Introduction The is a review of the the book "The Truth about Leadership; The No-fads, Heart-of-the-Matter Facts You Need to Know By James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner". The two authors of the book Kouzes and Posner have used there books as a form of sharing there views on matters related to leadership and at the same time elaborating to there readers on the responsibilities and duties of a leader in any organization, the book is generally written for the general readers especially those who are interested or aspire to be leaders at one point in there lives and from the content of the book I highly believe that the book has served its purpose this is by providing its readers with the best information that makes one a good leader (Kouzes, et al, p.
1). The book "The Truth about Leadership" is a book authored by two high profiled intellectuals James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner. James M. Kouzes is a renown academician and the Dean and Executive Professor of Leadership of the Leavey School of Business at the Santa Clara University, while his co writer Barry Z.
Posner is the Dean and Professor of Leadership of the Leavey School of Business at the Santa Clara University. This automatically qualify them in the field of Business And Management as they are in a position to direct and inform their readers on the importance and ways that might help them improve there roles of leadership in an organization or any other place, I can say the as they are experts in this field. The book is significantly important and credible to the readers because the book is written after a thorough research that took them approximately 30 years of research, which has made the book evenmore effective to its readers. These 30 years has been the period in which the authors used to undertake research and observation that are related to the practices, principles and values of a good leader, thus ensuring that the writers to have concrete information on the best qualities and practices of a leader (Kouzes et al. p.
14). The authors have used a unique way of expressing there thoughts in the book. This is when they subdivided there book into 10 different chapters. It should be noted that these chapters were in other words the 10 different truths that are supposed to be known and practiced by any person who wants to become a good leader. Therefore in each chapter the authors thoroughly highlights more on the specific quality (truth as they put it in their book) of leadership and this eventually gives the readers a more informed knowledge of the specific quality of leadership.The book has highlighted on the 10 different qualities or practices of a leader varying from trust, willing to Learn, Caring, Understanding, Credibility amongst other values of leadership that ensures an individual is a good leader and is liked by the people he leads.
These 10 truths definitely set the pace for a good leadership, thus one will be in a good position to make the best kind of leadership this is when the book provides them with the relevant tips that are effective for the proper leadership of any organization (Kouzes, et al. p.23). In The first chapter of this book the authors have talked about one truth/ principle of being a leader in that a good leader should be a person who is willing to make a difference.
"You Make a Difference" in this section a leader is the person who is in a position to decide what is best for the entire group and people who work under him / her and the leadeers should not be in a position to identify what is best for the organization and not his personal wishes (Kouzes, et al. p.4). This is one of the qualities that a leader should be with and thus in a position to be very flexible and not a self -centered individual. The book also provides the reader with adequate information that is aimed at ensuring that the leaders are well informed and play there roles effectively.
This is from the sixth truth which is the "Trust Rules" in this chapter the authors have pointed out that the individual who is in the position of leadership should be in a position to develop trust and collaboration with others that are working around him (Kouzes, et al. p.78). This will make the leader be in a position that will make the co workers confide and even communicate about their feelings and ideas freely without any problem. Thus by the leader developing the trust in his fellow workers the leader will strike a rapport with his fellow workers and this will definitely make the fellow workers gain some trust and improve the productivity of the individuals in the organization.The book has also talked about the other aspect of strengthening leadership when they talked of "Credibility" as a strong basis of Leadership (Kouzes, et al.
p.20). This is when they advised there readers on the thus in this case the leaders should be in a position to make proper decisions that will be of great importance to the entire organization and not to himself; this will ultimately make the leader of the organization to be viewed as a reliable kind of person whose main aim is to develop the organization and his fellow workers. This will to some point ensure that the individual is in a position that will fulfill the needs of each and every worker in the organization that is working under his/ her leadership.
