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The Achilles' Heel of Leaders
The Achilles' Heel of Leaders
April 29, 2008
From: Kouzes, J.M., & Posner, B.Z., (2006). A leader's legacy. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Our friend and colleague Kirk Hanson, university professor and executive director of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University, asserts that the Achilles' heel of leaders can be found when they
- Believe they know it all
- Believe they are in charge
- Believe the rules don't apply to them
- Believe they will never fail
- Believe they did it all by themselves
- Believe they are better than the 'little people'
- Believe they are the organization
- Believe they can focus everything on the job
We have to remember our roots - that we didn't start out at the top of the pyramid or in the front of the line, and that we're afraid, intimidated, uncertain, tentative, and even anxious. We have to have enough sense of self not to get lost in our jobs and to not let work become 24/7 (no matter how much technology may enable that to happen). (Kouzes & Posner, 2006, p. 159-160)
A Leader's Legacy is available on loan from the Ohio State University Leadership Center. To borrow this resource or any other resource, please go to the resource search page http://164.107.48.88/winnebago/index.asp?lib
Created: 2008-12-06, Updated: 2009-01-08
