Dreams—That’s What the Leaders Are Made From.

Bennis’s book Managing the Dream is in fact a collection of essays written at various periods, some of them quite a while ago.  Warren’s judgements and observations have passed the most difficult test, the test of time.

Integrities

One of these observations is that the character of the most outstanding leaders of humankind is based on four pillars:

Integrity of Vision.  Creating a vision of the future to captivate the minds of people who are responsible for making this dream a reality.  Leader’s vision should necessarily bring with it both competence and passion.

Integrity of Communication.  Making sure that your vision is as vivid to people you lead, as it is to you.

Integrity of Trust.  Trusting other people will in turn make people trust you.

Integrity of Self.  This is a pervading belief in self-worth if you like, but in a good sense.  From here will grow ability to learn from mistakes, not be crushed by them.  From here will grow constancy of core beliefs.

Change

Harris poll is quoted as showing that 90% of the people would like to change their lives dramatically if they could.  Self-respect, affection and acceptance are ranked higher than status, money and power.

The world is hungry for change, although most of us claim that it is resisting change at all costs.  The resistance comes when managers are trying to institute change instead of nurturing its natural growth from inside organisations.

This genuine change is facilitated by true leaders through aligning people with a sense of shared ideas, creating new culture of learning, free of fear of mistakes, and empowering people to take responsibility for what they do. 

New World Order

In his essay about the imminent demise of bureaucracy, Bennis argues that the atmosphere of constant change will inevitably lead to emergence of a new organisational order built around temporary project groups.  Bennis concedes that this new order will not necessarily be less stressful and frustrating than the current bureaucratic pyramid.  The temporary nature of project groups will only add to the anxiety about the future.

In this new order, as never before, people will have to understand their core values that deal with the issues of work and life, in order to find the essence of their existence that transcends the temporary nature of their day-to-day occupations, and find new stability in their most deep principles. 

Order Managing the Dream here. 

 

Managing the Dream: Reflections on Leadership and Change by Warren Bennis (2000 Paperback Edition)	Managing the Dream: Reflections on Leadership and Change by Warren Bennis (2000 Paperback Edition)
Associated Titles: Organizing Genius: The Secrets of Creative Collaboration  by Warren Bennis, Patricia Biedeman (Reviewed by Eastbook.com)
On Becoming a Leader by Warren Bennis	On Becoming a Leader by Warren Bennis

 

Search	Find Books  Keywords
Search	Find Books  Keywords