What do Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., Susan B. Anthony, César Chávez, the Dalai Lama, Eleanor Roosevelt, Mother Teresa, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have in common? They all have, or had, strong beliefs about matters of principle and an unwavering commitment to a clear set of values. They all are, or were, passionate about their causes. Another thing they have in common is that while each of these people may have quoted someone else from time to time, they are all people who are more often quoted themselves.
Finding your voice and serving as a role model for your constituents is critical to becoming an authentic leader. If you can’t find your voice, you’ll end up with a vocabulary that belongs to someone else, mouthing words that were written by some speechwriter, or mimicking the language of some other leader who’s nothing like you. And people most admire those who best articulate the principles they believe in. You can begin to achieve these aims by exploring the first of the five practices of exemplary leadership: “Model the Way.” This is the second in a series of courses adopted from the highly respected book, The Leadership Challenge, written by James Kouzes and Barry Posner.
