Leadership plays an integral part in the life of any community, society, institution and organization which is keen on getting the best out of its interactional processes. With this in mind, several scholars have delved into the topic of leadership with the aim of understanding how various leadership theories can be utilized. These writers and scholars have over time conducted research studies on the concept of leadership discourse to equip leaders with the right skills to impact positively on their followers. An example of such scholars includes Adrianna, J. Kezar and Jaime Lester who together co-authored the book Enhancing Campus Capacity for Leadership: An Examination of Grassroots Leaders in Higher Education. Further analysis into this book will help the readers understand the drive behind the writing of this book. More so, the reader will be able to establish how grassroots leadership although informal can help change an institution from top to bottom.
Details of the Book
Enhancing Campus Capacity for Leadership: An Examination of Grassroots Leaders in Higher Education is a 347 paged book which is co-authored by Adrianna, J. Kezar and Jaime Lester. This book was written in 2011 and published in Stanford by the Stanford University Press. This book contains 13 chapters with each chapter focusing on a specific aspect regarding an inquiry into the role of grassroots leaders.The book is an attempt by the authors to shed light on the role played by grassroots leaders and activists in the institutions of higher learning. Though their leadership is highly informal, these leaders help shape these institutions for the better by engaging the top management. The book goes ahead to validate this proposition by researching 165 participants drawn from five higher learning institution.
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Background Information On the Authors
Kezar and Lester are known to be longtime activists on their campuses. Adrianna is a Professor for Higher Education at the University of South California (TIAA Institute, 2011). Jaime Lester, on the other hand, is an Associate Professor of Higher Education at George Mason University (George Mason University, 2018). More so, the two authors have had a long history especially when it comes to grassroots leadership in institutions of higher learning. In line with this, they have published numerous articles and publications, which shed more light on this topic which seems to interest the authors. One would then understand what motivated them in writing this book on the importance of grassroots leaders in the institutions of higher learning.
Summary of the Book
The book is an attempt by the authors to establish how grassroots leaders in the institutions of a higher learning aid in the running of those institutions. The book helps the leaders understand the grassroots leadership principles, challenges, as well as strategies to deal with these challenges. According to Kezar and Lester, these leaders who are informal are usually drawn from various faculties and departments. The leaders are activists who are not satisfied with the status quo but rather push for changes through activism. The book points to the fact that every person is capable of being a leader and pushing for the much-needed change even without a formal appointment. The book makes use of a three-year study on 165 participants who are drawn from five institutions of higher learning. The research then forms the basis of the arguments, which go on in this book. From the findings, it is clear that the informal grassroots leaders play a crucial role in enhancing the right leadership. I essence the grassroots leaders are in a better position to push for change as the same structures and politics do not guide them as their seniors. As such, they can navigate the existing bureaucracies and structures with more ease, which makes them be effective leaders in their quest to effect change.
The Rationale for Choosing the Book
This book by Kezar and Lester gives the leadership concept a new dimension by highlighting how informal grassroots leaders can transform institutions of higher learning. In essence, people are used to top-bottom leadership as the only kind of leadership that can transform institutions. Most of the times the people at the bottom of the leadership are viewed as passive and individuals who only receive directions. However, this book changes that perspective by revealing a crucial role that grassroots leaders can play in creating the much-needed change in these institutions. Moreover, the authors have made great efforts in conducting in-depth research with the aim of validating their proposition. The three-year study across five institutions of higher learning gives this book much credibility. Furthermore, the authors painstakingly involved 165 participants who gave their views, which reflected on certain given measurable variables. Some of the variables that guided the research study included their identity, motivation, identity, tactics, strategy, obstacles, power conditions and resiliency among others.
Analysis and Critique of the Book
This book by Kezar and Lester is a good read as it opens up the mind of the leader to a whole new perspective on leadership discourse. The reader can understand that any person is capable of effecting change in spite of his or her position. The book gives grassroots leaders more voice while it comes to changing how institutions are run. Individuals no longer have to be passive as they await orders from above and watch as things go wrong. According to Kezar and Lester faculty and department, members can have much say on how they would want their affairs to be handled. In essence, the findings of this book are an effective tool which can be applied to any institution by the informal leaders to help shape things in those particular institutions.
References
George Mason University. (2018). Faculty and Staff: Jamie Lester. Retrieved from https://highered.gmu.edu/people/jlester2.
Kezar, Adrianna.J. & Lester Jamie. (2011). Enhancing campus capacity for leadership: an examination of grassroots leaders in higher education. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
TIAA Institute. (2018). Adrianna J. Kezar. Retrieved from https://www.tiaainstitute.org/people/adrianna-j-kezar.
