Warren G. Bennis

company people interchangeable talent leader

“Too many companies believe people are interchangeable. Truly gifted people never are. They have unique talents. Such people cannot be forced into roles they are not suited for, nor should they be. Effective leaders allow great people to do the work they were born to do.”

—Warren G. Bennis (1925-2014)

success team lead pragmatic dreamer science poetry

“Who succeeds in forming and leading a Great Group? He or she is almost always a pragmatic dreamer. They are people who get things done, but they are people with immortal longings. Often, they are scientifically minded people with poetry in their souls.”

—Warren G. Bennis (1925-2014)

Bennis academic pseudodynamics routine university

Bennis's First Law of Academic Pseudodynamics:

"Routine work drives out non routine work and smothers all creative planning, all fundamental change in the university--or any institution."

—Warren G. Bennis (1925-2014)

plan unexpected academic pseudodynamic university

Bennis's Second Law of Academic Pseudodynamics: "Make whatever grand plans you will, but you may be sure that the unexpected or the trivial will disturb and disrupt them."

—Warren G. Bennis (1925-2014)

lead people

"If you want to lead people, you have to enter their world"

—Warren G. Bennis (1925-2014)

charge learning life integrated person

“Taking charge of your own learning is a part of taking charge of your life, which is the sine qua non in becoming an integrated person.”

—Warren G. Bennis (1925-2014)

manager leader thing right

“Managers do things right. Leaders do the right thing.”

—Warren G. Bennis (1925-2014)

capacity develop improve skills leader follower

“It is the capacity to develop and improve their skills that distinguishes leaders from followers.”

—Warren G. Bennis (1925-2014)

leadership translate vision reality

“Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.”

—Warren G. Bennis (1925-2014)

hope despair choice

“The opposite of hope is despair, and when we despair, it is because we feel there are no choices.”

—Warren G. Bennis (1925-2014)

time change learners inherit future equipped disruption

“In a time of drastic change, it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists.”

—Warren G. Bennis (1925-2014)

leader accident circulstance grit leadership course

“More leaders have been made by accident, circumstance, sheer grit, or will than have been made by all the leadership courses put together.”

—Warren G. Bennis (1925-2014)

silence dissent answer leader refuse accept

“Silence - not dissent - is the one answer that leaders should refuse to accept.”

—Warren G. Bennis (1925-2014)

failing organization over-managed under-led

"Failing organizations are usually over-managed and under-led".

—Warren G. Bennis (1925-2014)

leader eye horizon bottom line

"Leaders keep their eyes on the horizon, not just on the bottom line".

—Warren G. Bennis (1925-2014)

leader avoid repress deny conflict opportunity

"Leaders do not avoid, repress, or deny conflict, but rather see it as an opportunity"

—Warren G. Bennis (1925-2014)

leader organization dance music unheard

"Leaders must encourage their organizations to dance to forms of music yet to be heard."

—Warren G. Bennis (1925-2014)

manager how when leader why

"The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why."

—Warren G. Bennis (1925-2014)

organization conduct symphony orchestra jazz world change

"I used to think that running an organization was equivalent to conducting a symphony orchestra. But I don't think that's quite it; it's more like jazz. There is more improvisation. Someone once wrote that the sound of surprise is jazz, and if there's any one thing that we must try to get used to in this world, it's surprise and the unexpected. Truly, we are living in world where the only thing that's constant is change."

—Warren G. Bennis (1925-2014)

ability plan future happen imagine hallmark leadership

"The ability to plan for what has not yet happened, for a future that has only been imagined, is one of the hallmarks of leadership."

—Warren G. Bennis (1925-2014)

organization leadership symphony orchestra jazz improvisation

"I used to think that running an organization was equivalent to conducting a symphony orchestra. But I don't think that's quite it; it's more like jazz. There is more improvisation."

—Warren G. Bennis (1925-2014)

manager leader administrate innovate when what why challenge

"The manager administers; the leader innovates. The manager has a short-range view; the leader has a long-range perspective. The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why. The manager has his eye on the bottom line; the leader has his eye on the horizon. The manager accepts the status quo; the leader challenges it."

—Warren G. Bennis (1925-2014)