Customer Reviews

Why Leaders Can't Lead: The Unconscious Conspiracy Continues

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1 star:		(3)

 

 

I agree with Bennis' premise that there is an "Unconscious Conspiracy" which sucks the life and creativity out of would be modern leaders. However, I was extremely disappointed in the chaotic prose and exclusive stabs at politically conservative leaders. For example, he highlighted Ralph Nader as an example of a good modern leader.

Throughout the book, I had trouble figuring out what Bennis was trying to convey. I don't normally hate a book, having loved so many before. But I hate this one. Stick to Dilbert, it's more apropo.

I read this several years ago, set it aside, and idly picked it up to reread recently. I had forgotten just how bad this book is. It's the cry of a frustrated 1960s liberal who found, at the end of the 1980s, that the world had refused to reshape itself in accordance with his utopian wishes. Bennis is usually pretty coherent, but this book isn't. Rather than providing insight into the dilemmas of leadership, it really makes me wonder if Bennis knows much about leading at all.

I am mystified why Peter Drucker would lend his endorsement to this book. I'm only 70 pages into it, but have elected to write my first book review because I DISLIKE this book!

So far, I have read chapter after chapter of ranting about why the golden of age of America began in 1962 and ended in 1963. Television, fast food, yuppies, and above all, rock and roll, have conspired to corrupt America and with it, ostensibly, the world.

What a crock! How about getting on with life!

Warren Bennis has a talent for being able to see and articulate the "big picture" problems that are plaguing the majority of organizations today. He uses many, many examples to show cause and effect relationships between poor leadership and organizational health. He is an outspoken fan of creativity, vision, trust and momentum within the work force and exegetic in his treatment of corporations, colleges, the military, Non-Profits, etc.- He is blunt about greed, reactionism and hubris while presenting an exciting picture of our Country and it's potential when leaders (not managers) are allowed to instill hope in the people who do the work.

I am buying a copy for each of my employees!!

This is one of the best books ever written on leadership. I suspect that the poor reviews come from Reagan acolytes since Bennis was willing to tell the world the emperor had no clothes back when it was first written.

If you are looking for leadership strategies and tactics, you'll appreciate this book. If you believe the world desperately needs real leadership, you'll want to own this book. However, if you think greed is good and you're more interested in getting "yours" then you shouldn't bother opening the cover.