Learning to Lead: A Workbook on Becoming a Leader [Paperback]

Warren Bennis (Author), Joan Goldsmith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 27, 2010 | ISBN-10: 0465018866 | ISBN-13: 978-0465018864 | Edition: Fourth Edition

Over his distinguished career Warren Bennis has shown that leaders are made, not born. In Learning to Lead, written in partnership with management development expert Joan Goldsmith, Bennis provides a program that will help managers transform themselves into leaders.

Using wise insights from the world’s best leaders, helpful self-assessments, and dozens of one-day skill-building exercises, Bennis and Goldsmith show in Learning to Lead how to see beyond leadership myths and communicate vision to others. With updates throughout, Learning to Lead is both a workbook and a deeply considered treatise on the nature of leadership by two of its finest and most experienced practitioners—and teachers.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Doug Willmore, Chief Administrative Officer, Salt Lake County
“Learning to Lead is one of the finest books for leaders that I have ever had the opportunity to read. Grounded in proven theory, yet written in action, Bennis and Goldsmith have given anyone who aspires to lead more powerfully and more effectively, a pathway to follow. The pathway they lay out requires work and thought, yet it also calls for the best that you have to give – and as such, has allowed for new levels of self-expression, authenticity, and effectiveness in my own leadership. Clear and concise, yet not simple, it is a book that I will return to again and again.”

Catherine Houser, Executive Vice President of Human Resources, MTV Networks
“They say leaders are born, but leadership is a skill that's bred. Learning to Lead is full of smart, practical thinking on how to unlock the potential for greatness that lies within all of us.”

Raz Ingrasci, President & CEO, Hoffman Institute
“Outstanding leaders effectively embrace the paradox of a path that is equal parts inner wisdom and outward action. Now, just when the demand for excellence is greatest, this modern classic by Goldsmith and Bennis gives leaders of every stripe direct access to great mastery from one who knows you perfectly in your highest aspirations – YOURSELF. Live with this book. Use it to recalibrate your inner compass as you step boldly forward into the greatest adventure of your life.”

Tuscon Citizen
“This definitive and practical guide to leadership, now in its revised and updated fourth edition, is especially important in our current work environment of crisis and uncertainty. The ability to develop competent leaders is, without a doubt, one of our society’s most pressing concerns. This handy workbook is filled with wisdom from the world’s most insightful and accomplished leaders and includes useful self-assessments and dozens of interactive skill-building exercises.”

About the Author

Warren Bennis is Distinguished Professor of Business Administration at the University of Southern California and a consultant to multinational companies and governments throughout the world. He is the author of On Becoming a Leader and Organizing Genius. He lives in Santa Monica, California.

Joan Goldsmith is a management consultant based in Santa Monica, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books; Fourth Edition edition (April 27, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0465018866
• ISBN-13: 978-0465018864
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 0.7 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #68,769 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Warren Bennis (Los Angeles, CA), born in 1925, is an American scholar, organizational consultant and author, who is widely regarded as the pioneer of the contemporary field of leadership. He is University Professor and Distinguished Professor of Business Administration at the University of Southern California. In the past decade, he served as chairman of the Advisory Board of the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, working with David Gergen.
Bennis has consulted for many Fortune 500 companies and served as adviser to four U.S. presidents. He has served on the faculty of MIT's Sloan School of Management and was Chairman of the Organizational Studies Department. He is a former faculty member of Boston University, former Provost and Executive Vice President of State University of New York at Buffalo and President of the University of Cincinnati. His global experience includes teaching at the Indian Institute of Management-Calcutta, INSEAD, the London Business School, and IMEDE (now IMD). In 2007, Business Week called him one of ten business school professors who have had the greatest influence on business thinking. He has received 20 honorary degrees and has served on numerous boards of advisors.
Bennis has written or edited 30 books, which have been translated into 21 languages, and many articles on three of his passions-leadership, organizational change, and creative collaboration. The Financial Times recently named Leaders as one of the top 50 business books of all time.
Bennis is proud of the four years he served in the U.S. Army, 1943-1947. At the age of 19 he was one of the youngest infantry commanders in Germany and was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. His dream remains: to write a terrific one-act play.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

64 of 66 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Life-Long Exploration of Self May 7, 2001

By Robert Morris HALL OF FAMETOP 100 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

The late Vince Lombardi once asserted that leaders are made -- they are not born. "And they are made just like anything else that has ever been made in this country -- by hard effort and that's the price we all have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal." Bennis and Goldsmith agree. Theirs is literally a WORK book. The material is organized within these seven chapters:

Leadership for a Successful Future ["Followers, who are often partners in an endeavor, look to leaders to interpret reality, explain the present, and paint a picture of the future."]

How to Use This Workbook ["We are introducing a different path to leadership development -- one that has twists and turns. It may not take a reader on a direct route to a finite end-place."]

The Leadership Crisis ["Where have all the leaders gone?...In the past two decades, there has been a high turnover, an appalling mortality -- both occupational and actuarial -- among leaders."]

Knowing Yourself ["If we have a clear awareness of who we are, we can develop the habit of staying tuned to what we say and do."]

NOTE: Bennis and Goldsmith agree with Shakespeare's Polonius ("To thine ownself be true") as does James O'Toole who, in The Executive's Compass and in Leading Change, has much of value to say on the subject of congruence of values and behavior.

Creating and Communicating a Vision ["Vision animates, inspirits, and transforms purpose into action."]

Managing Trust Through Integrity ["The leader has a vision for the organization that is clear, attractive, and attainable....has unconditional empathy for for those who live in the organization.....the leader's positions are consistent....and the leader's integrity is unquestionable...."]

Realizing Intention Through Action [Those who would be leaders "need to know where you begin and where you want to go....flesh out those routes, elaborate them, revise them, and map them, complete with possible pitfalls and traps as well as rewards"....also you must "look to see if the direct route is the most sound, or whether you should make a more circuitous approach....you plan your resources and identify your allies....examine your map objectively, as if you were not its maker....Finally, when you have finished the strategy, you set out to climb the mountain."]

The authors share a wealth of their own observations and suggestions in each of the seven chapters. What sets this book apart from others which address similar subjects is its inclusion of dozens of exercises for the reader to complete within the (WORK) book. The reader is also provided with "Books on Leadership: An Annotated Bibliography" prepared by Emmeline de Pillis, Anthony Khoo, and Hyepin Im. To their excellent suggestions I would add Tichy's The Leadership Engine because, as Goldsmith observes, "Our book proposes that in our world of startling changes and overwhelming challenges, leadership is needed at every level and in every nook and corner of our organizations. We can only have the leadership we need if individuals are encouraged, motivated and supported to create themselves as leaders on a day by day basis." I also recommend Fitz-enz's The ROI of Human Capital because, without effective leadership, no organization can possibly derive greatest benefit from its most valuable asset. Again quoting Goldsmith, "The insights, theories, exercises, and tools included within our book guide leadership explorations and discoveries by staff, managers and executives at all levels of their organizations and in all areas of their lives."

For whom will this excellent book be most helpful? First, for senior-level executives who are already leaders of others and feel the need for what could perhaps be called a "tune-up" of basic principles. Also, for those who aspire to be leaders and are willing and able to complete the exercises with both rigor and (more importantly) candor. Finally, for students of business now in preparation for careers which may soon begin. (This book would be an excellent holiday or graduation gift.) Bennis and Goldsmith conclude as follows: "We hope you will continue to develop what you have begun in the learning partnership we have created here together. We look forward to knowing you more directly in the future. Empowerment leads to quality and ultimately to love of ourselves, of our work, and of life. More we cannot wish you." Nor can I. Read more ›

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A straight-forward look at Leadership August 15, 2000

By Steven K Wolcott

Format:Paperback

Clarity. Simple, straight-forward, clarity. In the hustle and jive of selling leadership, this book stands out. As the authors point out, leadership has become a growth industry. In our hunger for answers to increasingly complex problems, we consume vast quantities of pretty unsubstantial literature on leadership. "Learning to Lead" brings a clarity to the matter of leadership development that is refreshing. The authors don't try to boil a complex subject down to aphorisms, but they do succeed in clarifying the route to developing leadership. They focus their efforts on exercises that will test and reinforce an aspiring leaders ability to know themselves, to create and communicate a vision, to maintain trust through integrity (couldn't a few of our leaders use that!) and realizing intention through action. Simple. Clear. Straightforward.

The exercises, although mostly paper and pencil activities that anyone could do without cooperating partners, are appropriate for the format of the book. Again they seek to clarify our vision of what we can do, even if we are not Gandhi, Martin Luthor King or Napoleon, to exercise leadership in our lives and our communities. This book is both inspirational and immanently practical. I awarded this book only 4 stars simply for the lack of graphics and visual content. It could have been more effective if it had been developed with visual learners in mind.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Leadership Guru Does It Again! July 11, 2001

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

This is a book which is incredibly hands on and easy to access. Bennis focuses on the essentials of leadership and unlike so many others, he gives concrete tangible steps for people to take to help them discover their own leadership potential. It is useful for individuals and for groups. It has application for people from all walks of life, at all stages of life and at all stages of personal development!

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Shows how to transform yourself into an effective leader. March 25, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

Using a framework for thinking about and developing leadership talents, this workbook presents a course of study consisting of discussion and many exercises (including a leadership assessment inventory), focusing on character and core competencies. The theme is we are each capable of creating ourselves as effective leaders and can find a place on a continuum of leadership ranging from indirect support to direct leadership. This book offers a highly practical approach to leadership self-development. Reviewed by Gerry Stern, founder, HR consultant.com InfoCenter and Stern & Associates.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Run for president? June 10, 2012

By Oliver Schreck

Format:Paperback

The content is written in an easy and simple style. The exercises are plentiful but sometimes repeat them self only to ask the same topic from a different angle. Nearly all the examples published are about presidents, or characters of world importance. As I do not want to run for presidency, specially not in the US, I could not relate too much to the examples. Of course the people mentioned have their greatness and have been all great leaders, but I am doing hard to relate them to myself. Therefore I got annoyed about the examples. I would have preferred to read some more handy examples about "normal" people, or even leaders in companies taking up their responsibility and become great leaders.

5.0 out of 5 stars school book April 24, 2013

By FRED ALBRIGHT

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Wife needed this for class she is taking it came like new condition but sols as used.. in very good condiion

5.0 out of 5 stars Warren Bennis hits the ball out of the park again.... April 4, 2013

By Charles J. Tuzzo

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

With his Fourth Edition, I strongly recommend to anyone who wants to take it up a notch in the office, at home or in life.