Quotes from James M. Kouzes

When it comes to deciding whether a leader is believable, people first listen to the words, then they watch the actions. They listen to the talk, and then they watch the walk. They listen to the promises of resources to support change initiatives, and then they wait to see if the money and materials follow.

Visions are projections of one's fundamental beliefs and assumptions about human nature, technology, economics, science, politics, art, ethics, and the like. A vision of the future is much like a literary or musical theme. It's the paramount, persistent, and pervasive message that you want to convey, the frequently recurring melody that you want people to remember; and whenever repeated, it reminds the audience of the entire work.

Above all else, people must be able to believe in their leaders. They must believe that your word can be trusted, that you are personally passionate and enthusiastic about the work that you're doing, and that you have the necessary knowledge and skill to lead.

If you wish to maximize your leadership effectiveness, begin with the assumption that you'll be interacting in some way with this person again in the future, and that this relationship will be critical to your mutual success.

Leaders enlist others in a common vision by appealing to shared aspirations.

Leaders don't have to change history, but they do have to change business as usual. To them, the status quo is unacceptable. Leaders challenge the process. They search for opportunities, and they experiment and take risks. Exemplary leaders also know that they have to be willing to make some personal sacrifices in service of a higher purpose.

Leaders provide opportunities for people to exceed their previous levels of performance.

People commit to causes, not to plans.

Strategies, tactics, skills, and practices are empty without an understanding of the fundamental human aspirations that connect leaders and their constituents. Model

When they're performing at their peak, leaders are doing more than just getting results. They're also responding to the behavioral expectations of their constituents, underscoring the point that the relationship is one of service to a purpose and service to people. As

As important as follow-through is for establishing credibility, it's also an essential ingredient in sustaining it. Buyers expect sellers to check in with them after the sale is made and the order is filled. Even satisfied buyers feel abandoned if sellers don't circle back to check on them.

Un líder accede al corazón y a la mente de la gente, no solo a su bolsillo.

Details derail sales. Buyers want to be stirred into action. American architect and urban designer Daniel Burnham understood this. When he was eulogized by his arch rival Frank Lloyd Wright as "an enthusiastic promoter of great construction enterprises," Wright spoke to Burnham's sales abilities more than his architectural style, and said, "His powerful personality was supreme.

It's a virtuous circle: you believe in your constituents' abilities; your favorable expectations cause you to be more positive in your actions; and those encouraging behaviors produce better results, reinforcing your belief that people can do it. Another virtuous circle begins as people see that they are capable of extraordinary performance, they develop that expectation of themselves.

Values and principles serve as the basis for goals. They're your standards of excellence, your highest aspirations, and they define the arena in which you must set goals and metrics. Values mediate the path of action. Goals release the energy. The

Building character and culture is a function of aligning your beliefs and behaviors with principles that are external, objective, and self-evident. They operate regardless of your awareness of them. What principles guide an authentic leader? Authentic leaders are humble. They are unassuming in the way that they share the glory with their team members and are modest about their accomplishments. Their courage ensures that they have the integrity to make the right choices when necessary. Skills

People need to know if they're making progress toward the goal or simply marking time. Their motivation to perform a task increases only when they have a challenging goal and receive feedback on their progress.8

Leaders must ask themselves, "What do I stand for? What are the principles that guide me in my day-to-day work and keep me here in this job, doing this work, and supporting these people?" Once affirmed, leaders must act out their values, demonstrating what they mean.

You need to get to know who your constituents are, how they feel, and what they think. You need to repeatedly walk the halls and plant floors, regularly meet with small groups, and frequently hit the road for visits with associates, key suppliers, and customers. Paying attention, personalizing recognition, and creatively and actively appreciating others increases their trust in you.

a leader's vision for the future has to be supported with facts about both the past and present." One

you have to get close to people if you're going to find out what motivates them, what they like and don't like, and what kinds of recognition they most appreciate. Yet, managerial myth says that leaders shouldn't get too close to their constituents, that they can't be friends with people at work.17 Let's set this myth aside. Over

There are no limits to kindness and consideration.22

Having the entire team support the philosophy would ensure consistency in the team's work and maintain credibility within our organization. It's for these reasons that the leadership development program at Yum! Brands, the world's largest restaurant company

You have to spend more of today thinking more about tomorrow if your future is going to be an improvement over the present. And throughout the process of reflecting on your past, attending to the present, and prospecting for the future, you also need to keep in touch with what moves you, what you care about, where your passion is.