The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations, 5th Edition

Jim Kouzes is the Dean’s Executive Fellow of Leadership, Leavey School of Business, at Santa Clara University, and lectures on leadership around the world to corporations, governments and nonprofits. He is a highly regarded leadership scholar and an experienced executive; the Wall Street Journal cited him as one of the twelve best executive educators in the United States. In 2010, Jim received the Thought Leadership Award from the Instructional Systems Association, the most prestigious award given by the trade association of training and development industry providers.

Jim was listed as one of HR Magazine’s Most Influential Thinkers for 2010 and 2011, named one of the 2010 and 2011 Top 100 Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business Behavior by Trust Across America and ranked by Leadership Development as number sixteen on its list of The Top 100 Thought Leaders. In 2006, Jim was presented with the Golden Gavel, the highest honor awarded by Toast Masters International. Jim served as president, CEO and chairman of the Tom Peters Company from 1988 through 1999, and prior to that led the Executive Development Center at Santa Clara University (1981-1987). Jim founded the Joint Center for Human Services Development and San Jose State University (1972-1980) and was on the staff of the school of Social Work, University of Texas. His career in training and development began in 1969 when he conducted seminars for Community Action Agency staff and volunteers in the war on poverty. Following graduation from Michigan State University (BA degree with honors in political science), he served as a Peace Corps volunteer (1967-1969).

Barry Posner is the Accolti Endowed Professor of Leadership at the Leavey School of Business, Santa Clara University, where he served as dean of the school for twelve years (1997-2009). He has been a distinguished visiting professor at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Sabanci University (Istanbul), and the University of Western Australia. At Santa Clara he has received the President’s Distinguished Faculty Award, the School’s Extraordinary Faculty Award, and several other teaching and academic honors. An internationally renowned scholar and educator, Barry is author or coauthor of more than a hundred research and practitioner-focused articles. He currently serves on the editorial review boards for Leadership and Organization Development Journal and The International Journal of Servant-Leadership.  In 2011, he was ranked in the Top 10 Most Influential International Thinkers by HR Magazine, listed among the Top 25 Leadership Gurus in the World, and received the Outstanding Scholar Award for Career Achievement from the Journal of Management Inquiry.

Barry received his BA with honors in political science from the University of California, Santa Barbara; his MA in public administration from the Ohio State University; and his PhD in organizational behavior and administrative theory from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Having consulted with a wide variety of public and private sector organizations around the globe, Barry also work on strategic level with a number of community-based and professional organizations, currently sitting on the board of the directors of EMQ FamiliesFirst. He has served previously on the boards of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Santa Clara County, Center for Excellence in Nonprofits, Junior Achievement of Silicon Valley and Monterey Bay; Public Allies, San Jose Repertory Theatre, Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity, Western Academy of Management, and both publicly traded and start-up companies.