize a team’s effectiveness
- Leaders should be thinking about what’s best for the mission not themselves – developing talent on their teams
- Everyone can be a follower and a leader at the same time; Leaders don’t have to come up with ideas by themselves
PART 4 – COURAGE
- “Ever one of us is capable of taking stands on things that matter”
- “Personal courage usually means taking the initiative in moments that matter – moments when our core values are challenged.” P132
Chapter 16 – There’s Courage in All of Us
- Courage is a State of Mind: Gives one the capacity to face danger without being overcome by fear; persist in adversity
- Courage not purely emotional – has a rational component – requires making a choice in the face of adversity
- Courage is required to break out of your comfort zone, stay aligned with your values
Chapter 17 – You Can’t Plan to be Courageous but You Can Choose It
- Practice "courage" by opening up conversations about it around adversities, fears and suffering
Chapter 18 – It Takes Courage to Make a Life
- Takes courage to make a life vs just making a living; meaning & significance
Chapter 19 – The Courage to Be Human
- Leadership – humbling, hard work, tension between expectations of others and personal limitations
- It Takes courage to admit you aren’t always right; human/humble; it may take more courage to admit to oneself
- Let your guard down – invite others to join in co-creation in something you couldn’t create on your own
-- “We need the challenges, surprises, and adversities to strengthen our courage and unleash our resolve.” P 158
Chapter 20 – Failure Is Always An Option
- If we’re doing something we’ve never done before – getting it right the first time is usually luck
- Professionals Believe in Possibilities:“despite the probabilities, professionals believe in the possibilities” p165
- Most innovations fail the first few times – leaders persist – more attempts improve the innovations and the possibility of success
- We only learn and move forward when we experiment and experience doing things differently
- Right out of Maxwell: “…failures and disappointments are inevitable. It is how you handle them that will ultimately determine your effecrtiveness and success.” P167
o “You gain credibility when you admit you make mistakes and aren’t perfect.” P 168
Chapter 21 – No Money-Back Guarantee
- “None of us will ever get everything right.” P172
- Strengths Can Become Weaknesses -- dangers of not maintaining balance, for example: Finding your voice and setting an example are important but becoming overly focused closes you off from the views/feedback of others --> listen, remain open, learn from others around you
-- Forward-focus is important but don’t become overfocused --> develops blind spots, makes it hard to see other possibilities around you
-- Collaboration & teamwork are essential --> over reliance can can result in avoiding critical decisions or errors in judgment; too much polling/socialization --> indecisiveness/inconsistency
- So What Should We Do?
-- Make everything more personal – use your gifts to help others, shape their lives
-- “If we stay focused on the difference and the people, the legacy will take care of itself.” P175
Afterword: The Legacy You Leave Is the Life You Lead
- “each day provides an opportunity to make a difference.”
-- Listen better, coach someone better, more positive, say “thank you”
-- Choose long-term significance over short-term measures of success
-- Leaders have to be willing to turn followers into leaders, and to follow as well
-- “Legacies aren’t the result of wishful thinking – they are the result of determined doing.”
December 10, 2009
With this book the authors explore the premise that every leader wants to leave a legacy. They outline critical questions, grouped into four categories - Significance, Relationships, Aspirations, and Courage - that all leaders must ask themselves in order to leave a lasting influence.
Leadership isn’t just a position in an organization; rather it’s the perspective that everyone, regardless of position, can make a difference. Leadership is everybody’s business. Leadership is learnable. It does not require a certain personality type.
One of the most powerful legacies a leader can leave is “…to turn every person…into a teacher. When they become fully engaged in the experience of learning, people will realize that within them is unused capacity and untapped potential."
When we lead every day, we choose to serve, to be in relationships that are personal, to aspire to long-term significance over short-term measures of success and to be courageous.
The legacy you leave is the life you lead. Just as you must lead your life daily, so you leave your legacy daily. You can leave the world better than you found it.
Leadership isn’t just a position in an organization; rather it’s the perspective that everyone, regardless of position, can make a difference. Leadership is everybody’s business. Leadership is learnable. It does not require a certain personality type.
One of the most powerful legacies a leader can leave is “…to turn every person…into a teacher. When they become fully engaged in the experience of learning, people will realize that within them is unused capacity and untapped potential."
When we lead every day, we choose to serve, to be in relationships that are personal, to aspire to long-term significance over short-term measures of success and to be courageous.
The legacy you leave is the life you lead. Just as you must lead your life daily, so you leave your legacy daily. You can leave the world better than you found it.
Read
July 7, 2014As a 'seminar on CD', this book is well organized. But after reading it I still feel leadership is a myth. I admit that it has a few good points. But indeed what is leadership? Is it the action of leading a group, or simply the action of setting an example? The term leadership and management have been used interchangeably in organizations. Sadly, the advocates of 'leadership is everyone's business' also confuse these concepts from time to time.
October 20, 2019
This was an assigned reading for work.
Leadership books are like self-help books. For the most part, if you've read one, you've read them all. And yet... it is also true that there are entire sections FULL of both leadership and self-help books in any bookstore. Further, I've noticed that the type of people that read these genres don't read just one, but fill their bedside tables and small home bookshelves with them - to no obvious effect in their lives.
Anyway, you know the drill: leaders must be good followers, leaders must have vision, leaders should be humble, leaders should be servants, leaders should seek constructive criticism, leaders should want to be liked, everyone is a leader, leaders should rule through fear and intolerance for failure on the part of their worthless underlings who too often don't appreciate the greatness of their leader and how blessed they are by God to serve him/her etc. etc. Is there a leadership book out there written for aspiring dictators and strongmen? If there is, I want to read that one!
If you have to read one business-oriented book on leadership, I guess this book was as good or as saccharine as any other. Peace out.
Leadership books are like self-help books. For the most part, if you've read one, you've read them all. And yet... it is also true that there are entire sections FULL of both leadership and self-help books in any bookstore. Further, I've noticed that the type of people that read these genres don't read just one, but fill their bedside tables and small home bookshelves with them - to no obvious effect in their lives.
Anyway, you know the drill: leaders must be good followers, leaders must have vision, leaders should be humble, leaders should be servants, leaders should seek constructive criticism, leaders should want to be liked, everyone is a leader, leaders should rule through fear and intolerance for failure on the part of their worthless underlings who too often don't appreciate the greatness of their leader and how blessed they are by God to serve him/her etc. etc. Is there a leadership book out there written for aspiring dictators and strongmen? If there is, I want to read that one!
If you have to read one business-oriented book on leadership, I guess this book was as good or as saccharine as any other. Peace out.
June 3, 2014
This book is redundant... unless its the first book of its kind you read... then it could be very informative
February 17, 2018
Solid leadership principles. Another important offering from Kouzes & Posner.
December 17, 2021
These are my top 10 takeaways:
1. Mindset
Legacy thinking means dedicating ourselves to making a difference, not just working to achieve fame and fortune.
Appreciating that others will inherit what we leave behind.
2. Facilitating
What people will say about you will not be about what you achieved for yourself but what you achieved for others.
By investing and developing others, you develop yourself.
3. Service
When leaders accept that they are servants first, then they clearly know where they stand.
Leaders knowing that they have made a difference in others’ lives is what motivates their own.
4. 'Self-made"
In leadership and in life, nothing that we accomplish is singular. No one ever got anything extraordinary alone.
Never, ever assume that the leader can do it alone.
5. Legacy
We’ll all be remembered for something. The question is, for what?
Is there anything better to be remembered for than ‘You made me want to be a better person’.
6. Gratitude
"Thank you, I appreciate you and what you’re doing" is the most important thing a leader can do.
People no matter how much they get paid, still love to hear the roar of approval for a job well done.
7. Open Yourself
People want to know about you. Your values and beliefs, your aims and aspirations, your hopes and dreams. What drives you, what makes you happy, and what ticks you off.
To be the best you must reveal your humanity. It’s the only pathway to a genuine connection with others. It’s the quality of our relationships whether our legacy will be ephemeral or lasting.
8. Micro-managing
The more you control others, the more likely it is that they will rebel. Exemplary leaders get the greatest commitment when they let their people grow.
We won’t know what people are capable of if we don’t give them the opportunity to grow and develop.
9. Purpose
People commit to causes, not to plans. A lasting legacy is built on a firm foundation of principles and purpose.
The capacity to imagine exciting future possibilities is the defining competence of leaders.
10. Humility
We have to recognize that no matter how smart we are, we’re not smarter than everyone else combined.
We have to be vigilant in noticing our mistakes and admitting them.
1. Mindset
Legacy thinking means dedicating ourselves to making a difference, not just working to achieve fame and fortune.
Appreciating that others will inherit what we leave behind.
2. Facilitating
What people will say about you will not be about what you achieved for yourself but what you achieved for others.
By investing and developing others, you develop yourself.
3. Service
When leaders accept that they are servants first, then they clearly know where they stand.
Leaders knowing that they have made a difference in others’ lives is what motivates their own.
4. 'Self-made"
In leadership and in life, nothing that we accomplish is singular. No one ever got anything extraordinary alone.
Never, ever assume that the leader can do it alone.
5. Legacy
We’ll all be remembered for something. The question is, for what?
Is there anything better to be remembered for than ‘You made me want to be a better person’.
6. Gratitude
"Thank you, I appreciate you and what you’re doing" is the most important thing a leader can do.
People no matter how much they get paid, still love to hear the roar of approval for a job well done.
7. Open Yourself
People want to know about you. Your values and beliefs, your aims and aspirations, your hopes and dreams. What drives you, what makes you happy, and what ticks you off.
To be the best you must reveal your humanity. It’s the only pathway to a genuine connection with others. It’s the quality of our relationships whether our legacy will be ephemeral or lasting.
8. Micro-managing
The more you control others, the more likely it is that they will rebel. Exemplary leaders get the greatest commitment when they let their people grow.
We won’t know what people are capable of if we don’t give them the opportunity to grow and develop.
9. Purpose
People commit to causes, not to plans. A lasting legacy is built on a firm foundation of principles and purpose.
The capacity to imagine exciting future possibilities is the defining competence of leaders.
10. Humility
We have to recognize that no matter how smart we are, we’re not smarter than everyone else combined.
We have to be vigilant in noticing our mistakes and admitting them.
November 11, 2019
What interest me about this book is the word “legacy.” Either you’re a leader or a leader with no formal title or a student of leadership (like me), every leader I’ve ever worked and talked with wants to leave a legacy. Thinking about our legacies requires us to move beyond short-term definitions of success. Legacies encompass past, present, and future, and when I pondered about my legacy, I’m forced to consider where I’ve been, where I’m now and where I’m going. I’m brought face-to-face with questions of who I am and why I’m here.
“By asking ourselves how we want to be remembered,” writes Kouzes and Posner, “we plant the seeds for living our lives as if we matter. By living each day as if we matter, we offer up our own unique legacy. By offering up our own unique legacy, we make the world we inhabit a better place than we found it.”
To read my review of Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner's A Leader’s Legacy (2006), CLICK HERE: https://www.richardangelus.me/2018/06...
“By asking ourselves how we want to be remembered,” writes Kouzes and Posner, “we plant the seeds for living our lives as if we matter. By living each day as if we matter, we offer up our own unique legacy. By offering up our own unique legacy, we make the world we inhabit a better place than we found it.”
To read my review of Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner's A Leader’s Legacy (2006), CLICK HERE: https://www.richardangelus.me/2018/06...
January 18, 2022
This book provides a good insight into the idea of leadership and has helped me to expand on my initial view of leadership. However, it’s also quite a basic introduction and parts of it feel outdated and cliche. It’s a good place to start but I’d imagine there are better options out there.
As an overview, the book explores leadership through four sections: significance, relationships, aspirations and courage. All the sections have something useful and insightful to share but personally, I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy this book (it’s approx. £25). Luckily I was given it for free.
There are also some interesting anecdotes and exercises throughout.
As an overview, the book explores leadership through four sections: significance, relationships, aspirations and courage. All the sections have something useful and insightful to share but personally, I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy this book (it’s approx. £25). Luckily I was given it for free.
There are also some interesting anecdotes and exercises throughout.
April 9, 2020
Great leadership Resource
This is an AMAZING leadership resource - first recommended by a UPENN Professor, as a great resource for leaders at every level. He also recommended this book as a great book to read as a group, having different people take turns “teaching” the high points of a chapter and then facilitating a conversation. I could not agree more - so much great stuff in each chapter.
Additionally, it is a short book, with quick chapters. If you are looking to host a reading group, I would strongly recommend this one for leaders at EVERY Level.
This is an AMAZING leadership resource - first recommended by a UPENN Professor, as a great resource for leaders at every level. He also recommended this book as a great book to read as a group, having different people take turns “teaching” the high points of a chapter and then facilitating a conversation. I could not agree more - so much great stuff in each chapter.
Additionally, it is a short book, with quick chapters. If you are looking to host a reading group, I would strongly recommend this one for leaders at EVERY Level.
November 23, 2020
A very practical book on leadership attitudes and approaches that have proven helpful for building a legacy. It sort of reads like a seminar or presentation.
Recognizing everyone's desire to make an impact, it touches on themes like significance, relationships, aspirations and courage.
If nothing else, the authors demonstrate that they have heard and understood the needs and contacts of leaders today. Their advice is practical, but not particularly deep.
A good introduction to the topic.
Recognizing everyone's desire to make an impact, it touches on themes like significance, relationships, aspirations and courage.
If nothing else, the authors demonstrate that they have heard and understood the needs and contacts of leaders today. Their advice is practical, but not particularly deep.
A good introduction to the topic.
October 3, 2017
Listened to the audio version. I'll go back and skim through the book before my next SIM RLF session. This book includes a great collection of thoughts about some really key and sometimes tough topics around leadership.
January 26, 2024
Nothing extraordinary, but good reminders about the realities of leadership. It takes hard work to lead, and there are no guarantees. They might have given more specific ways to practically leave a legacy in business and in your family.
May 24, 2025
I read this to participate in a discussion at work. Nothing super groundbreaking in this book. One of the more bland leadership books I’ve read. It would be an excellent intro to leadership book if you’ve never ready anything else.
Read
September 13, 2017A series of short essays that identify what Kouzes and Posner believe are the qualities of a good leader.
Goes down easy.
Goes down easy.
July 4, 2020
A fabulous book. There's a leadership nugget on almost every page. If you think you know everything about leadership--think again. This book will make you think!
December 15, 2020
I read this one on and off. It provides some good tidbits and reflections.
January 16, 2021
Pretty simple view of leadership.
Easy to read
Did not seem to be too deep
Easy to read
Did not seem to be too deep
May 6, 2021
“Try, Fail, Learn”
December 27, 2021
Was a lot better than I expected. I feel like most books that focus on developing leadership are either lipservice or tone deaf. Read this for school but took away a lot from it.
January 12, 2022
As a growing leader, I can see myself referencing this book again and again. An honest and encouraging book.
July 16, 2023
Knjiga mi je istinski pomogla da unapredim svoj način upravljanja. Druga je perspektiva kada treba da služiš ljudima da bi ih vodio
March 20, 2017
This is an excellent book on leadership. It was very practical.
Read
January 11, 2017I didn't like this book in the beginning but as i progressed i began to see very poignant evidence of leadership even among my peers and myself.
June 15, 2009
PIcked this back up yesterday and finished the last half. Each chapter is an essay. Mostly common sense. But for me the entire book was worth this one idea:
If the leader is not able to think/see beyond the end the last project, he's redundant and no better prepared than the others on the team who are managing that project.
Leaders must see beyond the immediate challenges and even beyond last project in the queue.
Someone's gotta be Jacob seeing Canaan even if it's 30 years out . . .
If a leader is not carving out space/time/budget/emotion to pray through what is coming next, than he's doing his team a great disservice. The team will likely never move out of reaction mode.
If the leader is not able to think/see beyond the end the last project, he's redundant and no better prepared than the others on the team who are managing that project.
Leaders must see beyond the immediate challenges and even beyond last project in the queue.
Someone's gotta be Jacob seeing Canaan even if it's 30 years out . . .
If a leader is not carving out space/time/budget/emotion to pray through what is coming next, than he's doing his team a great disservice. The team will likely never move out of reaction mode.
July 24, 2011
I picked up this book when preparing a lecture on legacy for our Student Organization Leadership Retreat.
The introduction mentioned that they had been challenged to write a different kind of book. This WAS a departure from their normal style with lots of short (3 page) entries. I found some to be repetitive and some unique. I enjoyed it while I was reading it, but am hard pressed to write this summary without looking at some notes to remember the content.
My Tweet: Leaders: courageous and relational with aspiration (vision) for a better world (significance, not just success). Legacy: What have you achieved for others?
The introduction mentioned that they had been challenged to write a different kind of book. This WAS a departure from their normal style with lots of short (3 page) entries. I found some to be repetitive and some unique. I enjoyed it while I was reading it, but am hard pressed to write this summary without looking at some notes to remember the content.
My Tweet: Leaders: courageous and relational with aspiration (vision) for a better world (significance, not just success). Legacy: What have you achieved for others?
July 7, 2015
I read this book as part of a leadership class I'm taking. I liked that the book dealt with more current issues and leaders than some of the other books we've read.
The book was on target when it said that leaders are in the position to serve. I find myself asking my staff what is impeding them from completing their work. I see myself as responsible for removing those impediments.
The book also indicates that a true leader is effective when he or she understands his or her goals and these goals are in alignment with his or her organization's goals. While it is a safe statement, it has a lot of truth to it.
The book was on target when it said that leaders are in the position to serve. I find myself asking my staff what is impeding them from completing their work. I see myself as responsible for removing those impediments.
The book also indicates that a true leader is effective when he or she understands his or her goals and these goals are in alignment with his or her organization's goals. While it is a safe statement, it has a lot of truth to it.
November 29, 2007
"One of the most powerful legacies you can leave is to turn every person...into a teacher. When they become fully engagedin the experience of learning, ... people will realize that within them is unused capactiy and untapped potential."
My boss recommended this book - he ordered one for everyone in the office. I couldn't lovate his favorite quote, which is also powerful , so I opened to a random page and found my own; I love a book where each page has something poignant to offer.
I'll post a review when I finish the book.
My boss recommended this book - he ordered one for everyone in the office. I couldn't lovate his favorite quote, which is also powerful , so I opened to a random page and found my own; I love a book where each page has something poignant to offer.
I'll post a review when I finish the book.
February 16, 2015
As a leader concerned about my legacy this book's title immediately caught my eye. Judging by some of the reviews I wasn't sure Id like it much but I was pleasantly surprised at the wonderful content. This book is organized into 21 essays on different topics, some of my favorites were: Leaders serve and sacrifice, The best leaders are teachers, Leaders should want to be liked, Lead from the inside out, and The legacy you leave is the life you live. Im very happy I didn't pass up this leadership gem! Highly recommend.
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