It’s easy to read a book about leadership such as The Leadership Challenge. Seeing its principles practiced consistently, and their effect on work and people, is a different experience.
In the book, Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner describe five essential leadership practices. I have always believed in them, and I see them clearly reflected in the leadership of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
1. Model the Way
The book connects leading by example with being clear about your values, aligning your actions with them, and personally practicing what you expect of others.
I see this in His Royal Highness’s commitment to work and getting things done. He works hard and expects the same from those around him. When people see that commitment in their leader, his daily actions help them understand what he expects of them.
2. Inspire a Shared Vision
One idea the book emphasizes is bringing others into a vision of the future by connecting it with their shared aspirations.
His Royal Highness leads with a vision that people believe in and can see themselves helping to achieve. This aspect of his leadership has directly influenced my career decisions. I found something in the Vision that I wanted to contribute my experience to and help achieve.
3. Challenge the Process
The book encourages leaders to look for opportunities to improve, try new approaches, and learn when things do not go as expected.
I see this in the difficult questions His Royal Highness asks and in his willingness to reconsider familiar ways of working. Reviewing how work is done creates room for improvement. It also encourages people to think about what they could achieve and what needs to change to get there.
4. Enable Others to Act
The book links empowerment with trust and collaboration, developing people’s capabilities, and giving them room to make decisions about their work.
His Royal Highness gives others the opportunity to act, trusts them, and expects results. That connection between trust and responsibility matters to me.
People need opportunities to use their abilities, make decisions, and take responsibility for what they deliver.
5. Encourage the Heart
The book emphasizes recognizing individual contributions and taking a personal part in appreciating people and celebrating their achievements.
I see this in His Royal Highness’s recognition of success and achievement. Behind every result are people who have put in the effort. When their contribution is acknowledged, they feel that their work matters. That recognition stays with them and supports their motivation, confidence, and willingness to keep contributing.
How This Leadership Shaped My Career
My belief in His Royal Highness’s vision influenced my career decisions. I chose to join the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), now the Ministry of Investment, because I wanted to contribute my experience to achieving that vision. I later joined SEVEN to continue that contribution by helping build a sustainable entertainment sector that creates lasting jobs and brings joy and happiness to people, in support of the Quality of Life Program’s objectives.
It’s easy to talk about leadership. Its value becomes clear in practice: in a leader’s decisions, in how they treat people, and in what they accomplish together.
That is where you see how real leadership affects the way organizations work, people’s confidence and ability to deliver, and even the decisions they make about their careers.
The ideas from the book are paraphrased, not direct quotations. Source: The Five Practices — The Leadership Challenge.
Originally published on LinkedIn. اقرأ النسخة العربية.
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