Introduction to “Model the Way”

Introduction to “Model the Way”
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Introduction to “Model the Way”
We are reading the first practice of the book "Model the Way". The core of this concept is that a good leader needs to have his correct values and, on this basis, promote the entire group to find the values that belong to the team and then always practice the set values with consistent actions to set an example. To put it simply, this concept mainly wants to express that the most important thing a good leader needs to do is "consistency between words and
actions". The first thing an outstanding leader needs to do is understand themselves, their own goals, and the team's goals. A more precise plan can be formulated only after a clear understanding of individual and group beliefs. Other team members believe and follow by insisting on actions consistent with shared values.
This chapter is divided into two parts. Commitment #1 focuses on the importance of
clarifying values. This section begins with a compelling example to emphasize the importance of values in leadership. The protagonist of the story, John Banghoff, knew from an early age that he wanted to join the university's marching band, and he got his wish after he entered his first year ( Kouzes & Posner, 2009). However, his life in the military band was not as good as he imagined. The band had a tradition of bullying incoming students, and the bandleader was fired from the academy shortly after the bullying incident became public news. The whole band seemed suddenly to be in trouble. John once had the entanglement of whether to stay in the band, but his firm belief in wanting to play the trumpet made him finally clear his mind and stay. With this clarity, he found other bandmates who shared his ideas. After being elected as the new band squad leader, John and his colleagues designed a blueprint for the band, which clarified the new values: "a tradition of excellence, extraordinary respect, and an attitude of gratitude." And in the lead of the new values under the circumstances, the band began to regain its direction, and everyone naturally United and worked towards a common goal. Such mutual respect and gratitude pushed the band to the right track and eventually regained its former popularity.
This story demonstrates the two main points made by commitment #1. The first is
“Find your voice”. This section points out that leaders must first fully discover and express their ideas. Only when you have a clear understanding of what you care about, can you
position your goals, and it will be more helpful to keep your words and deeds consistent in the leadership process in the future (Kouzes & Posner, 2009). In John's story, he made it clear early on that he wanted to play the trumpet, and since then he has stayed in the military band and carried out a series of
work because of the support of this belief. When the values are clarified, the corresponding will know better what to do. The right values can effectively help plan actions and make choices.
And, having clarity of values helps leaders establish authenticity in achieving their goals, which in turn builds trust in teams.
In additi...