Quotes from James M. Kouzes

Even with commonly identified values, there may be little agreement on the meaning of values statements. The lesson here is that leaders must engage their constituents in a dialogue about values. A common understanding of values emerges from a process, not a pronouncement.

You never know where one step will take you, and you never know where the next one will lead. The

Although the enthusiasm, energy, and positive attitude of the leader may not change the content of work, he or she certainly can make the context more fulfilling.

The central task for leaders is inspiring a shared vision, not selling their personal view of the world. You need to imagine the end result and be able to communicate your vision such that your constituents find a way to achieve their hopes and dreams while achieving that result.

Why would you want to follow someone if you suspected that they were lying or trying to trick you? Honesty is the basis of trust and you have to believe that what the leader speaks or knows is true." Of

If you follow someone who's universally viewed as having impeccable character and strong integrity, then you're likely to be viewed the same. If you willingly follow someone who's considered dishonest and unethical, your own image is tarnished.

Leaders set the tone. When they openly demonstrate the joy and passion they have for their organizations, team members, clients, and even challenges, leaders send a very powerful message to others that it's perfectly acceptable for people to make public displays of playfulness.

What you preach and what you celebrate must be one and the same. If they aren't, the event will come off as insincere and phony—and your credibility will suffer.

Conformity produces compliance, not commitment. Unity is essential, and unity is forged, not forced.

Only those who believe they can get better make an effort to do so.

If you want others to believe in something and behave according to those beliefs, you have to set the example by being personally involved. You have to practice what you preach.

Learning is the master skill. When you fully engage in learning—when you throw yourself wholeheartedly into experimenting, reflecting, reading, or receiving coaching—you are going to experience the thrill of improvement and the taste of success.

The Truth Is That the Best Leaders Are the Best Learners. Leadership can be learned. It is an observable pattern of practices and behaviors, and a definable set of skills and abilities. Skills can be learned, and when we track the progress of people who participate in leadership development programs, we observe that they improve over time.

She notes how advances in brain imaging technology prove that people's brains are wired to overestimate risk, exaggerate its consequences, and underestimate their ability to handle it. Accordingly, fear about what people don't want to happen drives their choices more often than a commitment to what they wish to see.

Do what you say you will do.