Extraordinary Leadership in Australia and New Zealand: The Five Practices that Create Great Workplaces
By James Kouzes and Barry Posner with Michael Bunting
“A must read for anyone serious about improving their leadership culture and their bottom-line results.”
Jane Sherlock
Executive General Manager—People, Leighton Contractors
Create a Great Workplace and an Energised Team
Most leaders want to bring out the best in their people. The question is how, and whether what works in theory actually works here, in Australian and New Zealand workplaces.
Extraordinary Leadership in Australia and New Zealand answers that question with evidence. Drawn from empirical data from over 75,000 Australian and New Zealand workers across 28 countries, the book identifies the specific behaviours that separate extraordinary leaders from the rest. It also shows exactly what those behaviours produce in the people they lead.
At the heart of the book is The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership®. This is a proven, data-driven framework that gives leaders a clear and practical path to greater credibility, stronger teams, and more engaged workplaces.
A wide range of case studies and interviews bring the research to life with real leaders making a real difference at every level of their organisations.
This is not a book about leadership theory. It is a personal action plan for becoming the leader you have always wanted to be.
In this book, you’ll explore:
- The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership® and the behaviours that define each one.
- How great leadership directly drives engagement, performance, and organisational culture.
- Why credibility is the foundation of leadership—and how to build it by modelling shared values.
- How to articulate a compelling vision and inspire others to commit to a common purpose.
- What the research shows about how leadership affects people’s motivation to perform at their best.
- Why great leaders are made, not born—and how to develop the practices that matter most.
“This book is important and reminds us that leaders need to bring out the best of themselves to bring out the best in others. Too often leaders forget the real purpose of leadership and get lost in the details and data. The authors succinctly show the way for leaders to get extraordinary things done in Australasia.”
Luke Sayers
CEO, PwC Australia and Vice Chairman, PwC Asia
Endorsements
Josh Bayliss CEO, Virgin Group (Worldwide) "Jim, Barry, and Michael have produced a truly enjoyable read in an Australasian context. Through a wealth of real-world examples and thorough research, they identify universal leadership practices that will be of value to all managers, from CEO to the front line, who want to take on new challenges or refresh their approach to achieve more."
Professor Brad Jackson Head of School of Government, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand “I am delighted to see The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership brought to life and embedded in our historically and geographically distinctive Australasian leadership context. This classic and globally practised approach to leadership has stood the test of time in the way that many others have not. The exemplary leaders that are liberally featured in this book provide compelling evidence of the power of this framework as it has been applied to a wide range of organisations within Australia and New Zealand. This book should become a compulsory mainstay of the leadership libraries of both emerging and established leaders from all sectors of the economy.”
Mandy Johnson author of Family Village Tribe and Winning the War for Talent “The authors effectively demonstrate that great leaders can be made, not born, if only they take their people on the journey with them. These five principles are compulsory reading for all prospective leaders and for those seeking more sustainable success.”
Dr David Keane author of The Art of Deliberate Success “What an absolute delight it is to read this new take on the classic The Leadership Challenge. There is no doubt that when it comes to leadership, culture really matters, and Jim, Barry and Michael have written the definitive guide for those in Australia and New Zealand. With fresh local examples and case studies, this is a must-read book.”
Professor Gary Martin CEO, Australian Institute of Management WA “A remarkable piece of work for Australasian leaders! Many books on leadership set about describing strategies for leaders to implement to achieve extraordinary results. What this book does is it takes things one giant leap forward by embedding those strategies within the unique Australasian leadership context. In doing just this, Jim, Barry and Michael have provided all Australasian leaders with something that has been truly lacking for some time. A must read for all Australasian leaders.”
Martyn Newman PhD author of Emotional Capitalists and co-author of Emotional Capital Report (ECR) “This book provides essential cultural intelligence on the distinctive challenges of leadership within Australasia. Drawing on extensive experience working in the region and a wealth of original data, two of the world’s leading authorities, Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner along with Michael Bunting, provide fresh insight and compelling conclusions. This is storytelling at its best—direct, honest, unassuming and intensely practical—just the way Australians and New Zealanders like it.”
Charlotte Park Partner and Managing Director, Mercer Singapore “This book is valuable for leaders at all levels to understand the fundamentals of succeeding in leadership, especially in the context of Australia and New Zealand culture. I also recommend it to successful Australasian leaders making an international move, in order to gain self-awareness of what has made you successful to date, and which aspects you may need to play differently in a new culture.”
Dr Michelle Pizer Executive Coach, Organisational and Counselling Psychologist “This book is both a testament to exemplary leadership in Australia and New Zealand and a practical guide to improving your own leadership. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride reading all the examples of local leaders embodying The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership. But we can’t rest on the leadership laurels of the few. The authors challenge all of us to step up and become the CEO in our sphere of influence—with practical guidance that has stood the test of time on how to get there. It’s a must read.”
Jane Sherlock Executive General Manager—People, Leighton Contractors “This book illustrates why leadership is so critical to the success of our organisations today. It succeeds in illustrating the ‘business case’ for leadership development and is a must read for anyone serious about improving their leadership culture and their bottom line results.”
Dr Mark Strom Business Philosopher and Author of Lead with Wisdom “At last! Stories from Aussie and Kiwi leaders for Aussie and Kiwi leaders crafted around an elegantly simple and profound model of leadership. The authors set out to guide us toward ‘greater heart, greater wisdom and greater effectiveness’. They have delivered admirably.”