Seventh Truth About Leadership

The Truth About Leadership, by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner, utilizes the authors’ thirty years of leadership research to produce a compendium of truths for the modern day leader. By focusing on these ten distinct truths, the authors have created a book that represents a collection of fundamental leadership principles that ring true both globally and cross-generationally. It is a standard set of lessons for the bright, emerging leaders that will aid them in thinking and making decisions more successfully. Additionally, it is a representation, as stated by the authors in the introduction, that while “the context of leadership has changed, the content of leadership has not changed much at all.” Beginning with the foundation of leadership,
Leaders will not shy away from these choices, but will rise to the occasion. The seventh truth explains how Challenge Is the Crucible for Greatness. Historically, people have most admired leaders who have faced major challenges and successfully guided others through them. The best leaders have accomplished this through resilience, a willingness to take control of the changes, and grit. Grit is the motivation, determination, and hardcore work ethic it takes to push past hardships. Grit is an internal fire that leaders have which burns within. A part of this grit is the unwavering spirit despite failure, a natural part of leadership. To move forward, leaders must learn to accept failures and learn from their
Truth nine explains how The Best Leaders Are the Best Learners. Leadership is not a genetically reproducible trait, and therefore must be learned through sharpening of skills and observation of behaviors and practices. However, a leader must have the desire to learn in order to successfully improve. If the passion for learning and excelling is there, a leader can become more self-aware, self-disciplined, and ultimately grow. Furthermore, as a part of learning, leaders must be able to adopt a growth mindset. With the fast-paced environment that exists within workplaces today, it is important for leaders to be first-rate, flexible learners. This takes deliberate and conscious practice as well as support from others who can offer constructive criticism and helpful