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Learning to Lead: A Workbook on Becoming a Leader
Over their distinguished careers, Warren Bennis and Joan Goldsmith have demonstrated how leaders are made, not born. In today's environment of crisis and uncertainty, the ability to develop leaders is arguably the most pressing concern, whether the arena is business, politics, education, health care, the environment, or the arts. Integrating wisdom from the world's most insightful and accomplished leaders, self-assessments, and dozens of interactive skill-building exercises, Learning to Lead reveals the underpinnings of true leadership. It shows you how to see beyond leadership myths, translate failures into springboards for renewed creativity, and communicate your vision for yourself, your team, or your organization.This new edition has been updated throughout, including bibliography and references, and contains substantive new material that reflects the authors' ongoing research on collaborative leadership, ethics, integrity, and personal development.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
About the author
Warren Bennis
122 books113 followersWarren 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.
“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.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
February 11, 2008
An interesting book, actually, workbook. I can see why the authors encourage doing this with others - either peers or even in teams (if the trust is high enough).
Walks through a bunch of Bennis' other writings (including exactly the same stories, word for word; lists and catalogs; values). Uses a delightful variety of assessments (1-5, react to a story, list people who ___ and how you are(n't) like them, etc.).
Would be a good 360-degree assessment tool
Walks through a bunch of Bennis' other writings (including exactly the same stories, word for word; lists and catalogs; values). Uses a delightful variety of assessments (1-5, react to a story, list people who ___ and how you are(n't) like them, etc.).
Would be a good 360-degree assessment tool
August 9, 2014
This workbook lets you explore issues like leadership qualities, personal values, influences, leadership paradigms, vision, goals, and strategies. The main idea: Leaders are made, not born. In other words, you can learn to be a leader. Very helpful.
May 30, 2021
You really get here what it says on the package: a 'workbook'. There are plenty of exercises included in this book, and I think it is really the most useful as a companion to formal study. It is not made to be a book that one 'just reads' and comes out smarter at the end.
Read
December 15, 2010What I've learned so far: leadership is dangerous and requires sacrifice. However, the dangers can be mitigated and result in positive change.
August 26, 2017
it involved some interesting exercises in the beginning but it turned out to be too many in total. Appriciated the book even if most of this has been seen already in several other leaderahip books
June 8, 2020
This is a solid resource for understanding the main concepts of leadership and how to articulate and apply them. It offered ways to challenge oneself and grow.
December 17, 2020
Didn't follow the workbook guide, but learned a bit about leadership by reading the book.
May 2, 2022
Not the worst of this type of book - I would actually recommend this one.
May 31, 2023
Great book for those wanting to develop leadership skills or for those facilitating leadership courses. Good exercises, but I read the older version, 2003. There is a new edition, 2010.
February 29, 2024
A re-visit for me, it's called a workbook for a reason- it takes time to go through the exercises. I found it helpful for trying to get me unstuck and feeling a bit ineffectual.
October 31, 2015
You are only real if you can see yourself, see yourself clear and true to the mirror of your soul and smile upon the reflection.
The oft sited military model of the leader, the lone general commanding his troops, in anachronistic in a world where the ability to command and control is valued less than the ability to orchestrate, counsel, collaborate and inspire.
I see leadership as a way of thinking about the future - leadership is about hope and the audacity of hope --Blenda Wilson
Competence, ambition, and integrity must be in balance for leadership to constructive as an audacious force.
Leaders master and alter the context- the turbulent and ambiguous surroundings that seem to conspire against them and threaten to suffocate them. Managers surrender to the context, without challenging it.
Leaders have four traits: competency to do an excellent job; congruity have a high personal integrity; constancy people believe they are on their side in a battle; Caring- genuinely care about the success of their people.
Leaders with contextual intelligence seek to understand the impact of external events on their life choices and search for ethical solutions to guide others to learn to lead.
Set aside one hour each day to look at the big picture for your job role and the company. Look internally as well as externally with good books to find the best resources.
The oft sited military model of the leader, the lone general commanding his troops, in anachronistic in a world where the ability to command and control is valued less than the ability to orchestrate, counsel, collaborate and inspire.
I see leadership as a way of thinking about the future - leadership is about hope and the audacity of hope --Blenda Wilson
Competence, ambition, and integrity must be in balance for leadership to constructive as an audacious force.
Leaders master and alter the context- the turbulent and ambiguous surroundings that seem to conspire against them and threaten to suffocate them. Managers surrender to the context, without challenging it.
Leaders have four traits: competency to do an excellent job; congruity have a high personal integrity; constancy people believe they are on their side in a battle; Caring- genuinely care about the success of their people.
Leaders with contextual intelligence seek to understand the impact of external events on their life choices and search for ethical solutions to guide others to learn to lead.
Set aside one hour each day to look at the big picture for your job role and the company. Look internally as well as externally with good books to find the best resources.
July 25, 2020
(review based on the audiobook version)
TLDR: 1 star only because 0 stars is not possible
The authors' political bias is so strong that now over 1/2 an hour in I feel like I'm listening to a New York Times op-ed page screed. Having read some stuff by Bennis during my MBA - journal articles and similar - I had a higher opinion of his insights into leadership.
This work of his and Goldsmith's has so lowered the value of his insights that I will not recommend anything he writes. Good news is I got the audiobook from my library so didn't waste any money on it. Will give it another 1/2 hour tops and if no improvement will delete and not waste any more time.
TLDR: 1 star only because 0 stars is not possible
The authors' political bias is so strong that now over 1/2 an hour in I feel like I'm listening to a New York Times op-ed page screed. Having read some stuff by Bennis during my MBA - journal articles and similar - I had a higher opinion of his insights into leadership.
This work of his and Goldsmith's has so lowered the value of his insights that I will not recommend anything he writes. Good news is I got the audiobook from my library so didn't waste any money on it. Will give it another 1/2 hour tops and if no improvement will delete and not waste any more time.
October 8, 2012
Interesting introduction to learning to become a leader...
April 21, 2013
I can't stand this book. It is far too leftist for me. Definitely not an 'objective' view of leadership, but rather incredibly biased.
May 31, 2014
I enjoyed working through these exercises, and I got more out of it when I actually did discuss things with someone else as mentioned in the text. A good general workbook.
March 22, 2014
Very political and Obama worship filled.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews