In the latest episode of Booksabc, Dinis Guarda reviews “The Leadership Challenge”, an international bestseller by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner. The seventh edition of the book was published in January 2023 and is a comprehensive guide to effective leadership. The series is a production of the Dinis Guarda YouTube Podcast, powered by platforms openbusinesscouncil and citiesabc.
Books have been a part of human civilization for centuries now. While they have been a source of knowledge, inspiration, and entertainment, books have played a critical role in shaping our minds and perspectives, impacting our personal and professional lives.
“When we talk about books, we talk about how we think, dream, how we can better organise our lives, and especially how we can go a step further. A book can open new doors of perception and look at the world in a new way”, said Dinis
In the latest episode of Booksabc, Dinis Guarda reviewed “The Leadership Challenge” by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner, an international bestseller whose 7th edition was released in January 2023.
Published by John Wiley and sons (Wiley Publications), the book highlights the “secret” behind becoming an effective leader that brings out the people within self and the people around. During the review, Dinis quoted from the book:
“Everybody is a leader, starting with yourself. You need to be a CEO of yourself first, and then others. Leadership is a relationship. It is important how we put it together, but credibility is the foundation. This is when business leaders are at their best.”
Dinis also quoted Tom Peters, a bestselling business author, and speaker, who praised “The Leadership Challenge”:
“Did we really need a seventh edition of the leadership challenge? Yes! The seminal book series is more important than ever, far more important. The world is a mess and the best way I see is how we better our organisations and the lives of their employees.”
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The Leadership Challenge: A holistic guide to an effective leadership
Leadership is the ability to inspire and motivate people to work towards a common goal. It is a quality that is highly valued in both personal and professional contexts. Effective leadership requires a combination of knowledge, experience, and interpersonal skills.
It is a critical skill for success in both personal and professional contexts. According to the book, effective leadership involves setting a clear vision, building and managing a strong team, making tough decisions, and constantly learning and growing.
It is crucial that a leader challenges the existing processes to foster innovation and growth and look for opportunities, both in circumstances and with people around.
This, however, Dinis said “is difficult in an AI GPT world we live in, where technology is more of a distraction”. He explained:
“In the technologically advanced world, we are increasingly facing challenges like Digital Obesity. We have access to all the information and data, but we need to draw our lines and understand the importance of our values. This is where we challenge the process and search for opportunities to improve your businesses.”
The book also highlights the importance of celebrating small wins to create a climate of confidence and competence and to facilitate relationships.
Concluding the review, Dinis quoted another praise:
“The five practices that are the keystones of the book can, without doubt, trigger an internal revolution of organisational excellence, which can collectively give hope on a global scale for a brighter future.”
Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.
