James M. Kouzes Quotes

• It always takes a group of people working together with a common purpose in an atmosphere of trust and collaboration to get extraordinary things done.

  James M. Kouzes

  Common Purpose, People, Atmosphere

  James M. Kouzes, Barry Z. Posner (2010). “The Leadership Challenge”, p.318, John Wiley & Sons

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• The best way to lead people into the future is to connect with them deeply in the present.

  James M. Kouzes

  Leadership, Future, People

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• If you think you're a leader and you turn around and no one is following you, then you're simply out for a walk.

  James M. Kouzes

  Leadership, Thinking, Walks

  James M. Kouzes, Barry Z. Posner (2010). “The Truth about Leadership: The No-fads, Heart-of-the-Matter Facts You Need to Know”, p.62, John Wiley & Sons

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• Challenge is the opportunity for greatness. People do their best when there is an opportunity to change how things currently stand. Maintaining the status quo facilitates mediocrity. Those who embrace this practice do not wish to rest on their laurels. They motivate others to exceed their limits and look for innovative ways to improve the organization.

  James M. Kouzes

  Leadership, Opportunity, Greatness

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• Leaders strengthen credibility by demonstrating that they are not in it for themselves, instead they have the interests of the institution, department, or team and its constituents at heart. Being a servant may not be what many leaders had in mind when they chose to take responsibility for the vision and direction of their organization or team - but serving others is the most glorious and rewarding of all leadership tasks.

  James M. Kouzes

  Team, Responsibility, Heart

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• Leaders must know where they are going if they expect others to willingly join them on the journey.

  James M. Kouzes

  Leadership, Journey, Knows

  James M. Kouzes, Barry Z. Posner (2010). “The Leadership Challenge”, p.33, John Wiley & Sons

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• Leadership isn’t the private reserve of a few charismatic men and women. It’s a process ordinary people use when they’re bringing forth the best from themselves and others. Liberate the leader in everyone, and extraordinary things happen.

  James M. Kouzes

  Men, People, Leader

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• Leadership is a relationship between those who aspire to lead and those who choose to follow.

  James M. Kouzes

  Leadership, Aspire, Conscience

  James M. Kouzes, Barry Z. Posner (2003). “The Jossey-Bass Academic Administrator's Guide to Exemplary Leadership”, p.10, John Wiley & Sons

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• If we're going to be authentic in our leadership, we will have to be willing to serve, and we have to be willing to suffer.

  James M. Kouzes

  Inspirational, Success, Uplifting

  James M. Kouzes, Barry Z. Posner (2008). “A Leader's Legacy”, p.14, John Wiley & Sons

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• We have to recognize that however smart we are, we're not smarter than everyone else combined. . . . We can't lose sight of the fact that no matter how important our own contributions are, we couldn't have gotten anywhere without the help and hard work of lots of other people.

  James M. Kouzes

  Leadership, Smart, Hard Work

  James M. Kouzes, Barry Z. Posner (2008). “A Leader's Legacy”, p.159, John Wiley & Sons

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• A leader with integrity has one self, at home and at work, with family and with colleagues. He or she has a unifying set of values that guide choices of action regardless of the situation.

  James M. Kouzes

  Integrity, Home, Self

  James M. Kouzes, Barry Z. Posner (1987). “The leadership challenge: how to get extraordinary things done in organizations”, Jossey-Bass, 1988

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• Leaders encourage others to continue the quest and inspire others through courage and hope. Leaders give heart by visibly recognizing others' contributions to the common vision. With a thank you note, a smile, an award, and public praise, the leader lets others know how much they mean to the organization.

  James M. Kouzes

  Leadership, Mean, Heart

  James M. Kouzes, Barry Z. Posner (1987). “The leadership challenge: how to get extraordinary things done in organizations”, Jossey-Bass, 1988

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• There is no freeway to the future, no paved highway from here to there. There is only wilderness, uncertain terrain. There are no roadmaps, no signposts. So pioneering leaders rely upon a compass and a dream

  James M. Kouzes

  Dream, Rely Upon, Leader

  James M. Kouzes, Barry Z. Posner (1987). “The leadership challenge: how to get extraordinary things done in organizations”, Jossey-Bass, 1988

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• Do what you say you will do.

  James M. Kouzes

  Fear, Atheism, Rage

  James M. Kouzes, Barry Z. Posner, Jane Bozarth (2011). “Strengthening Credibility: A Leader's Workbook”, p.26, John Wiley & Sons

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• You can't lead others to places you don't want to go yourself. If you don't feel a burning passion for something, how in the world can you inspire and encourage others to share it?

  James M. Kouzes

  Passion, Inspire, Burning

  James M. Kouzes, Barry Z. Posner (1999). “Encouraging the Heart: A Leader's Guide to Rewarding and Recognizing Others”, p.149, John Wiley & Sons

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• There's nothing more demoralizing than a leader who can't clearly articulate why we're doing what we're doing.

  James M. Kouzes

  Leadership, Leader, Authority

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• Only those leaders who act boldly in times of crisis and change are willingly followed.

  James M. Kouzes

  Leader, Times Of Crisis, Crisis

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• You must unite your constituents around a common cause and connect with them as human beings.

  James M. Kouzes

  Leadership, Causes, Common

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• It is striking how our language reveals the visual nature of our thoughts about the future state of affairs. When we invent the future, we try to get a mental picture of what things will be like long before we have begun the journey. Visions are our windows on the world of tomorrow.

  James M. Kouzes

  Communication, Journey, Long

  James M. Kouzes, Barry Z. Posner (1987). “The leadership challenge: how to get extraordinary things done in organizations”, Jossey-Bass, 1988

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• The word "story" is short for the word "history." They both have the same root and fundamentally mean the same thing. A story is a narrative on an event or series of events, just like history.

  James M. Kouzes

  Mean, Roots, Events

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