Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It, Why People Demand It, Revised Edition |
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| Title: | Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It, Why People Demand It, Revised Edition |
| Author: | James M. Kouzes
Barry Z. Posner |
| Publisher: | Jossey-Bass |
| Type: | Book / Paperback |
| Publication Date: | 21 January, 2003 |
| ISBN / ISBN-13: | 0787964646 / 9780787964641 |
| List Price: | $19.95 |
| You Save: | $6.38 |
| Amazon Price: | $13.57 |
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This book is also available, brand-new, from 3rd-party marketplace sellers at Amazon.com, from $11.89.
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Editorial Review / Publisher's Information:
Product Description
"Leadership is personal. It's not about the corporation, the community, or the country. It's about you. If people don't believe in the messenger, they won't believe the message. If people don't believe in you, they won't believe in what you say. And if it's about you, then it's about your beliefs, your values, your principles."— from Credibility
In this best-selling book, Kouzes and Posner (authors of The Leadership Challenge), explain why leadership is above all a relationship, with credibility as the cornerstone. They provide rich examples of real managers in action and reveal the six key disciplines and related practices that strengthen a leader's capacity for developing and sustaining credibility. Kouzes and Posner show how leaders can encourage greater initiative, risk-taking, and productivity by demonstrating trust in employees and resolving conflicts on the basis of principles, not positions.
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Customer Reviews:
• Great Book!
24 September, 2007
This book is excellent. That is not only my opinion, but the opinion of numerous colleagues who have read the book based on my recommendation. Trust (credibility) is an absolutely critical attribute for an effective leader. This book covers all the bases with regard to gaining, maintaining, and restoring credibility. I highly recommend this book to everyone who is in any position of leadership.
- Amazon Customer Review
• Book For Corporate America
09 January, 2007
Book is in great condition. No delivery issues to note.
- Amazon Customer Review
• How To Lead Your Organization
25 August, 2009
This book was a part of my reading for my Phd in Organizational Management. Here's my review.
In reading, "Credibility" by Kouzes and Posner (2003), the two leadership experts in the field of organizational development and management, particularly workplace outcomes, addressed some important managerial issues that relate to values, leadership roles and performance outcome. Their main argument discussed how shared values can help an organizations improve productivity and organizational effectiveness. The authors suggest that "shared values are the foundation of building productive -relationships" within organizations (p.121) in which there are various ways for organizations to build long lasting partnerships between leaders and its constituents. In general, when organizations develop a shared value relationship with its constituents, they can begin to work together on the organization's goals and objectives.
I agree with the author's philosophy that organizations must first communicate clearly to their constituents about who they are and what they represent. Open and honest communication is vital within any organization. It creates a sense of purpose and inspiration to others to support the organization's mission. In doing so, there must be an internal paradigm shift that must take place within the organization so that leaders begin to attract and maintain constituents who are connected to the organization's vision.
I would recommend this book to leaders within small and large organization to develop a strong foundation for growth and expansion.
Lisa Willis
Coach and Organizational Consultant
- Amazon Customer Review
• Leadership Is Still A Relationship
28 August, 2007
Starting with the headline, 'Leadership is a Relationship'; Authors Kouzes & Posner demonstrate that Credibility is the foundation of any sound relationship, but particularly between leaders and their constituents. Using credibility to represent a combination of admired leadership characteristics - honest, forward-looking, inspiring, and competent, etc. - the authors of "The Leadership Challenge" declare the six disciplines of credibility to be:
1. Discovering your self
2. Appreciating constituents
3. Affirming shared values
4. Developing capacity
5. Serving a purpose
6. Sustaining hope
The authors then devote a chapter to each of these disciplines, first providing definitional understanding, before outlining steps for developing the discipline.
Although the original writing of this book is about 15 years old, the message is more important today than ever. As defined in this book, leadership credibility is much the same as `trust' in the recently published book, The SPEED of Trust: The One Thing that Changes Everything by Stephen M. R. Covey. Both of the books should leave you with a clear understanding that; leadership is relational, this trust/credibility component is crucial, it all starts with knowing and being responsible for who you are, and purpose is its heart. Not a bad success formula for any relationship, business or otherwise. This book is recommended for anyone wanting to learn the underpinnings of relationships.
- Amazon Customer Review
• A Mixed Metaphor; It's Really About Leadership And Conformity
05 March, 2009
Books like Kouzes & Posner's "Credibility" are a mixed blessing in the 2009 workforce. On one hand, they purport to represent the qualities employees want to see from leaders and describe to you how to get there. On the other hand, the book was written sufficiently long ago -- and not updated -- to not reflect the realities of the workplace in the post-9/11, post-stock market and mortgage meltdowns that have substantially changed people's ideas about work, leadership and, yes, even credibility.
The book is aptly misnamed becuase it is really about leadership, not credibility. It details the tasks, training and understanding people need to know and acquire to become leaders. Credibility is an important aspect of leadership, I know. But it is also an important aspect for anyone, regardless of their role in the office, business, organization or family.
Yet the book constantly mixes metaphors by citing surveys of workforces, individual exercises, and quotes from captains of industry to make its points. Its original surveys cite what it calls the four characterisitics people want to see in leaders -- honesty, forward-looking or visionary, inspiring and competent. The book sums this up saying, "Being seen as somoene who can be trusted, who has high integrity, and who is honest and truthful is essential."
Anyone that's played the devil's advocate at work knows this formula works to some extent. People always say they admire honesty -- until they are told something they don't want to hear. Then what happens to your sterling qualities of trust, high integrity and truthfulness? Ask Jimmy Carter, the former president that once tried to tell Americans our heyday was over. He was shown the door by an electorate that only four years earlier found him the credible alternative to the Vietnam-Watergate generation of politicians.
Do people really admire these qualities, then? The book says so and goes on to discuss organizational traits, personal tasks and organizational audits you can undertake to create the kind of work force -- and be the kind of individual -- this book says you should be. The book is more about building organizational leaders and redefining the beliefs of organizations than it is about credibility, in my view.
I work in an industry where people talk about all this stuff ad nauseum -- government. I recall the first time a leader where I worked passed out his list of 10 values in the workplace about 1991, which is the decade described by this book. I was frankly astounded; his list included all the traditionally noble ideas as well as some I'd never heard, like joy and humor. Humor in the workplace? Everyone knows that breaks the stress. But as an organizational value?
This is the cross to bear with books like "Credibility", in my mind. In the end, the book promotes leadership through shared belief. It goes to some effort to separate individual from what it calls "shared" values. That phrase is what my boss passed out in 1991 -- a set of shared values. These were the values that were dictated, not benignly suggested, in the workplace. If you didn't like them, or chose not to adapt to them, you probably weren't a very good fit in that workplace.
While its manifest content promotes leadership, "Credibility" portrays to working stiffs in companies with vertical organizations that the era of being an individualist in the workplace is over with. It goes beyond its name to train people how to think, believe and act in a certain way that, first, is a common demoninator and, second, can help you achieve a leadership role. Once achieved, everyone else is required to conform to the same standards -- the standards under which credibility is defined.
There are still stars and overachievers everywhere, but conformity is what this book presents. It is a return to the values of the 1950s, "Ozzie and Harriet" and "Man In the Gray Flannel Suit" eras -- conform or perish. This may be overstating the case but not by much, for "Credibility" teaches that it is just as important for an automoton as it is for Shakespeare or Fidel Castro.
- Amazon Customer Review
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