Rating: 
Summary: Better Than I Initially Thought
Review: After my initial review, I got feedback from some readers that led me to believe that I might have missed something in my initial reading. I re-read this book and found it better the second time around. Even though I would not call this book one of the best leadership books I have read, I am glad I decided to read it again with a much more open and receptive mind. Bennis' scholarly approach to the subject of leadership was generally interesting and at times a little too much and too long-winded for my tastes. What I liked best about this book is that it dealt with leaders and developing leadership from a `self-made' perspective. One of the book's main themes is that "each of us contains the capacity for leadership." What I liked least about the book was Bennis' blatant liberal political preferences, which I felt strongly detracted from his message and credibility. I now understand why the front cover proudly proclaims that this book was recommended by Vice President Al Gore to all his advisers. In a lot of ways, he challenged many of my personal beliefs and pre-conceived notions about leaders and leadership. Bennis reinforced his own points with many quotes, stories, and anecdotes from profiling close to thirty leaders. Even his choice of leaders was challenging for me as he included many folks from fields not normally associated with strong leadership traditions (i.e. Hollywood, entertainment industry, etc.) and excluded the more common strong leadership traditions fields such as sports, the military, and elected government officials. Once I was able to get beyond the book's faults and shortcomings, Bennis had enough good ideas and observations to keep me interested and entertained. This book is not one I would recommend making a special effort to get and read, but if it was readily available and you had the time, I believe it would certainly be worthwhile to give it a try.
Rating: 
Summary: This is an excellent study of leadership.
Review: Charles SmithSubmitted 2/18/99 Bennis, W. (1989). On Becoming A Leader. Reading, Massachusetts: Perseus Books This book deals with leadership, how one becomes a leader, and the many people the author knows with leadership qualities. It is written in an easy to understand format that uses many formulas which people have used to obtain strong leadership qualities. Bennis points out three reasons for the importance of effective leadership. Leaders are responsible for organizational effectiveness, leaders must also provide stability to an organization and the need for integrity within an organization. Norman Lear, writer and director, is often referenced by Bennis. He believes that society is suffering from what he calls a "societal disease" of short-term thinking. This can be a stumbling block in the pursuit of total leadership. One of Bennis' premises is that that the context of leadership is a breaker not a maker and that most people fail to realize the difference. To be an effective leader one must see it as an end result, not a beginning. Learning from failure is also an important theme in the book. The author points out a person fictitiously called Ed and how he never really understood what it took to be an effective leader. While he had wonderful management skills, he was not trusted because he was unable to make people feel willing to follow. He had followers but they were not always willing followers. Norman Lear again provides insight to what he calls mastering the context of leadership. A leader must be self-expressive, listen to the inner voice, learn from the right mentors and give oneself over to a guiding vision. Bennis defines three ingredients that encompass leadership. A guiding vision is to know where one wants to go and how to get there. Another ingredient is passion. This occurs when a leader loves what he does and loves doing it. The third component is integrity. This follows the "know thyself" concept. If you know your strengths and weaknesses you will better know how to deal with certain tasks. There is great value in separating what people think and expect of you from what you think and expect of yourself, according to the author. Bennis discusses three types of learning that mold potential leaders. The first is maintenance learning described as using fixed methods and outlooks to deal with "recurring situations." The second is shock learning in which people are overwhelmed by events. These two types of learning are said to be more about accepting other's philosophies than about true learning. Bennis acknowledges the need to replace maintenance and shock learning with what he calls innovative learning, which requires one to be imaginative, an active listener and to participate in shaping events, instead of letting events shape you. Another concept is dealing with oneself. Bennis talks about learning from mistakes and looking back to see how mistakes could make a better future. These concepts are conducive to future growth. He also points out how failure is part of becoming an effective leader. It is necessary for growth and a lack of failure could indicate an unwillingness to take risks. Leaders must be able to deal with different personalities. Bennis discusses right-brained people, identifiable as intuitive, conceptual and artistic. He also identifies left-brained people who are logical, analytical and have technical backgrounds. In other words, a leader must be able to see through the eyes of an accountant as well as a researcher and mesh the two into a vision. Bennis calls this being whole brained. The author also talks the importance of trust building. He points out four traits necessary for trust to develop: consistency, congruity, reliability and integrity. With these characteristics, true leadership can take place. These important components of leadership are what kept Ed from being an effective leader. The author points out that trust is the foundation in which true leadership can be cultivated.
Rating:
Summary: Some stories about leaders and leadership.
Review: I have to agree with most of the other reviewers in saying this was a so-so book on leadership. Bennis tells a lot of stories about theories and tries to interweave leadership principles into these stories. Perhaps I was looking too closely for some sort of theory and what I got was a lot of common sense to support the stories told. For example, treat people the way you want to be treated, let people try things and even if they make mistakes, it benefits the organization. I would hope most people would think these are common sense type suggestions. As other people reported, Bennis takes a lot of stories about the entertainment industry, feminist organizations, etc, and one wonders how strong these organization leadership abilities are. Industry, military, and political organizations are perhaps better organizations to describe for leadership principles. An average read for those interested in management.
Rating:
Summary: Some stories about leaders and leadership.
Review: I have to agree with most of the other reviewers in saying this was a so-so book on leadership. Bennis tells a lot of stories about theories and tries to interweave leadership principles into these stories. Perhaps I was looking too closely for some sort of theory and what I got was a lot of common sense to support the stories told. For example, treat people the way you want to be treated, let people try things and even if they make mistakes, it benefits the organization. I would hope most people would think these are common sense type suggestions. As other people reported, Bennis takes a lot of stories about the entertainment industry, feminist organizations, etc, and one wonders how strong these organization leadership abilities are. Industry, military, and political organizations are perhaps better organizations to describe for leadership principles. An average read for those interested in management.
Rating: 
Summary: Helpful direction for leaders
Review: I picked up Bennis' classic for my management/leadership library several months ago and I've already read it, highlighted it, and written notes in it twice! Bennis' research and interviews with several leaders he selected from various industries provides some very insightful advice to leaders of all levels. The direction from this book will not steer you wrong. The information presented seems common sense, but when all told, if the direction given were followed, we'd have better leaders in place than we do now. I can truthfully say that this book has inspired me to be a better leader. If you have some guts, take a chance and pick this book up and evaluate yourself. If you don't gain some insight into yourself as a leader, you're probably missing the boat somewhere along the line. The book is easy to read, and you'll finish it rather quickly the first time through. Do yourself a favor though, pause and reflect after each chapter. The information provided compells you to do some reflecting. This book will remain on my top 10 reading list for some time to come!
Rating:
Summary: Must reading for leaders who need to share their vision
Review: I'm not sure that reading this book will make anyone a better leader, but it sure couldn't hurt! The author does a marvelous job of communicating the essence of leadership and the qualities that make effective leaders. The short stories, examples, and quotes in this book make it enjoyable reading. If you're looking for a "10 things you must do to be a great manager" type of book, this book is NOT for you. If, however, you're interested in management through a shared vision, you'll definitely want to read this book. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me - adamleft@webspan.net.
Rating:
Summary: Leadership as self-actualization
Review: If it wasn't for the first two chapters, I probably would have given this book five stars. The first chapter is completed outdated and the second chapter is monumentally bad. (I would honestly recommend skipping them). But the rest of this book is pretty good, essentially a collection of anecdotes and quotations of leaders experiences. I particularly liked the time Bennis took to review how leaders' failures can be turned into great learning experiences. I also like how Bennis describes leadership as a path to self-expression. I agree wholeheartedly.
Rating:
Summary: More about fulfillment than leadership
Review: In the mid-1980s, Warren Bennis wrote this classic model for modern leadership based on personal growth, self-expression, learning and integrity, drawing from interviews with dozens of leaders. Most importantly, he found, leaders do not seek to lead. Instead, they seek to express themselves fully. They embrace risks and mistakes, learning from adversity. They reflect on all of their experiences. With these skills, they inspire others to follow them. They turn organizations into communities which find each member's highest potential. Bennis falls into the one mistake he accuses American managers of making: he takes a poll (of successful leaders) and then gets caught in short-term thinking to address its results. As a result, this pessimistic analysis of American business is dated today. In the 21st century's light, some of his examples - i.e. the late Robert Maxwell and Apple Computer's John Sculley - seem quite dubious. However, we from getAbstract appreciate Bennis' basic, inspiring philosophy of leadership and so will you. Read this if you want to lead - and be good at it.
Rating:
Summary: Gets to the root of what it takes to be a self made leader..
Review: It's hard not to read the pearls of wisdom written in this book. Bennis does a fantastic job of expressing his thoughts and concepts on leadership. This book is not a one - two step solution on becoming a great leader. Bennis really attempts to drive down into the depths of what it takes to be a `self made leader.' He talks about learned childhood behavior and how it can effect the humane psyche. He also talks about unlearning old habits and reinventing oneself. Basically, drilling down into how to express yourself without any influence from external factors (society's influence). According to Bennis, this is critical in defining your place as a leader. He drives home how one can live, work, and think on his own terms without any influence. Good stuff... The books premise is laid out in Bennis' own terms, with supporting leadership behavioral backing point throughout the book. He gets most of this behavioral input from a series of interviews taken from various leaders; such as, John Sculley (Apple Computers) and Sydney Pollack (Director). What I liked about this book is its simple truth. Bennis makes a lot of since, plain and simple. I do feel however that there is a lot of filler text. The book could easily be condensed by a third. Definitely worth the money...
Rating:
Summary: Gets to the root of what it takes to be a self made leader..
Review: It's hard not to read the pearls of wisdom written in this book. Bennis does a fantastic job of expressing his thoughts and concepts on leadership. This book is not a one - two step solution on becoming a great leader. Bennis really attempts to drive down into the depths of what it takes to be a 'self made leader.' He talks about learned childhood behavior and how it can effect the humane psyche. He also talks about unlearning old habits and reinventing oneself. Basically, drilling down into how to express yourself without any influence from external factors (society's influence). According to Bennis, this is critical in defining your place as a leader. He drives home how one can live, work, and think on his own terms without any influence. Good stuff... The books premise is laid out in Bennis' own terms, with supporting leadership behavioral backing point throughout the book. He gets most of this behavioral input from a series of interviews taken from various leaders; such as, John Sculley (Apple Computers) and Sydney Pollack (Director). What I liked about this book is its simple truth. Bennis makes a lot of since, plain and simple. I do feel however that there is a lot of filler text. The book could easily be condensed by a third. Definitely worth the money...
| 
