A Leaders Legacy (J-B Leadership
Challenge: Kouzes/Posner) by Barry
Z. Posner
A Leader's Legacy Review By Mark Edward Brown
In this provocative book, leadership experts and authors of the best-selling
The Leadership Challenge, Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner take on a unique
challenge and explore the question of leadership and legacy. Kouzes and
Posner examine in twenty-two chapters the critical questions all leaders
must ask themselves in order to leave a lasting impact. These powerful
essays are grouped into four categories: Significance, Relationships,
Aspirations, and Courage. In each essay the authors consider a thorny and
often ambiguous issue with which today’s leaders must grapple issues—
such as how leaders serve and sacrifice, why leaders need loving critics,
why leaders should want to be liked, why leaders cant take trust for
granted, why it’s not just the leader’s vision, why failure is always an
option, why it takes courage to “make a life,” how to liberate the leader in
everyone, and ultimately, how the legacy you leave is the life you lead.

Personal Review: A Leaders Legacy (J-B Leadership Challenge:
Kouzes/Posner) by Barry Z. Posner
Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner are well known for the leadership text, The
Leadership Challenge. While it is an in depth blueprint for leadership, A
Leader's Legacy is a more succinct and thought provoking book. As the
authors point out, much of the material is based on the questions that
people have asked them over the years, and I was very pleased at the
amount of insight that they offered in less than 200 pages. This is an
excellent next level book to follow up The Leadership Challenge. Kouzes
and Posner present their material in 21 essays organized into four high
level categories:
* Significance
* Relationships
* Aspirations
* Courage
The essays are self contained and less than 10 pages each making for an
ideal daily reading exercise. While there are no throw away essays, I'll
highlight some of the ones that I found most meaningful from each section.
Chapter 2 - The Best Leaders Are Teachers
There are really two thoughts in this topic. The first matches the title of the
chapter, and the real point is that it is a leader's job to help the people they
lead become better. The leader has to be willing to give something to
those that they lead, and that is part of the legacy. The second (and
subordinate) thought is on how we teach. Stories are a powerful thing.
Can you remember one of your leaders sharing something specific about
their experience and relating it to the current situation? There is also a
great deal of self awareness needed here because our interactions and
stories leave a lasting impression on the people we lead. Are we careful
and deliberate in the messages we give our people?
Chapter 10 - Let Your People Go
I was surprised at the content of this chapter based on its title. I expected
it to be about letting people take on new opportunities rather than hoarding
them in a selfish way. However, the real topic turned out to be
micromanagement. It's about empowering people to unleash their full
potential. This is the key in moving from accountability (external
motivation) to responsibility (internal motivation). Long term, sustainable
results (hence a legacy) come from responsibility.
Chapter 15 - Leaders Are Followers, Too!
Being the leader doesn't make someone the de facto expert in every
situation. Leaders must recognize when it makes sense for someone else

to set the direction in a given situation. It requires the leader to know and
trust their people, but delegation is a powerful aspect of leadership. Used
properly, it gets better results for the task at hand while also developing the
leadership capabilities of others.
Chapter 20 - Failure Is Always an Option
Despite the quality of a leader and what they've been taught, bad things
still happen. The authors do a good job of discussing the difference
between probability and possibility. Many times the improbable is still
possible, and leaders who leave a solid legacy recognize the difference
and accomplish great things. The other topic that is so often overlooked is
the impact of the learning curve. The mistake is often repeated to expect
no dip or an increase in performance even when a team or person is trying
something new.
Like I said, the other topics are also excellent, but I'd essentially have to
write the book again to describe it. If you liked The Leadership Challenge,
this is an excellent follow up book. I highly recommend it.
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