Santa Clara University

Jim Kouzes

Jim will explore the current economic conditions and how these times have impacted trust and employee engagement.  As surprising as it may sound, in these challenging and difficult times we are likely to see some of the most extraordinary leadership we've seen in decades. Leaders, it turns out, don’t do their best when they're maintaining the status quo or when they feel comfortable. They do their best when faced with adversity, crisis, setbacks, and great difficulty. Challenge is the opportunity for greatness.

This is just one of the "enduring leadership truths" that emerges from an examination of over 25 years of leadership research. At times like these, it's critically important to remind ourselves of what the evidence tells about how leaders get extraordinary things done. It's essential to ground what we do in what is proven and what is real.