On Becoming a Leader

by Warren Bennis

With a new introduction by the authorWarren Bennis's formative years, in the 1930s and '40s, were characterized by severe economic hardship and a world war that showcased the extreme depths and heights to which leaders could drive their followers. Today's environment is similarly chaotic, turbulent, and uncertain. On Becoming a Leader has served for nearly fifteen years as a beacon of insight, delving into the qualities that define leadership, the people who exemplify it, and the strategies that anyone can apply to become an effective leader. This new edition features a provocative introduction on the challenges and opportunities facing leaders today, with additional updates and current references throughout.

Genres: Leadership, Business, Nonfiction, Management, Self Help, Buisness, Personal Development

218 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 1989

About the author

Warren Gamaliel Bennis is an American scholar, organizational consultant and author, widely regarded as a pioneer of the contemporary field of Leadership Studies. Bennis is University Professor and Distinguished Professor of Business Administration and Founding Chairman of The Leadership Institute at the University of Southern California.

“His work at MIT in the 1960s on group behavior foreshadowed -- and helped bring about -- today's headlong plunge into less hierarchical, more democratic and adaptive institutions, private and public,” management expert Tom Peters wrote in 1993 in the foreword to Bennis’ An Invented Life: Reflections on Leadership and Change.

Management expert James O’Toole, in a 2005 issue of Compass, published by Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, claimed that Bennis developed “an interest in a then-nonexistent field that he would ultimately make his own -- leadership -- with the publication of his ‘Revisionist Theory of Leadership’ in Harvard Business Review in 1961.” O’Toole observed that Bennis challenged the prevailing wisdom by showing that humanistic, democratic-style leaders better suited to dealing with the complexity and change that characterize the leadership environment.

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to read this book for a graduate class. When I first started with it, I was excited because it was easy to read and really highlighted some good points with respect to leadership. In reality, I have picked up some good quotes from it.

However, as my coursework progressed and was assigned additional leadership texts, I came to regard this one as very bland. It is meant to be a prescriptive text for leaders but I think it is sporadic in theme and delivery. In some cases, it is hard to understand how the examples relate to the chapter at hand until the last paragraph or two in the chapter. Such a tactic has its place in fiction, but not in a textbook.

Bottom line, the subject matter was admirable and moderately relevant. The book was originally published in 1989. My version advertised its being revised for relevance in a post-9/11 and post-Enron world. Honestly, though, I found the revisions to be forced and the concepts to still be somewhat dated. This was truly a transitional book written to guide leaders from a former paradigm to the a new one. Now that the new one is here, it is time to move away from this book.

[Misty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bennis discusses the importance of reflection as a tool for excellent leadership throughout his book On becoming a leader: The leadership classic (2003). I was particularly interested in his insight on reflection because it seems that few leaders have time to luxuriate in quiet time for reflection. After reading this book I see the importance of taking time to listen to one's inner voice. Bennis states that the most important lesson of leadership is learning to trust the inner voice (p. 28). He also states that reflection is one of the four lessons of self-knowledge (p. 50). To explain what reflection means to him, Bennis tells his readers to "think of reflection and perspective as two horns, with synthesis balanced between them. (p. 129)."
One benefit of reflection is that leaders become more self-aware and begin to separate who they are and where they want to go from where others want them to go (p. 48). This is important because in our roles as administrators we are expected to step in and fill certain responsibilities that have been filled by leaders before us. The faculty has certain ideas about how we should act and think. It would make administrator's lives easier at times if we allowed ourselves to morph into the mold that is set for us rather than blazing a new path. Bennis, however, explains that excellent leaders must be willing to take the path less traveled in order to effect positive change.
When reading this book I was concerned about methods of reflection. I was apprehensive and thought I would need to seek guidance on thoughtful and purposeful self-reflection. Bennis gave some direction by suggesting that leaders have a Socratic dialogue with oneself and ask questions about the nature of the issues we face (p. 54). He simplified the process of self-awareness by explaining that leaders have to ask questions that create an understanding of themselves (p. 55).
Bennis addressed the importance of reflection as a way to take in the "big picture" of situations that surround us. He used a quote from Socrates that says "The unexamined life is not worth living" and elaborates that one cannot live successfully unless they are able to reflect on situations and understand the "big picture" of their life (p. 62). I thought his statements regarding freeing oneself from past mistakes by using Socratic inquiry were powerful. As a leader it is inevitable that we will make mistakes. Bennis suggests that reflection is a tool that allows us to move past our mistakes and become free to take future risks without feeling an urge to prove ourselves (p. 70). He urges leaders to not allow their past to constrain them and keep them from reaching their full potential. Leaders must understand what has actually happened and in situations and try to learn from them instead of allowing them to paralyze them (p. 90).
My new understanding of reflection has helped me realize that I must try to learn from the past by taking time to digest and ponder situations. Reflection should not be something that a leader does on vacation or when a huge crisis has happened. Reflection should be a ritual in the life of a leader and a tool that one uses to gain understanding and knowledge.

[Jason · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a book of the month for my leadership organization & my first exposure to Mr Bennis. It was clear from the start of the "updated" edition that he has an ideological slant. This annoyed me greatly; but it's what one would expect from someone who has spent most of his career under the comfy umbrella of academia. I'm surprised this was selected as book of the month, I'll never read another Bennis book again.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another one down. I found this one a bit above the borderline. I like his ideas of experience developing your leadership skills. I completely agree that only by experience accompanied by successes and failures will develop leadership skills. I also enjoyed his discussion on how organizations must mold leaders by allowing failures. Those failures are learning experiences. His discussion of leadership building blocks on top of experience is also important. Education, travel, living abroad, and of course the aforementioned experience role develops ones leadership skill. Towards the end the author moved into the later political discussions that evolved around the last years of George W. Bush's presidency. I found that discussion somewhat irrelevant to previous material. It was interesting yet somewhat misplaced. I do recommend the book though.

[Sunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was brilliant. Some of the references to some of the great American businessmen are very very insightful. the books talks about mastering the context, understanding the basics, yourself and the world. Using your instinct and brining your whole self into work, moving through chaos, getting people onto your side and forging the future. Very highly recommended and actually one of the better business books I think I have read.

[Alex Gordon · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't know why people rate this book so highly exactly but my guess is the title alone may have something to do with it. Honestly, there are so many great books out there of stories of leaders to glean from... this one was pretty boring to me.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. User friendly, very practical, and well-written. Inspiring.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a bit dated, particularly with some of its examples, but here are a few interesting and helpful thoughts about leadership. Here are some I liked:

"Success is more fun than failure--to write about as well as to live (p. 19)."

"It is not enough for a leader to do things right; he must do the right thing (p. 23)."

"Listening to the inner voice--trusting the inner voice--is one of the most important lessons of leadership (p. 28)."

"Leaders come in every size, shape, and disposition--short, tall, neat, sloppy, young, old, male, and female. Nevertheless, they all seem to share some, if not all, of the following ingredients... guiding vision... passion... integrity... trust... curiosity and daring (p. 31)."

"Leadership courses can only teach skills. They can't teach character or vision... Developing character and vision is the way leaders invent themselves (p. 34)."

"Good leaders engage the world (p. 36)."

"I tend to think of the differences between leaders and mangers as the differences between those who master the context and those who surrender to it (p. 39)."

"What is true for leaders is... true for each of us: we are our own raw material (p. 42)."

"To be authentic is literally to be your own author (p. 45)."

"To become a leader, then, you must become yourself, become the maker of your own life (p. 46)."

"Know thyself, then, means separating who you are and who you want to be from what the world thinks you are and wants you to be (p. 48)."

"Some start the process early, and some don't do it until later. It doesn't matter. Self-knowledge, self-invention are lifetime processes (p. 49)."

"You are your own best teacher... Accept responsibility. Blame no one... You can learn anything you want to learn... True understanding comes from reflecting on your experience (p. 50)."

"Reflecting on experience is a means of having a Socratic dialogue with yourself, asking the right questions at the right time, in order to discover the truth of yourself and your life (p. 54)."

"Nothing is truly yours until you understand it--not even yourself (p. 55)."

"To look forward with acuity you must first look back with honesty (p. 56)."

"Leaders learn from others, but they are not made by others (p. 57)."

"Until you make your life your own, you're walking around in borrowed clothes. Leaders, whatever their field, are made up as much of their experiences as their skills (p. 62)."

"Every great inventor or scientist has had to unlearn conventional wisdom in order to proceed with his or her work (p. 63)."

"The ingredients of leadership cannot be taught... They must be learned (p. 65)."

"Leaders are made at least as much by their experiences and their understanding and application of their experiences as by any skills (p. 66)."

"Innovative learning is a way of realizing vision (p. 70)."

"By examining and understanding the past, we can move into the future unencumbered by it. We become free to express ourselves, rather than endlessly trying to prove ourselves (p. 71)."

"'When was the last time you ran to a library and took home more books than you could read, like stacked loaves of bread, warm in your arms, waiting to be chewed? When, for that matter, was the last time you opened a book, placed it to your nose, and gave a great sniff (Ray Bradbury, p. 76)?'"

"If you want a concrete tip, learn how to speed read. People say they don't have time to read. My feeling is, 'When in doubt, read it.' I can read a book in a couple of hours (p. 77)."

"Travel is another kind of learning... It does broaden. It is revelatory. It changes your perspective immediately, because it requires new and different responses from you. Things are done differently in other countries (p. 81)."

"As much as we each need such regular respite, we need true engagement too; we need mentors and friends and groups of allied souls (p. 83)."

"Study, travel, people, work, play, reflection, all are sources of knowledge and understanding, but so, curiously, are mistakes (p. 86)."

"'Friends are vital. You learn from them, because they tell you truth' (p. 84)."

"'Even if you're pretty analytical by nature, you have to be willing to make a decision somewhere short of certainty' (p. 87)."

"'I started with the premise that we could accomplish anything we wanted to accomplish, if the people around me were permitted to do what they wanted to do (p. 88).'"

"'If you haven't failed, you haven't tried very hard' (p. 89)."

"Life has never been simple and is growing more complex all the time, yet we persist in attempting to reduce it to bumper-sticker dimensions (p. 93)."

"In any corporation, managers serve as the left brain and the research and development staff serves as the right brain, but the CEO must combine both, must have both administrative and imaginative gifts (p. 95)."

"I find it's better to put teams together of people who have different skills and then make all those disparate skills function together (p. 98)."

"I look for imagination and perseverance, steadfastness of purpose (p. 99)."

"We say daydreamers, we say inspiration, but scientifically what it is, is free association. It's the ability to be in touch with that. That's where you get the ideas. And then it's the ability to trust the ideas once you have them, even though they may break certain rules. And then it's the confidence and courage to carry out the ideas once you've found them and once you've trusted them. Then you can't be afraid to fail (p. 100)."

"Grace under pressure might be this group's motto (p. 103)."

"The point is not to become a leader. The point is to become yourself, to use yourself completely--all your skills, gifts, and energies--in order to make your vision manifest. You must withhold nothing. You must, in sum, become the person you started out to be, and to enjoy the process of becoming (p. 104)."

"Reflection may be the pivotal way we learn (p. 107)."

"The point is not to be the victims of our feelings, jerked this way and that by unresolved emotions, not to be used by our experiences, but to use them and to use them creatively. Just as writers turn experiences from their lives into novels and plays, we can each transform our experiences into grist for our mill (p. 109)."

"If you know what you think and what you want, you have a very real advantage (p. 113)."

"'Leadership revolves around vision, ideas, direction, and has more to do with inspired people as to direction and goals than with day-to-day implementation' (John Sculley, p. 130)."

"'When I see a need, I get people together to do something about it. My version of religion is 'You are responsible' (Betty Friedan, p. 130).'"

"'Character is vital in a leader, the basis for everything else. Other qualities would include the ability to inspire trust, some entrepreneurial talent, imagination, perseverance, steadfastness of purpose... Character, perseverance, and imagination are the sine qua non of leadership' (Alfred Gottschalk, p. 132)."

"The steps to leadership:
1. Reflection leading to resolution.
2. Resolution leading to perspective.
3. Perspective leading to point of view.
4. Point of view leading to tests and measures.
5. Tests and measures leading to desire.
6. Desire leading to mastery.
7. Mastery leading to strategic thinking.
8. Strategic thinking leading to full self-expression.
9. The synthesis of full self-expression = leadership.
Leadership is first being, then doing. Everything the leader does reflects what he or she is (p. 132)."

"Leaders are, by definition, innovators. They do things other people haven't done or don't do. They do things in advance of other people. They make new things. They make old things new. Having learned from the past, they live in the present, with one eye on the future (p. 133)."

"The leader does it better and better and better, but is never satisfied... Leaders learn by leading, and they learn best by leading in the fact of obstacles (p. 136)."

"'To be an effective leader, you not only have to get the group of followers on the right path, but you must be able to convince them that whatever obstacle stands in the way ahead, whether it's a tree or a building that blocks the view, you're going to get around it. You're not going to be put off by the apparent barriers to your goal (Norman Lear, p. 138).'"

"A number of them learned valuable lessons from difficult bosses--some even from bad bosses (p. 138)."

"Our leaders transform experience into wisdom and, in turn, transform the culture of their organizations (p. 143)."

"Empathy isn't the only factor in getting people on your side (p. 147)."

"'Movement leadership requires persuasion, not giving orders. There is no position to lead from. It doesn't exist. What makes you successful is that you can phrase things in a way that is inspirational, that makes coalitions possible. The movement has to be owned by a variety of people, not one group (p. 149)."

"There are four ingredients leaders have that generate and sustain trust... constancy... congruity... reliability... integrity (p. 150)."

"'The best people working for organizations are like volunteers. Since they could probably find good jobs in any number of groups, they choose to work somewhere for reasons less tangible than salary or position. Volunteers do not need contracts, they need covenants... Covenantal relationships induce freedom, not paralysis. A covenantal relationship rests on shared commitment to ideas, to issues, to values, to goals, and to management process (p. 152)."

"Ultimately, a leader's ability to galvanize his or her co-workers resides both in self understanding and in understanding the co-workers' needs and wants, along with understanding of... their mission (p. 153)."

"Trust is vital. People trust you when you don't play games with them, when you put everything on the table and speak honestly to them. Even if you aren't very articulate, your intellectual honesty comes through, and people recognize that and respond positively (p. 159)."

"All of the leaders I talked with believe in change--in both people and organizations (p. 160)."

"Instant communication and globalization are our new realities, and, as a result, the markets dance hitherto unheard-of rhythms. The character of work itself has changed, as more and more people have a string of careers instead of making a lifetime commitment to a single institution (p. 164)."

"Change cannot be viewed as the enemy--instead, it is the source of both personal growth and organizational salvation (p. 164)."

"Because the organization is the primary form of the era, it is also the primary shaper. The organization is, or should be, a social architect--but this means that its executives must be social architects, too. First of all, they must guarantee that their organizations are honest, ethical institutions. Then, they must redesign their organizations in order to redesign society along more humane and functional lines. They need... to be leaders, rather than managers (p. 171)."

"To succeed in this volatile environment, leaders must be creative and concerned, yet neither creativity or concern is high on the agenda of many corporations (p. 175)."

"Take advantage of every opportunity. Aggressively search for meaning. Know yourself (p. 176)."

"Leaders are not made by corporate courses... but by experience (p. 176)."

"Leadership opportunities should be offered to all... because they build drive, trigger a can-do spirit, and inspired self-confidence (p. 177)."

"New blood brings with it a fresh approach and new ideas, and so fix-its, slack areas, resistant personnel, may all be galvanized by the deployment of a young executive with the authority to lead (p. 178)."

"Job rotation is another means of affording would-be leaders an opportunity to learn more about the organization as well as to see it from another perspective (p. 179)."

"The higher the stakes, the more opportunities there are for learning--and, of course, the more opportunities there are for failures and mistakes (p. 179)."

"'There are two kinds of people: those who are paralyzed by fear, and those who are afraid but go ahead anyway. Life isn't about limitation, it's about options' (Brooke Knapp, p. 180)."

"All organizations, especially those that are growing, walk a tightrope between stability and change, tradition and revision. Therefore they must have some means for reflecting on their own experiences and offering reflective structures to their employees (p. 180)."

"Corporate vision operates on three levels: strategic... tactical... and personal (p. 181)."

"All organizations must provide for the growth and development of their members and find ways of offering them opportunities for such growth and development (p. 182)."

"Leaders are people who understand the prevailing culture (p. 184)."

"Ideas... are a leader's strong suit (p. 184)."

"Chaos is all around us now, but the leader knows that chaos is the beginning, not the end. Chaos is the source of energy and momentum (p. 185)."

"There are ten factors... for coping with change, forging a new future, and creating learning organizations.
1. Leaders manage the dream...
2. Leaders embrace error....
3. Leaders encourage reflective backtalk...
4. Leaders encourage dissent...
5. Leaders possess... optimism, faith, and hope... Optimism and hope provide choices...
6. Leaders understand the Pygmalion effect in management...
7. Leaders have... a certain 'touch'...
8. Leaders see the long view...
9. Leaders understand stakeholder symmetry...
10. Leaders create strategic alliances and partnerships (p. 186)."

"The next generation of leaders will have certain things in common: broad education, boundless curiosity, boundless enthusiasm, contagious optimism, belief in people and teamwork, willingness to take risks, devotion to long-term growth rather than short-term profit, commitment to excellence, adaptive capacity, empathy, authenticity, integrity, vision (p. 195)."

[WT · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't finish. The way it was written doesn't flow well. Too many quotes used.

[Jenny (Reading Envy) · Rating 2 out of 5]

We read this for a library leadership council retreat, and I would give it 2 and 1/3 stars. Overall it isn't well researched, Bennis throws in random political opinions that are so far on the opinion spectrum (as opposed to fact) that they fail to prove his point, and sexism is built-in to the text. It is also very focused on a corporate environment, and for our purposes, something more academia-specific would have been more useful. Yes, I suppose I am punishing this book for not being good for our purposes. I'm surprised to see this is still a standard text for MBA programs; surely there must be better books on leadership out there!

Throughout the book, Bennis tells the reader that you actually can't become a leader on purpose. So why read the book? Why, to hear advice like this:

"Unless you know where you're going, and why, you cannot possibly get there."

"Leaders have nothing but themselves to work with."

"What you are speaks loudly."

I hate those reviews that are full of animated gifs, but I kinda wish I had some eye rolling ones for this book. The entire thing is full of obvious statements that he then feels the need to support with anecdotes from Wall Street, often stories that could be interpreted differently than how he does, and seem to have to do more with luck than intentional growth.

Other ingredients of leadership (except you can't learn them) are passion! Candor! Curiosity! Daring! Reinvention! Look, I don't disagree, but he lists these all in two pages. Write me a book that focuses on how to develop these areas in yourself and in your business. That would be a book to read.

There were a few things I highlighted that I agreed with, so for fairness I should include them here as well:

"If one can look at life as being successful on a moment-by-moment basis, one might find that most of it is successful."
That and the need for reflection is something I resonate with. I used to be better at this. I used to spend more time on it.

"To become a leader, then, you must become yourself, become the maker of your own life."

"Unless you are willing to take risks, you will suffer paralyzing inhibitions, and you will never do what you are capable of doing. Mistakes - missteps - are necessary for actualizing your vision, and necessary steps toward success."
Risk taking and creativity and venturing out beyond our peer institutions is one of my big goals for where we're headed. I will repeat this one until it is heard.

"In a time of drastic change, it is the learners who inherit the future." - Eric Hoffer

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was assigned reading for a required management class in my MLIS program, and I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the read. I thought that the book would be a management self-help book, with tips and tricks for becoming a cookie-cutter manager who can achieve results for the bottom-line, but Bennis makes a clear distinction between the manager and the leader, and his insight into leadership could just as well be applied as insight into living as an authentic self.

For Bennis, leaders are not the people in the company who have undergone training, are focused completely on the company, and who work for the single goal of efficiency of resources. Rather leaders are the people who know themselves and know how they fit within a company's mission; the people who are educated (either formally of self) in the liberal arts and who strive to learn more; the innovators who move beyond what is known to work "well-enough" and who experiment with what can make them, the people they work with and the organization as a whole work to the best of all their abilities, taking into account not just the company, but the social ramifications of their work and how that work will affect the future, not just the next quarter. Using interviews from leaders with a wide range of backgrounds, Bennis demonstrates that leaders are not born, but made, and that leaders become leaders by using their experiences rather than in-spite of them.

I found the book to be well-written and organized, and while I wouldn't describe it as life-changing or anything so dear, I will say that I read it at the right time, and that it has encouraged me to continue being engaged in the world around me rather than carving a comfortable niche for myself, it has reaffirmed for me that what's going to continue to be important in our society is to be educated and analytical about what's happening and what that means, and that in an age of increasing specialization, that there is a want for leadership—or said another way, that people are going to look to the well-rounded, thoughtful individuals when creative solutions are called for.

[Timothy Darling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bennis's book is a classic for a reason. His articulate advocacy for authenticity, making mistakes and understanding the context in which leadership functions are seminal ideas, even if they are not new. Particularly the advice to know one's self and to be loyal to that persona is quite good. The way he describes his subjects as eternally energetic optimists about their own visions make for compelling examples. Optimism, trust, and transparncy, in fact, become the central qualities of a leader who expects good things of his people.

In spite of his eloquence, much of what Bennis has to say remains cryptic. The unmeasurables that he espouses do not argue well for his assertion that leaders are made, not born. Observing that people born to leadership often fail is not enough to prove the point, since they were not, in the most essential sense leaders at all. The "X" factor of leadership remains unexplored. As close as he comes to the mark is his observation that a great personal crisis often forges leadership ability ... thus not birth but fate chooses leaders.

Bennis also wears his liberalism on his sleave, from his treatment of notable liberals like Norman Lear and Gloria Steinham to his anti-George W. Bush tyrade in the epilogue of the Twentieth Anniversary Edition. To be fair, though, he does deal relatively even-handedly when he observes both successful and failed presidents, marking both conservatives and liberals in both categories.

In spite of the liberal bent of the book, it contains much truth. Though he does not call it "servant-leadership" the flattening of organizations he describes as progressive contains much that corresponds with servant-leadership. It is a good book for anyone who can get past his bias. Once the reader transcends that, he or she will learn much about themselves.

[Melsene G · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was very disappointed with this book and its twentieth anniversary edition. I was hoping to read a book on leaders, however, the author was too consumed with politics and hatred of a kind which surprised and disgusted me. Sadly, the author could have used a crystal ball because his epilogue was out of date and flat out wrong.

That aside, let's focus on the leadership basics. Leaders need a guiding vision, passion, integrity, curiosity, and daring. One needs to be a life long learner. Reflection, personal mastery, strategic thinking, and synthesis are needed. Leaders learn through chaos, surprise, and adversity. You must get people on your side with empathy, trust, integrity. These are common characteristics we hear about in every leadership book. Nothing new here. Leaders must be creative and concerned.

There are examples throughout the book of famous people, who were leaders or CEOs, and their bios are included in the back of the book. Most of these folks would be unfamiliar to younger readers.

The epilogue was a political summary of the 2008 election, G W Bush hatred, and anti-Republican bias. Sadly, the facts here have been proven wrong, now that we're in 2018. All the attributes the author pushes about the last president are now being unraveled due to corruption and lack of integrity by our government, elected officials and bureaucrats. People's human nature is imperfect. Using politicians as examples of good/bad leaders is a bad tactic. I was so disappointed in the tone of this book that it has little credibility in my view. Where was your editor? Someone should have been honest with you as you urge others to be so. What a shame.

[Tyler · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were definitely some good insights in this book, but there was also a lot that in my judgment was thoroughly underwhelming. I took notes as I read and the insights I considered worth making the effort to record and remember took up just a couple typed pages:

P. xviii
“integrity is the most important characteristic of a leader, and one that he or she must be prepared to demonstrate again and again.”

P. xxiv
“a more dangerous world makes the need for leadership, in every organization, in every institution, more pressing than ever.”

“leadership always emerged after some rite of passage, often a stressful one. We call the experience that produces leaders a crucible.”

P. xxv
“all leaders have four essential competencies. First, they are able to engage others by creating shared meaning. They have a vision, and they can persuade others to make that vision their own… Leaders, in every field, are richly endowed with empathy.
Second, all authentic leaders have a distinctive voice. By voice, I mean a cluster of things-- a purpose, self-confidence, and a sense of self, and the whole gestalt of abilities that… we now call emotional intelligence…
The third quality that all true leaders have is integrity… One component of integrity is a strong moral compass… Leadership is always about character…
But the one competence that I now realize is absolutely essential for leaders -- the key competence -- is adaptive capacity. Adaptive capacity is what allows leaders to respond quickly and intelligently to relentless change… Adaptive capacity allows today’s leaders to act, and then evaluate the results of their actions…
Adaptive capacity is made up of many things, including resilience or what psychologists call “hardiness.”... Adaptive capacity is a type of creativity. And adaptive capacity also encompasses the ability to identify and seize opportunities.”

P. xxx
“To an extent, leadership is like beauty: it’s hard to define, but you know it when you see it.”

P. xxxvi
“In the same way that acting talent doesn’t guarantee stardom, the capacity for leadership doesn’t guarantee that one will run a corporation or a government.”

pp 3-4
“So let’s admit it: in a nation, in a world, as complex and fluid as ours, we cannot function without leaders. Our quality of life depends on the quality of our leaders... And we need more than one. As never before, we need leaders in all our organizations and all our institutions. We need leaders in every community, corporation, and country. That leadership vacuum creates an enormous opportunity. If you've ever had dreams of leadership, this is the place, now is the time.
There are three basic reasons why leaders are important. First, they are responsible for the effectiveness of organizations. The success or failure of all organizations, whether basketball teams, community-action groups, moviemakers, makers of video games, auto manufacturers, or lending institutions, rests on the quality of their decision makers. Stock prices rise and fall according to the public perception of how good the leader is. But, just as important, the leader is responsible for who is hired, the organization's goals and aspirations, working conditions, who has authority over whom, morale, allocation of resources, transparency, and ethical standards.
Second, the change and upheaval of the past years has left us with no place to hide. We need anchors and guides. The very best of our leaders serving that way. They inspire us and restore our hope.
Third, there is a pervasive national concern about the integrity of our institutions. It is hard to imagine that there was once a time when Wall Street was a place where a man's word was his bond… its reputation tarnished in the 1980s by the white-collar crimes of Ivan Boesky, Michael Milken, and others, Wall Street was gravely damaged in the first years of the twenty-first century by the greed and double-dealing of a series of CEOs who received imperial compensation even as they built both shareholders and their own employees…”

P. 42
“The manager administers; the leader innovates.
The manager is a copy; the leader is an original.
The manager maintains; the leader develops.
The manager focuses on systems and structure; the leader focuses on people.
The manager relies on control; the leader inspires trust.
The manager has a short-term view; the leader has a long-range perspective.
The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why.
The manager has his or her eye always on the bottom line; the leader’s eye is always on the horizon.
The manager imitates; the leader originates.
The manager accepts the status quo; the leader challenges it.
The manager is the classic good soldier; the leader is his or her own person.
The manager does things right; the leader does the right thing.”

P. 135
“Leaders are, by definition, innovators. They do things other people have not done or dare not do. They do things in advance of other people. They make new things. They make old things new. Having learned from the past, they live in the present, with one eye on the future. And each leader puts it all together in a different way.”

P. 152
“There are four ingredients leaders have that generate and sustain trust:
Constancy. Whatever surprises leaders themselves may face, they don't create any for the group. Leaders are all of a piece; they stay the course.
Congruity. Leaders walk their talk. In true leaders, there is no gap between the theories they espouse and the life they practice.
Reliability. Leaders are there when it counts; they are ready to support their co-workers in the moments that matter.
Integrity. Leaders honor their commitments and promises.”

P. 178
“The basis for leadership is learning, and principally learning from experience.”

P. 184
Paraphrase: the true purpose of all organizations is to provide opportunities for the growth and development of individuals in order to nurture and unleash that individual’s true potential.

P. 188
“Max De Pree, in Leadership is an Art, wrote, “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.”

P. 194
“Leaders expect the best of the people around them… [but] leaders are realistic about expectations.”

P. 207
“No leader becomes truly great unless he or she accepts, even embraces, candor.”

From the leadership books I have read so far (only a handful), I would say that Stephen R. Covey and John C. Maxwell have much more and better things to say than what I read from Bennis in this book.

[Olamide OPEYEMI · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good book on leadership. It is based on real-life, real-time research conducted by the author as well as the author's own philosophical convictions. Although, he can take more time than you might feel necessary to drive home his points, he basically wins you over with his very logical, unassuming and truthful conclusions. I am glad to see the prevailing wisdom of Mr. Bennis tirelessly underscoring the profundity of each interviewee's thought on life and leadership and what they might be doing in days to come. It gives the reader a good blend of thoughts to meditate on and to arrive at conclusions that can only belong to him or her.

Indeed, the world needs more leaders but the true need is for us to become personally responsible for our lives so that our influence over others might be positive. And even if we never arrive at any key position of leadership, we might at least influence the character of someone who in days to come might find the lot of time falling on him to lead his generation a little further than they have ever been.

Thank you Mr. Bennis!

[Jeroen Verbraak · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a book! First edition was published in 1989, but still very relevant today. It shows that leadership is not bound to times.

“As weather shapes mountains, so problems make leaders”

Warren’s view on leadership is very much congruent with my own views. Leaders are definitely not born, but made, and the greatest opportunities for growth lies in overcoming your shortcomings and failures. You are either knocked-down by failures and adversity, or you become a better person - you decide.

This book deserves a top spot on my bookshelf.

[Aida R · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an apt book to understand definition of leader. After I chose this book I figure out this book is a source for students. By the Way, I like the line of story

[Beth Honeycutt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit repetitive...especially for someone not used to reading business books.

[Michael Harden · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has been one of the most amazing reads. Warren Bennis connects with you by making you reflect upon yourself as a human being and a leader. He gives many examples of great leaders and explains in depth the reasons behind their successes. It is impossible to re-write the detailed reflections but I hope to provide enough insight to entice you all to read this book. In this review I will highlight some important traits that according to Warren Bennis are must to have in a leader.

Vision, is a fundamental attribute a leader must have. A leader without a vision about where he wants to take is organization will suffer failures. According to Bennis, there are plenty of outstanding individuals out there, who have great passion and clear vision about what they want in the early stages of their career but as they progress they get sucked into a corporate culture that makes you follow rules not ideas. Proving yourself is more important than expressing your vision and ideas. Vision and Character building according to Bennis are extremely important to obtain.



The second important element of leadership is “passion”. A passionate leader loves what he or she does and gives hope and inspiration to everyone. Passion, enthusiasm, inspiration and hope are all the qualities that a leader needs to posses to gain the trust of its people. Leaders have to get people on their side to instill cultural changes in organizations.

“Integrity” is another basic characteristic of a leader. Integrity has to be earned and cannot be attained. Bennis describes three parts of integrity: Self Knowledge, Candor and Maturity.

Self Knowledge: .Until we truly realize our strengths and weaknesses, what we are doing, why we are doing it, we can never succeed as a leader. A good leader has to know what his weakness is, be true to oneself and only then can he start the journey of being a great leader.

Candor: According to Warren Bennis, Candor is established by having sincerity of belief, accomplishments and persistent dedication to “principle, and a fundamental soundness and wholeness”. A leader should never compromise on his principles to make others happy.

Maturity: It comes through years of experiences and knowledge, the ability to learn from mistakes and failures and be dedicated and truthful. Only after achieving these qualities, a leader can inspire others to do so.

Two more basic fundamentals of leadership are “curiosity” and “daring”. Leaders always want to learn, about anything and everything. They are always willing to take risks and not focused on failures. They learn from their failures, and reflect daily on things that work well and things that need change and then lead others to make those changes. Leaders don’t focus on their limitations but on possibilities.

Leaders are not all born with these traits; these traits can be learned through experience, from mentors and self reflection and by finding your passion.

Leaders should always be working on themselves, reflecting upon their actions and learning from them. They must trust their inner voice. Leaders are there own raw material, and can mold themselves into whatever they want.

Through out his book, Warren Bennis uses wonderful quotes from famous people. I would like to mention a few that have had a lasting impression on me.

“Good Leaders rise to the top in spite of their weakness, while bad leaders rise because of their weakness”.

In explaining this, he compares Abraham Lincoln who suffered from serious fits of depression yet guided United States through its most sever crisis. Where as Hitler forced his obsession on the German people and lead them through visions of greatness into the most horrific acts the world has ever known.

“Competence, or knowledge, without vision and virtue, breeds technocrats. Virtue, without vision and knowledge, breeds ideologues. Vision, without virtue and knowledge, breeds demagogues”.

[Barry Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The hallmark of this book on leadership is the depth and breadth of quotations on the diverse issues of leadership drawn from a wide range of individuals in history, education, philosophy, virtually every situation where leadership takes place. The insights of these individuals are presented, often in their own words, as the author challenges the leader to consider the ever-present vagaries of organizational development. He begins by dealing with the importance of context, commenting on the critical need to look beyond a short-term focus to address the new challenges presented to leadership. Bennis suggests that there are far too many bosses, and few real leaders, resulting in many of the problems addressing organizations at present. In describing leader’s failure to develop the ability to master their context, the author cites the words of Mathilde Krim, a scientific leader in the fight on AIDS, who states that such leaders can “become prisoners of habits, practices, and rules that make them ultimately ineffectual” (page 31).
Effective leaders demonstrate a mastery of what Bennis calls “the basics” – a guiding vision, passion, and integrity (33-34). These leadership resources are the foundation for the development of trust with followers, as the leader demonstrates self-awareness, maturity, and candor. The author takes the time to demonstrate the clear distinctions between managers who he suggests are surrendering to the context and leaders who master it. Some leaders are primarily the product of their circumstances (such as Presidents Johnson and Nixon) while others practice self-invention (Presidents Roosevelt and Truman), a necessary trait for authenticity (46-47). The insights that create this perspective are driven by a conscious desire for self-knowledge, a practice that should be a lifelong journey. Insights from a wide range of individuals on this process include author Boris Pasternak, psychologist William James, and psychoanalyst Erik Erickson. This self-knowledge prepares the leader for focus on understanding the world through “innovative learning,” learning that engages the individual in creative problem-solving in contrast to “maintenance learning” and “shock learning,” both of which fail to move beyond present circumstances (60-71). Such leaders are constantly expanding their perspective in a wide range of activities, including education, travel, and mentoring relationships. Developing a tolerance for ambiguity, these individuals are able to move beyond merely focusing on the facts to engage instinct as well.
According to Bennis, these leaders are continually open to alternatives, not only managing chaos effectively but even encouraging a certain level of disagreement in engaging followers in their visions. They are aware of the assets and liabilities that are present in organizations, seeking to take full advantage of the opportunities without becoming victims of the constraints of such structures. The author drives home thoughts on the futurist leader by providing ten key factors to assist in “coping with change, forging a new future, and creating learning organizations” (188).
This exceptionally practical book provides excellent insights on the leadership phenomenon, closing with brief biographical abstracts on the key individuals cited throughout the work. The experience of reading “On Becoming A Leader” is as if the reader was sitting down with these individuals to benefit from their experiences, failures and successes.

[Alastair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warren Bennis's book describes the key qualities and features of great leaders (of corporations, non-profits and other organisations) based on his research and interviews with 29 leaders. Like other great writers of business or management books (I'm thinking particularly of Robert Shiller here), Bennis writes from a position of passion and integrity - viewing corporations as merely means to achieve concrete ends. The author's clear view that organisations can, and indeed should, be agents with purpose imbues this book with a weight and meaningfulness utterly absent in the reams of self-help / how to become X schlock so often found on the shelves of airport bookshops. Instead of blandishments, we are treated to astute point after astute point that, if absorbed by the reader, will surely (hopefully) give them a few more tools and ways of thinking to allow them to "express themselves" and in the end to become great leaders.

The book's organisation - into ten chapters with fairly determinative headings like "Knowing the World" - belies the subtlety of its structure. Instead of each chapter offering just one lesson, all chapters merge together into one overarching set of points - all of which combine in varying amounts in the leaders Bennis interviewed for the book - and all of which will variously be relevant to those trying to learn something from this work. Instead of entering chapters expecting to hear a narrow argument in line with the title, the reader will get more from their time by simply allowing all the valuable insight to wash over them. I did battle briefly with the structure - not seeing how what I was reading linked to the chapter itself - but quickly relented and enjoyed my time with this short work, soaking up its managerial acuity.

So what is this great insight I've claimed the book has? I strongly suspect everyone who engages with this book will focus on something different. Personally, I found myself underlining two different kinds of remark.

The first kind concern points the author raises that I felt not only spoke to me but were aspects of my style that have been problematic for me in the past. The leader, in Bennis' view, is strongly distinguished from the manager: "The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why ... The manager accepts the status quo; the leader challenges it." These sentences epitomise at times my feeling of difference and struggle with places and people I have worked and reassured me that (at least some of the time) I may do well to appreciate my differences and not be upset that my particular context at that particular time may simply not be conducive to my more creative and innovative instincts.

This sense of struggling against arbitrary limits comes out time and again in the book in a manner much reassuring to someone who has done this all their life: I couldn't help identifying with one of the interviewees who remarked on how "I remember, during arguments with my father, there seemed to be arbitrary rules, which I never understood. I used to ask 'why' all the time." Such was my experience as a young child and, in modified form, my experience now.

Another key point made my Bennis is how leaders take responsibility for their mistakes and actions, never palming off blame on others. In a strong argument against an over-focus on the nature versus nurture dichotomy, Bennis points out how "between the arguers for hereditary determinism and those for environmental determinism, not much room is left for self-determination." As the author goes on, we should stop fixating on our past as the source (excuse) of our problems but reflect on it, harness it as grist for our life-mill and get on with the process of being who we are today.

The slippery (but no less important for it) concept of knowing and being yourself is perhaps the most important idea in Bennis. This seems to derive from a Heideggerian notion of 'authenticity'. For Heidegger, humans are not mere objects among many, but we are that being for which our own being is in question (i.e. we worry about who we are). We can, and should, set up life projects and goals that will reflect in the outer world who we are. Only when doing this are we acting authentically, rather than going with the flow of the world and behaving as others think we ought to. Bennis very much subscribes to this view: for him, true leaders have a vision and set out to execute it. Much of the book not only states this but nuances this to acknowledge the importance of understanding one's context and the vital element of bringing others onboard with your programme to affect change.

If the first kinds of quotations I dutifully underlined concerned those aspects of the book that truly resonated with me, the second concerned those that I knew were features or issues I struggle with. Conveniently for me, Bennis believes good leaders must have a thorough understanding of their strengths and weaknesses so identifying these is a good start.

The most important character trait I have in spades but which comes in for criticism is the notion of being "driven". This, for the author, connotes a kind of fixation on achievement without substance: "We all know people who are driven to succeed, never mind at what or how, who are never satisfied, and who are often unhappy." Solving this issue comes back to the concept of knowing yourself (and the possibility it entails of acting authentically): "It is entirely possible to succeed and satisfy yourself simultaneously, but only if you are wise enough and honest enough to admit what you want and recognize what you need." Through the discussion of 'drive' and its perverse consequences, the book challenged me to think about what I want (beyond degrees or awards) in a difficult but constructive way. In short, I must "drive" and not "be driven".

The book is not perfect: while the slightly erratic structure no doubt reflects the trickiness of the topic it does render it a tricky read at times - which I think could have been solved with better planning. Consequently, the book has great messages and lessons but they can be a little hard to pick out and distill from the complex web of discussion.

A second criticism is the slightly off-putting American nationalism: the author sounds almost hysterical in his fear of the rise of Japan. This fits the time of publication - 1988 - but in 2021 looks slightly absurd given Japan's near immediate stagnation that began in the 1990s. Aside from being overblown, it lends the book an element of 'we need great leaders to fend off external threats' which seems needlessly parochial. Though this smacks of the period the book was written, the reader should not be entirely put off by the book's age. One pleasantly surprising feature was the prevalence of women among the leaders Bennis interviewed: about a third are women, far more than lead S&P 500 companies today shockingly (about 6%).

This book is, in the final wash, a treasure trove of advice that will likely be beneficial in different ways to any who pick it up. For me, I enjoyed seeing codified features of my personality - such as resistance to dogma - and crucially witnessing how this has been constructive for the leaders interviewed in the book. Equally, I appreciated the challenges this book threw my way, such as on my sometimes destructive over-drive to achieve. Lastly, I value this book for how it captures challenging ideas in often simple and somehow intuitive terms. This is on display right at the end of the book where the author highlights the vital role of authenticity for leaders, cementing its place at the centre of Bennis' leader-philosophy: "it’s much easier to express yourself than to deny yourself. And much more rewarding, too.". Thought such apothegms may, when taken in isolation, sound a little trite, I assure you the book taken as a whole is vastly more profound than anything likely to be found on the bestsellers list.

[Dimas Castillo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Require book for a college course on leadership. In this book, Bennis presented a version of “how” to become a leader. Bennis interviewed many individuals, who were leaders or Chief Executive Officers of organizations and companies. He included their biographies in the appendix of the book. The author presented the personal traits a leader needs to develop, how a leader should lead, and how they must develop within an organization. Bennis characterized leaders as those with the abilities to guide the vision, inspire others, bring integrity to the organization, which he calls the most compelling characteristic of effective leaders. The author makes a clear distinction between leaders and managers. He contended that leaders are not managers and that the differences between leaders and managers are enormous and crucial. For example, managers focus on systems and structure, while leaders focus on people. According to Bennis, leaders are not the people in the company who have undergone training, are focused entirely on the company, and who work for the single goal of efficiency of resources. Instead, leaders are the people who know themselves and know how they fit within a company's mission. By interviewing leaders with a wide range of backgrounds, Bennis articulated that leaders are not born, but made. Bennis stressed the importance of experience as the primary and ultimate development vehicle for leaders. He argued that leaders become leaders by using their experiences rather than despising them. The author defined leaders as people who are capable of fully expressing themselves. Some of Bennis’ writing in this book appears to be random political opinions. He appears to support a liberal stand on politics. The Epilogue to the Twentieth-Anniversary Edition appears to be a political summary of President George W. Bush and his administration’s handling of the financial crisis of 2008. Bennis even called President Bush, a dangerous leader. Bennis called Bush’s eight years in office a failure and blamed the decline of America on him. On the other hand, he praised President Clinton for the way he led d the country during his years in office. Despite liberal and political views from the author, this book is recommended for anyone interested in the study of leadership.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inspiring book which walks you through the process of becoming a leader (or much rather becoming yourself - letting your self emerge) with the help of some beautiful quotes, of which I have chosen a few:

"The point is to become yourself, to use yourself completely – all your skills, gifts and energies – in order to make your vision manifest. You must withhold nothing. You, must, in sum, become the person you started out to be, and to enjoy the process of becoming."

"Playwright Athol Fugard said that he worked his way out of a depression by starting every day thinking of ten things that gave him pleasure. I’ve found thinking of the things in my life that bring
me pleasure a peaceful and positive way to start the morning, and I’ve started doing it regularly. Thinking of the small pleasures around one—the glow of the morning light on the ocean, the fresh-cut roses next to the word processor, the tall café latte waiting at the end of a morning walk, even the dog that wants to be fed—is a much better way to deal with a perceived failure than to ruminate on it." Barbara Cordray

“The path of mastery is built on unrelenting practice, but it’s also a place of adventure. . . . Whether it’s a sport or an art or some other work, those we call masters are shamelessly enthusiastic about their calling. . . . Those on the path of mastery are willing to take chances, play the fool. . . . The most powerful learning is that which is most like play. . . . The word generous comes from the same root as genial, generative, and genius. . . .[The genius] has the ability to give everything and hold nothing back. Perhaps, in fact, genius can be defined in terms of this givingness.” Author George Leonard

“I really think youth is something you win from age. You are rather old and stupid when you are young. The youngest men I ever met in my life were Luis Buñuel, who made his greatest films between the ages of 60 and 80, and Arthur Rubinstein, a man who became a genius at 80." Novelist Carlos Fuentes

"Everywhere you trip is where the treasure lies. That’s learning."

[Emmett Chase · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was originally published in 1989. One might worry that it is outdated. I didn't read this for a class or anything, I just found it at the second-hand store and thought there must be some knowledge of value in the pages; the writer is a professor at USC and the book claims that Al Gore "recommends this book to all of his advisers." Anyone who thinks the book is outdated doesn't know how to separate garbage from treasure, and even if you believe the world has moved on then it is still valuable to know the history of leadership and how it was viewed a generation ago and compare it to what you think leadership is today.

In an updated introduction to the book, the writer talks about 3 important qualities of leadership: Ambition, Competence and Integrity. He expresses concern about Bill Clinton being president because he believes that Mr. Clinton only possesses 2 of the qualities and he hopes 2 is enough. I wonder what Mr. Bennis thinks about our president in 2017 who only appears to possess 1 of those qualities. The world we see around us today could very well be the chaos that results when our most influential leaders do not possess the necessary qualities, proving the book may still be relevant.

I'm in charge of various projects at work so I was curious to see how I stacked up against what the writer claims are the attributes of a good leader. 10 years ago many of these ideas would have seemed somewhat abstract and unreal to me but now I've had enough experience that I can apply them directly to what I do. Overall, I think I have most of the qualities he champions but that makes me wonder, "then why am I not the CEO of a major company?" So on a personal level I feel like I'm going about things right but the book has challenged me to think of the bigger picture, find my true vision and think bigger. My job is a good job but I think I could be working for a bigger goal. That's what I got from this book, it will most likely be different for you.

[Ioana Lily Balas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting snippets on what it means to be a leader, how it is different from management, and how the concerns and context of leaders have changed based on innovation, politics and economics. Bennis' strong side that comes across through this book is story telling - even though this book features several examples, it flows smoothly, and it might be one of the most relaxing non-fiction books I've read, to the point that sometimes I could just tune out and go with it, rather than other non-fiction I've read where I had to absorb every thought and memorise all the numbers.

But with that, there are still parts that felt quite preachy. I really enjoyed how approachable the example sections were, but they felt really disconnected from the more practical advice, it's just delivered in quite a bitty, fragmented way, that took me out of the reading experience I was having. And the thing is it is decent advice, it makes sense, but because of this fragmentation it's coming out of nowhere and feels mismatched with the rest of the style.

Bennis highly encourages self-reflection and continuous self-improvement, which I also strongly believe are the foundations of a successful leader. It's a philosophy that appeals to me and that I strive to practice, and because of this it is a book that I would recommend to people newer to management, who may want to understand better the tools and techniques they have available to them from the very get go. I can't say I learned much from this book, but it was a pleasant experience and I can see how it could be relevant and educational for someone else.

[Jason Braatz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pish posh. I have a hard time writing a review for a 3-star book, and this is definitely a 3-star book. So let's do a pro's and con's list:

Pro's: The author, Warren Bennis is considered a thought leader. Reading this book won't make you stupider, as it's a nice warm read that will re-emphasize points you are already in tune with but may not have visited intellectually for awhile. I really enjoy his writing style as it feels conversational (it's written well).

Con's: Nothing new here. Really, absolutely a big whopping zero in terms of what you can gather out of a leadership blog article on Medium or on one of the more popular e-zines. Further, his examples are terrible, and I understand that he was trying to synthesize answers from a broad range of leaders, but he didn't do an effective enough job for it to bring out anything unique.

Net/net: If you are a leader of something (a business, a girl scout troop, a project, etc) and just want a good read to reinforce what you probably already know, books like this one can be worthwhile. It's partially why I like reading topics I'm familiar with, it's very helpful to have them reiterated as we move through life just to ground ourselves in the core principles. That said, don't expect to be blown away with a new quote or epiphany.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of the book has good information. The author analyzes leaders from a contemporary time frame of reference.

Pro: The writing was general enough to be broadly applicable to corporate leaders at the strategic/senior level. The writing correlated well with about 80% of my own leadership experiences (good enough for Pareto, right?).

Con: There was very little comparative analysis of leadership styles. There was very little reference to historical leaders outside the author's generation. The politically animated analysis in the epilogue to the 2008 edition was one-sided and ironically lacked perspective.

Recommendation: It's good to have read it, as this book has become something of a minor touchstone in leadership. But there are plenty of other sources of equally good information out there; some of it is better depending on the level of leadership you've attained (or desire to attain).

[Gustavo Fernandes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, very good insights from really many people. But I am not from USA and many (maaaaaaaaaaaany) examples were definitely not familar to me. This got even more visible because the first and last chapters had the same background: context! and well.. the context was pretty much north american. That was not good.
Apart from that, at some points I felt like the book was a collection of impressions and feedback of many people he intereviewed along his life. And it became a bit too much since this came quite often.
But definitely valuable read. I was expecting more, maybe more
It is easy to say: world needs leaders, not managers... but so many examples of people in really high impact positions ended up being about politicians. There were many business people as well, but harder to get the perspective of MOST of the people in managerial or regular positions, that eventually would have SOME leadership moments. Leadership is in all.. so let's discuss all!

[Antonín Praus · Rating 3 out of 5]

"These are the hard times in which a genius would wish to live... Great necessities call forth great leaders."

Originally published in 1989 and revised in 2009, this book seems kind of dated in 2021. As another reviewer wrote, this is a book that should help leaders transition into the new age of globalization, technology and internet. That transition had already happened almost two decades ago though, so it migh seem like somewhat of a history book instead.
That being said, the stories of the people mentioned here are still interesting and some of the leadership attributes are indeed timeless.
If I had to briefly describe the main idea of "On Becoming a Leader", it would be along the lines of: Leaders are made, not born. In order to become a leader, you have to recreate yourself and you need to do it alone.

[Andrea Tripp · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another book I read for my Organizational Behavior class. The book applied many concepts in organizational behavior including managers versus leaders, thinking creatively, coaching, job fulfillment, mentorship, decision-making, and failure. I reflected upon my past experiences with managers, my current supervisor, my mentors, and my own skills as a leader. After all, according to Bennis, knowing yourself is part of becoming a leader and "true understanding [of yourself] comes from reflecting on your own experience" (Bennis, 2009, 56). I have worn many hats in my career– marketer, analyst, programmer, designer, project manager, copywriter, manager, and strategist– but Bennis provided the affirmation that the hat I wear most often is a sombrero.