Customer Reviews

Managing the Dream: Reflections on Leadership and Change

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Don't be fooled by the book's title - this collection of essays is more about leadership and less about management. They are not the same. For instance, managers generally focus on the near-term whereas leaders usually take long-term perspectives; managers rely on systems and structures whereas leaders focus on recruiting outstanding individuals and empowering them; managers rely on control whereas leaders inspire trust; managers generally accept the status quo whereas leaders constantly challenge it.

Particularly interesting is the author's take on Daniel Ellsberg of Pentagon Papers fame and former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. Politics aside, Ellsberg exhibited true leadership, Bennis contends, when he morphed from "loyal insider to defiant outsider, from organization man to prison-risking dissident." McNamara, on the other hand, may have become equally disillusioned with the war effort in Vietnam, yet he succumbed to organizational pressures and continued to manage as best he could. Bennis, you might have guessed by now, loathes government bureaucracies and other large organizations - this story tips the iceberg on this and several other Bennis themes, like risk taking.

Bennis bounces around from politics (both left and right), business, and sports to effectively communicate some very powerful messages. The core competencies of leadership apply not only to individuals but also to groups - "few great accomplishments are ever the work of a single individual." And who can argue - witness the Manhattan Project, Lockheed's Skunk Works, and even the Los Angeles Lakers. The ten principles of great groups is a must read for any working professional. The book is especially useful, however, for leaders and managers aspiring to be more effective leaders; I highly recommend it.

Some years ago, a friend gave me a copy of "On Becoming a Leader." While I wasn't much into leadership theory at the time, I was struck by Bennis' observation that most constructive leaders tended to be simply intent on expressing themselves fully, while most unhealthy/failed leaders tended to be bent on proving how great they were (ultimately to the detriment of themselves and others). Seemed to be wisdom that applied to everyone, not just leaders.

Since then, I've become extremely impressed with Bennis' command of the history and psychology of leadership. This book covers all the bases -- essays that blend social science, personal experience and good old-fashioned wisdom. Most of the things I've read by the famous management experts are fluff and wishful thinking; but Bennis seems to have more depth and science at his disposal than the rest. I've already begun giving this book to friends who want to be better leaders and stewards.

Whether you are a first-year MBA student or a management veteran, Warren Bennis is a must-read for anyone looking to unlock their leadership abilities. His newest collection of essays confirm his title as one of the most interesting and articulate management gurus today. He will entertain as well as engage your mind in how leadership continues to change and evolve in the 21st century.Add this to your summer reading list. You won't be disappointed.

The venerable leadership master, Warren Bennis, puts his life's work in perspective in this very personal collection. Bennis's work on leadership remains highly relevant in the new economy. His view is that this is an era "in which the very pace of change is accelerating with each new day", and that "change is the only constant". His most durable advice to leaders is to stay nimble, but this book -- part meditation, part how-to manual -- goes much deeper than these quotes can convey.

I picked up this book as part of the recommended reading list for my administrative internship and now, internship over, I am still carrying out the remainder of my first year as a Principal. This brings me to my specific appreciation for this book:

Bennis is an academic who forced himself to "walk the talk" - an experience that tested his idealism and helped him define who he is. I share the sense of guilt that would lead an idealist intellectual toward practical pursuits. I feel that if I do not lay it on the line and practically demonstrate what I advocate - then my work is only halfway accomplished, and not ready to be taken seriously. I guess you could view it somewhat like the old faith vs. works dichotomy familiar to religions.

As a Muslim, the two are equal. In God's eyes you may not justify the common excuse that you did not need to pray or act charitably because your "belief is in the heart". Rather, your works flow naturally from your beliefs and are a reflection of their authenticity. Likewise, your works reinforce your faith too. Righteous actions lead to increased faith, while wrong actions lead to hypocrisy and eventually the deterioration of belief. This does not preclude the sinful from belief - rather all people make mistakes and do wrong - but repentance is the righteous action prompted by sin, and thus, the unintentional sin has a purpose toward the fulfillment of the human being's growth and development: to fall down, to reflect, to resolve to improve, and to carry forth with good works and faith. And either may preclude the other. The one who begins with belief, learning intellectually and then accepting the belief, then acting, is as legitimate as the one who begins with works, like praying for guidance and doing what is instinctually right, and finally arriving at the realization of faith. And lastly - neither faith nor works are static or guaranteed - both require continuous attention to be legitimate.

The reason for this digression is that I think it is at the heart of what drives a man out of his idealistic comfort zone onto the battlefield of real life situations to be tested. Bennis shared his angst in this regard, and through the process has learned that it is okay to be an intellectual, and that there probably is a point where the intellectual should step back and allow the hands-on guys to take the lead. But I personally think that what gives him the authority and respect to make this observation is that he still put himself through the fire - going from social scientist to administrative leader. Even if he himself still came away from the experience with the self-acknowledgement that it was not his forte, his action still tested his commitment to his ideas and lent validity to the values and beliefs about leadership that he had espoused as an academic on the subject.

Personally, this gave me a light at the end of a tunnel I recently entered. Whereas I chiefly became a principal in order to fill a void, I know that my heart lies in learning and teaching. Someday I will be able to go back to my first love, but first, I think it is very important to push the boundaries of schooling to pave the way for the kinds of schools where I would like to teach, to be a reality. Otherwise, I would just grow old as a disgruntled educator with a lot of untested and untried dreams about the way schools should have been - or more likely others will come and shape the new face of schooling without my input or contribution.

And this is what the book is about. As the subtitle says, it is a collection of essays, articles, and other reflections on leadership and change. It advocates some of what I would consider the basics of leadership: maintaining the dream, or vision of where you are going (i.e. the changes that you believe will make your organization successful and effective in the future) and the importance of empowering leadership throughout the organization (i.e. the embodiment of democratic vs. bureaucratic leadership). The book is not necessarily focused on education. Bennis is an intellectual, his leadership experience was at the college/university level, but many of the examples cited are from commercial corporations that may appeal more to the businessman than the educator. It is well known to me that principles of organizational management will apply across organizations. A school has a social environment like any company where people have roles, formal and informal interactions, hierarchical positions in the society, etc.

In closing, this book provides inspiration for the aspiring leader. S/he should not be discouraged when the ideals they held before taking a leadership position are tested by the experience. For me this has been reinforcement in my first year where I have faced the urge to impose rather than inspire democratic leadership within my school. Trust and initiative have to be fostered and grown over time. While you are waiting to see the fruits, there are the naysayers who push for micromanagement, seeking the quick fix - but destroying the chance for future organizational excellence to emerge from within. Because it is a collection, the book does not require chronology or even thorough reading, though this is the way I approached it. But it can also be flipped through and individual sections sought that may provide perspective on different issues applicable at the time.