James M. Kouzes Quotes & Sayings

Leadership is a relationship between those who aspire to lead and those who choose to follow. — James M. Kouzes

If you think you're a leader and you turn around and no one is following you, then you're simply out for a walk. — James M. Kouzes

The Kouzes-Posner First Law of Leadership: If you don't believe in the messenger, you won't believe the message. Leaders — James M. Kouzes

It is striking how our language reveals the visual nature of our thoughts about the future state of affairs. When we invent the future, we try to get a mental picture of what things will be like long before we have begun the journey. Visions are our windows on the world of tomorrow. — James M. Kouzes

A leader with integrity has one self, at home and at work, with family and with colleagues. He or she has a unifying set of values that guide choices of action regardless of the situation. — James M. Kouzes

Leaders encourage others to continue the quest and inspire others through courage and hope. Leaders give heart by visibly recognizing others' contributions to the common vision. With a thank you note, a smile, an award, and public praise, the leader lets others know how much they mean to the organization. — James M. Kouzes

Do what you say you will do. — James M. Kouzes

Exemplary leaders know that if they want to gain commitment and achieve the highest standards, they must be models of the behavior they expect of others. — James M. Kouzes

There is no freeway to the future, no paved highway from here to there. There is only wilderness, uncertain terrain. There are no roadmaps, no signposts. So pioneering leaders rely upon a compass and a dream — James M. Kouzes

We have to recognize that however smart we are, we're not smarter than everyone else combined ... We can't lose sight of the fact that no matter how important our own contributions are, we couldn't have gotten anywhere without the help and hard work of lots of other people. — James M. Kouzes

You must unite your constituents around a common cause and connect with them as human beings. — James M. Kouzes

Only those leaders who act boldly in times of crisis and change are willingly followed. — James M. Kouzes

Challenge is the opportunity for greatness. People do their best when there is an opportunity to change how things currently stand. Maintaining the status quo facilitates mediocrity. Those who embrace this practice do not wish to rest on their laurels. They motivate others to exceed their limits and look for innovative ways to improve the organization. — James M. Kouzes

It always takes a group of people working together with a common purpose in an atmosphere of trust and collaboration to get extraordinary things done. — James M. Kouzes

The word "story" is short for the word "history." They both have the same root and fundamentally mean the same thing. A story is a narrative on an event or series of events, just like history. — James M. Kouzes

If we're going to be authentic in our leadership, we will have to be willing to serve, and we have to be willing to suffer. — James M. Kouzes

Leadership isn't the private reserve of a few charismatic men and women. It's a process ordinary people use when they're bringing forth the best from themselves and others. Liberate the leader in everyone, and extraordinary things happen. — James M. Kouzes

Leaders strengthen credibility by demonstrating that they are not in it for themselves, instead they have the interests of the institution, department, or team and its constituents at heart. Being a servant may not be what many leaders had in mind when they chose to take responsibility for the vision and direction of their organization or team - but serving others is the most glorious and rewarding of all leadership tasks. — James M. Kouzes

There's nothing more demoralizing than a leader who can't clearly articulate why we're doing what we're doing. — James M. Kouzes

You can't lead others to places you don't want to go yourself. If you don't feel a burning passion for something, how in the world can you inspire and encourage others to share it? — James M. Kouzes

Leaders must know where they are going if they expect others to willingly join them on the journey. — James M. Kouzes

The best way to lead people into the future is to connect with them deeply in the present. — James M. Kouzes

Here's the rub. Leadership can be learned; however, not everyone wants to learn it, and not all those who learn about leadership master it. Why? Because becoming the very best requires a strong belief that you can learn and grow, an intense aspiration to excel, the determination to challenge yourself constantly, the recognition that you must engage the support of others, and the devotion to practice deliberately. Moreover, the best leaders realize that no matter how good they might be, they always can be even better, and are open to learning how to do so.4 — James M. Kouzes