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Managing People is Like Herding Cats: Warren Bennis on Leadership

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4 star:		(1)
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Apparently another reviewer agrees with Ecclesiastes that there is nothing new under the sun and I agree with both of them. There is nothing new in this book nor does Bennis make that claim. He has observed that this book offers his last and best comments on the subject of leadership. In it, he has assembled his best ideas from a number of previous books he authored or co-authored. Let us all hope that this is not his final contribution to the subject.

Bennis begins with an especially apt quotation of T.S. Eliot's comments on his cat The Rum Tum Tugger: "For he will do as he will do, and there's no doing anything about it. When you let him in, then he wants out; he's always in the wrong side of the door." As an owner of countless cats myself for more than 20 years, I can personally affirm that Eliot's cat is normal. It really makes no difference what you name a cat nor what you say to it. The best advice I can offer is to remember that a dog's idea of God is a human being but that a cat's idea of God is a cat. For thousands of years, the human race has deified certain rulers (e.g. Caesars), many of whom (like cats) saw themselves as deities. Until recently, many corporate CEOs embraced the "command and control" leadership style. Several of them are on record as viewing themselves as omniscient and omnipotent, victims of what I characterize as "The Ozmanias Syndrome" which is inevitably fatal for them and often for their spheres of influence as well.

Back to Bennis and this book. To those who aspire to lead people, here's his advice: "Be humble. Stop trying to `herd cats' and start building trust and mutual respect. Your `cats' will respond. They will sense your purpose, keep your business purring, and even kill your rats." Bennis' clever use of similes and metaphors aside, I rate this volume so highly for three reasons. First, it offers what is probably the most personal glimpse we are likely to have of Bennis, very much in the same spirit as Stephen King's On Writing. Also, Bennis is deeply concerned about an ever-worsening "leadership crisis" of global proportions. He explains why others should share that concern. Finally, as noted earlier, he assembles in this volume his most important insights and observations on the subject of leadership. For that last reason, I am most grateful (much as I enjoyed the pleasure of his personal company) because those insights and observations suggest HOW to respond to the aforementioned "leadership crisis."

Bennis organizes his material with two Sections (The Leadership Crisis and What Makes a Leader?) and an Epilogue (Reflections on Retirement). Drawing upon personal experiences which extend back to his childhood, Bennis explains why he views self-invention as an exercise of the imagination: "That's basically how we get to know ourselves. People who can't invent and then reinvent themselves must be content with borrowed postures, secondhand ideas, fitting in instead of standing out. Inventing oneself is the opposite of accepting the roles we were brought up to play." This is an affirmation with profound implications. Those who possess sufficient courage, determination, and (yes) endurance to gain self-knowledge will eventually achieve beneficial change. So long as this immensely difficult process continues, periodic reinvention is inevitable.

Meanwhile, paradoxically, Bennis suggests that there are certain human values which must remain constant throughout that process. They include integrity, dedication, magnanimity, humility, openness, and creativity. Values-driven leaders, while increasing their self-knowledge, must possess non-negotiable standards of moral and intellectual honesty. They must have a passionate belief in something. They must be "noble of mind and heart; generous in forgiving; above revenge and resentment." As Bennis observes, "Magnanimous and humble people are notable for their self-possession. They know who they are, have healthy egos, and take more pride in what they do than in who they are." They must be willing to try what is new and be receptive to new ideas, however bizarre, with "a tolerance for ambiguity and change, and a rejection of any and all preconceived prejudices, biases, and stereotypes." With regard to creativity, Bennis asserts that "we must restore our sense of wonder, break through our own preconceptions and see everything new and fresh -- as we did when we were children." In sum, leaders have both vision and virtue.

In his Epilogue, during which he reflects on the subject of retirement, Bennis shares two basic ideas. First, that all of his own personal heroes "were always in transition. They were always redesigning, recomposing and reinventing their own lives. Also, "that people who have been successful in their careers and in life are also successful in all transitions." This book is really not about "herding cats"; rather, it is about principled self-governance. It is also about values-driven leadership as (in effect) a "work in progress" throughout transitions in life. Now more than ever before, our world desperately needs leaders whose vision will inspire us and whose virtue will guide us during our own quest for self-knowledge from one transition to the next.

This is the first book that I have read by Bennis, and I didn't find anything earth-shattering in it. The book did have some good chapters, but the majority of it rehashed most of the other books on leadership I have read. I suppose there is nothing all that new under the sun. Although the book isn't very long, some sections of chapters appear to be re-hashes from earlier chapters. It reads as a collection of his essays, with common themes sewn throughout (ex: Managers do things right, Leaders do the right thing). For those that are leaders (or aspiring leaders), the information in Herding Cats will serve to reinforce what you should already know.

Initially I was intrigued by the title of this book - what has `cat-herding' to do with managing people? Bennis' statement that `cats can't be herded, but they can be led' makes sense in a quirky way. Much like cats, people are quite resistant to any sort of rules or change that are being forced upon them; they react much better if they are gently led. I think one of the biggest challenges that we all face is leadership - defining leadership, and then defining ourselves within that definition. Managing and leading are not the same thing, and it's the leaders rather than the managers who will be truly successful throughout the next decade, and beyond.
Bennis states that there is a `leadership crisis' in the United States, and offers four contributing factors. The first is the `growing disparity between the rich and the poor'. I wholeheartedly agree - nothing erodes trust in our leadership than seeing CEOs making millions, while John Q. Public has been downsized out of a job, and no longer has health insurance for his kids.
The second factor is what Bennis calls the `inverted trust factor'. This has to do with trust in government, and how that trust has eroded. This book was published in 1999; we've all seen the brief surge in trust that followed the September 11th tragedy; however, as Osama bin Laden continues to elude us, I feel that trust in our government is on the downswing again.
The third factor Bennis calls the `abandoned other half', those who have been laid off and downsized. With a growing population and a shrinking job market, what chance do American workers have of finding a decent job with good wages and benefits?
The last contributor to the `crisis' is the lack of empowerment felt by American workers. Bennis states "Empowerment and restructuring are on a collision course". As America downsizes, those who do remain employed don't have a warm, fuzzy feeling that they will remain employed for long. Pervasive fear of losing one's job doesn't bode well for creativity or initiative.
BUT.....Bennis offers hope. He feels that if we can become LEADERS, rather than managers, we have a shot at heading off the crisis that he sees coming. He offers some thoughts on the competencies and traits of leaders, which, on first read, seem like basic common sense. However, many of us may not take the time to stop and think about ways to actually BE a leader, and so instill and inspire leadership in others. In a nutshell, Bennis believes that true leaders have a vision, a set of intentions, which sets the direction and leads to a goal.
I personally enjoyed this book. While much of it is common sense, it is presented in such a way as to make you think twice, and to make you wonder how it applies to you and your own occupation, be it CEO or first level manager

I was disappointed in the content of the two tapes. The title suggests that it instructs on the management of unmanageble people, but Bennis spends most of the tape speaking in generalities about leadership (and seems to look down his nose at managers as lacking leadership qualities). The title might better be something along the lines of <<Bennis' Random Thoughts on Leadership>>.

Warren Bennis is very well regarded in the leadership world. I bought the book hoping for some insight and intrigued by the title. I was disappointed.

On a positive note, Bennis is very, very quotable. Sound bites are sprinkled throughout, like, "There isn't a company in America that wouldn't benefit from a little less efficiency and a lot more inspiration."

The problem is, the cutsey quotes don't connect. As stand-alone quotes, they suck you in and make it seem interesting. But there's nothing in between. Same with the catchy titles--"Too Many Chiefs," "Shakes and Quakes," and even "Managing People is Like Herding Cats." It got my attention but never delivered.

In addition, the title indicates that the book might give some insight into managing people. Nope. I was actually insulted to be a manager. The entire book couches leaders as the saviors and managers as the uninspired, uncreative simpletons of the business world. "Management is about systems, controls, procedures, policies, structure. Leadership is about trust--about people."

If you want a book with great quotes you can throw around to seem wise and deep, this book can help. If you want inspiration because you fancy yourself a leader and visionary, this might be interesting. If you want a book with actually helps you with your effectiveness as a leader, forget it.

I found the book a rehash of 1980's thinking by a university professor. Japan good. US bad. Unions good, Marx good, business people bad - what a waste of money.

A great audio tape for new leaders. The audio lets us know that the old way will fail you. People are more educated now, therefore the boss is not the only one with the college degree. Listen to the audio it will be a great eye opener. If you have ever had a cat, you know how hard they are to lead.

This may be Bennis' finest work to date and illustrates the wisdom of his own re-invention and the essence of what's missing in our lives - work and otherwise - leadership we can count on. A readable text for those who wish to lead and those who wish to follow. Not only does Bennis write about what leadership is meant to be, he provides some insights on good followship as well. As a cat owner, the similarities hit home. I read Managing People in a single sitting - and read it again. Put it at the top of Business Books to Read!