“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” Alvin Toffler

“Are leaders born or made?” My answer is yes. I’ve stopped counting the number of books co-authored by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner on the subject of leadership that I have read, reviewed, and then re-read. They have helped to develop hundreds of thousands of effective leaders.

In their latest collaboration, Learning Leadership: The Five Fundamentals of Becoming an Exemplary Leader, they identify a widely recognized but underserved need, then respond to it. They assert: “There’s a leadership shortage in the world. It’s not a shortage of potential talent. The people are out there. The eagerness is out there. The resources are out there. The capability is out there. The shortage is the result of three primary factors: demographic shifts, insufficient training and experiences, and the prevailing mindsets that discourage people from learning to learn.” This is the situation to which Toffler refers.

Kouzes and Posner focus on the five fundamentals of becoming an exemplary leader:

1. Believe you can.
2. Aspire to excellence.
3. Challenge yourself.
4. Engage support.
5. Practice deliberately.

They are separate but interdependent fundamentals. You must be committed to all five.

As in the forests of academe, great thought leaders in business are great teachers if (HUGE “if”) those with whom they are associated – directly or indirectly – absorb, digest, and then apply what can be learned from them. Jim Kouzes, Barry Posner, and their latest book offer an excellent case in point.

There is also a shortage of exemplary learners and they respond brilliantly and generously to that need.