Warren G. Bennis

American leadership scholar, academic, and author of the 20th-21st century

4 quotes in the MindQuotes library.

About

Warren G. Bennis (1925-2014) is widely regarded as the father of contemporary leadership studies. After serving as an infantry officer in World War II, he earned a Ph.D. from MIT and pursued a distinguished academic career, including as president of the University of Cincinnati and professor at USC. Author of nearly thirty books, including the bestseller 'On Becoming a Leader', he advised several U.S. presidents. His famous distinction between managers and leaders has profoundly influenced management thought.

Major works

On Becoming a Leader (1989)non-fiction
An Invented Life (1993)memoir
Leaders: Strategies for Taking Charge (1985)non-fiction

Key milestones

1955Earned a Ph.D. in social sciences and economics from MIT.
1971Becomes president of the University of Cincinnati, serving until 1978.
1989Publishes his most influential book, 'On Becoming a Leader'.

Themes

LeadershipVisionIntegrityPersonal developmentOrganizational change

Sources: today.usc.edu · nytimes.com

“iI, Great things are completed by talented people who believe they will accomplish them.”

— Warren G. BennisTheme · Motivation

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

— Warren G. BennisTheme · Leadership

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“. . . power is the basic energy needed to initiate and sustain action or, to put it another way, the capacity to translate intention into reality and sustain it. Leadership is the wise use of this power: Transformative leadership.”

— Warren G. BennisTheme · Leadership

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“The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born-that there is a genetic factor to leadership. This myth asserts that people simply either have certain charismatic qualities or not. That's nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born.”

— Warren G. BennisTheme · Leadership

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