Warren Bennis: A Look at A Leader in Management
Abstract
This study will begin with a look at the life of Warren Bennis and gives some personal history on him. Then it will move on to some of the specific items he gave the business world such as: the 4 factors that any good manager must have, the seven attributes that are essential to excellent leaders, six competencies to successfully meet the needs of the people they lead, and the many literary works that Bennis has written. Also a look is taken at criticisms of Bennis. One example of this is if Bennis claims that good management can not be taught then why is he writing so many books about good management. This study will also look at why Bennis is nationally recognized.
Warren Bennis: A Look at A Leader in Management
This study of Warren Bennis has proven to be very interesting. He has many accomplishments, and he has written many books. This paper reviews many different areas of his life such as: where he came from, what he did before teaching, and some of the many books he has written. Bennis is a wonderful example of any one who wishes to be a more efficient leader or just a better person. Even with Bennis' lack of corporate experience he still has an awesome understanding of the business world and also of some of the best leadership theories. This shows that anyone can master anything with hard work no matter what the situation.
Dr. Warren Bennis is a Distinguished Professor at the University of Southern California (USC), in specific, Marshall School of Business. He is the founding Chairman of the Leadership Institute of USC, and has been teaching there since 1979. Other than USC, he has experience teaching at Harvard and Boston University, and was President of the University of Cincinnati from 1971- 1978. He has consulted for Fortune 500 companies, 150 CEOs, numerous corporations, the United Nation, and has advised four U.S. Presidents: Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, and Reagan.
He was born on March 8, 1925 in New York City, New York. He joined the Army during World War II, and after he returned from war, he attended Antioch College at Antioch. While he was in school, he fell under the influence of his mentor, who was Antioch College President Douglas McGregor, also known as the founder of the School of Industrial Psychology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
The most valuable commodity of any great organization is the quality of good people. Almost everyone has good intentions but leaders acknowledge what needs to be done and has the ability to inspire others to respond. Nonetheless the author conveys the differences between leadership of past generation versus this generation. As society loses confidence in leadership techniques of the past, it begins to look for management wit...
Mlls, D. Q. (2005). Leadership How to Lead, How to Live. Boston: Harvad Business School Press.
...ties and differences of the leadership of Steve Jobs and Fr. Jose Arizmendiarrieta that the leadership required for organisations to succeed is unique to the goals and definition of success portrayed by the leader. Their leadership styles were reflected in the organisations development and it can be seen why leadership in organisations is of such importance. What is also clear is that there is no right or wrong way to lead – Fr Jose achieved a sustainable profitable cooperative, Jobs archived a highly profitable company. The leadership practice used needs to fit the organisations vision, the needs of the stakeholders, and be ingrained into followers. The followers need to buy in to the leader’s vision and goals and play their part in implementing the steps required for success. The leader is ultimately responsible for guiding the followers along the path to success.
John P. Kotter, a worldwide famous expert on leadership at Harvard Business School, was a graduate of MIT and Harvard. He joined the Harvard Business School faculty in 1972 and who was voted tenure and a full professorship at the age of thirty-three in 1980. Kotter's honors include an Exxon Award for Innovation in Graduate Business School Curriculum Design and a Johnson, Smith and Knisely Award for New Perspectives in Business Leadership. He again gained the title as the #1 ¡§Leadership Guru¡¨ from a survey for 504 enterprises that was conducted by Business Week magazine. Outline of this book
Lauer, C. (2008). The 4E Leader: Hack Welch's Winnging Leadership Formula. In The Management Gurus.
With that interview, I have learnt a lot of leadership styles and motivational theories, which I studied in my University lectures from Mr. John. This paper is the reflection of what I learnt from him.
Psychologist, born in Susquhanna, Pa. He studied at Harvard, teaching there (1931-6, 1947-74). A leading behaviorist, he is a proponent of operant conditioning, and the inventor of the Skinner box for facilitating experimental observations.
Warren Bennis’s leadership theories from On Becoming a Leader serve as a guide to understanding the qualities sand strategies that great leaders often exemplify. Classic leaders like Hillary Clinton have vision, passion, and integrity. These three things are the basic ingredients that Bennis proposes that most great leaders have in common. These are all aspects of leadership that allow people to better understand themselves and the world around them. In Hillary’s case, it is because of her determination to take the lead on different social issues around the world as a prominent figurehead that has allow me to take a closer...
The book On becoming A Leader was written by Warren Bennis who was an American scholar, author and widely known pioneer of leadership studies. This book was published in 1989 by basic books but revised in 2003 by Perseus Publishing in Cambridge, MA. This book states the many traits, qualities and factors of becoming a leader. Bennis showcases the depths and heights of how leaders drive their followers in different situations. This book emphasizes on theories of becoming a leader, it is not a “how to” book by any means. Bennis states how leaders contribute to society and how crucial they are along with the characteristics that come along with being a leader. He provides intriguing insight about leaders and emphasizes the integrity and authenticity such people carry.
Warren Buffett, the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, which owns many different companies, is one of the most successful business leaders of our time. According to Howard (2014), he is the second richest American, coming in at a net worth of over $70 billion. Besides his personal net worth, Berkshire Hathaway is the fifth-most valuable public company in the United States at $350 billion (Howard, 2014). While he is clearly a very wise investor, Warren Buffett is also a successful leader. As stated by Spindler (2010), leadership is a crucial part of any successful business, and good leadership is what Mr. Buffett portrays. The analysis given in this paper will show Warren Buffett’s values and leadership qualities, his leadership style, as well as looking into his influence he has on his followers.
Bennis Warren, An Invented Life: Reflections on Leadership and Change, Reading, Mass, Addison-Wesly, 1993
I have been fortunate to work with several heads of departments within a couple years of graduating college. During this time, I have worked with quality leaders and not so great ones. The quality leaders were competent, skillful and endowed with people skills. These leaders gave me the opportunity to grow and a sense of purpose. After reading The Leadership Advantage by Warren Bennis, I was quickly reminded about a former superior of mine that lacked the understanding and knowledge of what qualities a leader should have. The company also did not entertain a culture that promotes employee satisfaction.
The role of leadership can impact an organization performance in many ways. Excellent leadership can propel a company to the fortune five hundred list. For Example, Harpo Incorporated Oprah Winfrey’s company is a successful business that has made billions of dollars over the years. The business consists of several different entities such as the Oprah Show, Oprah Winfrey Network, and The Dr. Phil Show to name a few. This could not have been accomplished with a weak or uneducated leader. Many years ago I heard her give advice to the Williams Sisters. The a...
Kouzes, J., & Posner, B. (2008). The leadership challenge. 4th ed. San Francisco, CA Jossey-Bass. ISBN: 9780787984915
This paper describes about my leadership strengths and areas for growth/future study. It also included how these qualities are used in my daily work routine, self-assessment results and a brief explanation on Individual style in leadership.