The Leader You Are Meant to Become + On Becoming A Leader by Warren Bennis

In this post: Three segments that tell you that you should definitely read this book, but that you should also prepare to do your own leadership searching. It's heavy with leadership idioms and historical/professional examples, light with practical applications and reader introspection.

Category: Success

Ramiah Recommended?

Yes! This might make me sound partial (I swear I'm not), but I am a USC Warren Bennis Scholar. It is a super selective leadership development program where 20 students from a 130+ applicant pool were chosen for their demonstrated leadership experience. When I was still a student, I participated in honors colloquiums, workshops, and professional and peer mentoring. The goal of the program is to prepare leaders to tackle and contribute to larger social missions that impact our local and global communities.

That altruistic practice of leadership, akin to the servant leadership model by Robert K. Greenleaf, is as prevalent in this book as it is in the program.

The novel focused on leadership in three contexts: personal, organizational, and institutional. The last context is about using you or your organization in the broader context of contributing to leadership in society (however you wish to define it - culturally, nationally, globally). Mr. Bennis draws from political and business examples across history - FDR and Ronald Regan, or leaders of CBS and Enron. Not to mention, he has advised U.S. presidents and is himself a thought leader on leadership. There is diverse coverage of his and other leaders' principles from many industries and backgrounds.

The strong sense of a leadership moral compass, incorporation of research studies on the topic, and dissection of leadership buzzwords like 'candor' and 'integrity' in an endearing way that inspires you to be a better person (let alone leader) is enough to read this book.

The amazing life quotes (see below) don't hurt, either. Most key to this book's philosophy, and shared by many leaders interviewed within it, is the importance of 'knowing thyself.' By knowing who you are and what you stand for, you will be a better communicator and mission-driven, allowing others to build, share, and continue that mission, too.

However, beware that this book, much like the program, is suited for people who already have leadership experience to inform them. There are some concrete ideas you can use - i.e., there are questions to ask thyself to know thyself - but it is scarce. It is not in every chapter, and you will have to push yourself to read between the lines to figure out how to encourage any application to your own leadership style.

For those who are looking for a book filled with introspective exercises and step-by-step guides, this won't be your jam. BUT that can be really liberating.

Mr. Bennis allows you the opportunity to interpret his chapters as you see fit, and you get to decide how to implement the lessons in ways that are appropriate for your organizational needs, position capacities, and professional environment.

Ramiah Reflects

My New Favorite Life Quotes:

• "Becoming a leader is synonymous with becoming yourself" -- Warren Bennis

• "Good leaders engage the world. Bad leaders entrap it, or try" -- Warren Bennis

• "Know thyself means separating who you are and who you want to be from what the world thinks you are and wants you to be" -- Warren Bennis

• "Self-knowledge, self-invention are lifetime processes" - Warren Bennis

• "Whatever it is you want to do, you shouldn't let fear get in your way… the greatest opportunity for growth lies in overcoming things you're afraid of" -- Warren Bennis

• "Leadership is first being, then doing" -- Warren Bennis

• "Everywhere you trip is where the treasure lies "- Warren Bennis

• "There can be no growth without risks and no progress without mistakes" -- Warren Bennis

• "It is through changing something that one truly comes to understand it" -- Warren Bennis

• "Chaos is the source of energy and momentum" -- Warren Bennis

Questions to Ask Yourself (and answer!):

• Who am I? What are my strengths? What are my weaknesses?

• How do I fully deploy my strengths?

• How do I compensate for my weaknesses?

• What do I want? Why do I want it?

• How do I communicate what I want to others (in order to gain cooperation and support)?

• How do I achieve my goals?

• What do I believe are the qualities of leadership?

• What experiences were vital to my development?

• What were the turning points in my life?

• What role has failure played in my life?

• How do I learn?

• Are there people in my life, or in general, whom I particularly admire?

• What can organizations do to encourage or stifle leaders?

• What is my point of view?

How can you best express you?

Food for Thought:

• A new way to start the morning - Anne Bryant, Executive Director of the National School Boards Association, does this: "Every morning after the alarm goes off, I lie in bed for about fifteen minutes, going over what I want to get out of each event of my day, and what I want to get done by the end of the week."

• For my fellow college grads, think about how you enter a new situation or work environment - especially when you're leading it. Not that our energy to change things is misplaced, but sometimes giving our new environment a try as is (like this quote suggests) can be illuminating: "It's better to try to put yourself in their shoes and acknowledge the good things that have been done and reinforce those things, before going forward with your own plans,"(pg 121).

Ramiah's Re-read When

Re-read when:

• You need a reminder of why leaders are needed

• You need reminders of leaders' roles in institutions (and their lacking thereof)

• You need a reminder to be yourself

• You need a reminder to lead by being yourself

• You need a reminder to be different

• You need a reminder to be an innovative thinker

• You need a reminder to be okay with failing

• You need a reminder to be right-brained, creative

• You want some practical tips to work with people

• You want a reminder of leadership in organizations

See below for my book notes.

RRW - Ramiah Reads When - On Becoming A .

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Check out my other posts and book notes here.

Until next time!

Montana Houston