Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership® from Kouzes and Posner

Model the Way. Leaders establish principles concerning the way people (constituents, peers, colleagues, and customers alike) should be treated and the way goals should be pursued. They create standards of excellence and then set an example for others to follow. Because the prospect of complex change can overwhelm people and stifle action, they set interim goals so that people can achieve small wins as they work toward larger objectives. They unravel bureaucracy when it impedes action; they put up signposts when people are unsure of where to go or how to get there; and they create opportunities for victory.

Inspire a Shared Vision. Leaders passionately believe that they can make a difference. They envision the future, creating anideal and unique image of what the organization can become. Through their magnetism and quiet persuasion, leaders enlist others in their dreams. They breathe life into their visions and get people to see exciting possibilities for the future.

Challenge the Process. Leaders search for opportunities to change the status quo. They look for innovative ways to improve the organization. In doing so, they experiment and take risks. And because leaders know that risk taking involves mistakes and failures, they accept the inevitable disappointments as learning Opportunities.

Enable Others to Act. Leaders foster collaboration and build spirited teams. They actively involve others. Leaders understand that mutual respect is what sustains extraordinary efforts; they strive to create an atmosphere of trust and human dignity. They strengthen others, making each person feel capable and powerful.

Encourage the Heart. Accomplishing extraordinary things in organizations is hard work. To keep hope and determination alive, leaders recognize contributions that individuals make. In every winning team, the members need to share in the rewards of their efforts, so leaders celebrate accomplishments. They make people feel like heroes.


Submitted by c/o 3M GRIT

Big Business in Local Economy and Sustainability Movements

In the local economy and sustainability movements, Big Business tends to be villanized. And the view on this judgement is mixed.

Corporate Saint?

Large Corporations provide valuable jobs and charitable services to their local communities. For example, Target offers free and discounted passes to Fine Arts events, making the wonder of art available to everyone, not just an elite few. Should we be looking at what a business is doing instead of how large or profitable it happens to be.

Or Corporate Sinner?

At the same time, consumers are at the mercy of corporate marketing. Giving new meaning to the concept of "buyer beware," shoppers must take special pains to be educated on whether a big business sustainability effort is sincerely apart of that business culture -- and not just a marketing ploy to cover up other irresponsible things they are doing. Walmart, for example, has been the poster child of naughty corporate behavior, forcing small, locally owed enterprises out of business and effectually destroying local economies. This is all while they are promoting organics into their line of fresh produce.

Making the Difference

Luckily, there is a growing market (50M+) of consumers in America who are making the conscious decision to spend their dollars in ways that support their values instead of just their pocketbook. Buying local, buying green and buying sustainably, called "voting with their dollars," is a characteristic of Cultural Creatives, the subculture that has created this market. And they are mighty good at reading the fine print and doing their research -- whether the source of their goods comes from a large or small enterprises.


National Advocacy for Local Economies

Keeping alive the spirit of conscious consuming on a national level are shown in these groups:

LOHAS is an acronym for Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability, a market segment focused on health and fitness, the environment, personal development, sustainable living, and social justice. LOHAS is known for their industry journal and annual expo. (http://www.LOHAS.com)

BALLE, Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, is an international alliance of 42 independently operated local business networks dedicated to building Local Living Economies. (http://www.LivingEconomies.org)

And of course, CCBN, the Cultural Creatives Business Network, sspecializes in bringing Cultural Creatives in business together, i.e. people who care about more than just the bottom line -- to meet, exchange referrals and collaborate toward profitable ends. (http://www.Cultural-Creatives.net)


Other Resources and New Twists on Big Business in the Sustainability Movement

Big Business amd Sustainability: A contradiction in terms? by Timothy
O'Riordan.

Can Big Business Save the World? Discover how people are transforming big
business in order to transform the world by What is Enlightenment Magazine.

This Ring a Nobel? Social and environmental entrepreneurs have a lot to teach big
business By John Elkington and Mark Lee

The Corporation a documentary by Mark Achbar, Jennifer Abbot and Joel Bakan

Sustainability is good business by Chris Boyd