All of great leaders evidence four basic qualities that are central to their ability to lead: adaptive capacity, the ability to engage others through shared meaning, a distinctive voice, and unshakeable integrity. These four qualities mark all exemplary leaders, whatever their age, gender, ethnicity, or race.

Warren G. Bennis

Categorized in : Integrity Voice Ethnicity

Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.

Warren G. Bennis

leadership motivational inspirational

Without character, there is no credibility; and without credibility, there is no trust.

Warren G. Bennis

no-trust credibility character

Good leaders make people feel that they're at the very heart of things, not at the periphery. Everyone feels that he or she makes a difference to the success of the organization. When that happens people feel centered and that gives their work meaning.

Warren G. Bennis

organization leadership heart

The manager administers; the leader innovates. The manager has a short-range view; the leader has a long-range perspective. The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why. The manager has his eye on the bottom line; the leader has his eye on the horizon. The manager accepts the status quo; the leader challenges it.

Warren G. Bennis

eye leadership views

Leaders learn by leading, and they learn bestby leading in the face of obstacles. As weather shapes mountains, problems shape leaders.

Warren G. Bennis

mountain leadership weather

The factory of the future will have only two employees, a man and a dog. The man will be there to feed the dog. The dog will be there to keep the man from touching the equipment.

Warren G. Bennis

future business dog

Leadership is like beauty - it's hard to define but you know it when you see it.

Warren G. Bennis

hard knows

Emotional intelligence, more than any other factor, more than I.Q. or expertise, accounts for 85% to 90% of success at work... I.Q. is a threshold competence. You need it, but it doesn't make you a star. Emotional intelligence can.

Warren G. Bennis

emotional stars needs

Who succeeds in forming and leading a Great Group? He or she is almost always a pragmatic dreamer. They are people who get things done, but they are people with immortal longings. Often, they are scientifically minded people with poetry in their souls.

Warren G. Bennis

dreamer soul people

Growing other leaders from the ranks isn't just the duty of the leader, it's an obligation.

Warren G. Bennis

growing duty leader

You are your own raw material. When you know what you consist of and what you want to make of it, then you can invent yourself.

Warren G. Bennis

raw-materials knows want

In life, change is inevitable. In business, change is vital.

Warren G. Bennis

change-is-inevitable inevitable life-changing

There are two ways of being creative. One can sing and dance. Or one can create an environment in which singers and dancers flourish.

Warren G. Bennis

learning dance inspirational

Leaders are people who do the right thing; managers are people who do things right.

Warren G. Bennis

leadership inspirational people

Trust is the emotional glue that binds followers and leaders together.

Warren G. Bennis

emotional leader together

Leaders do not avoid, repress, or deny conflict, but rather see it as an opportunity

Warren G. Bennis

conflict leadership opportunity

Followers who tell the truth, and leaders who listen to it, are an unbeatable combination.

Warren G. Bennis

telling-the-truth followers leadership

Leadership is a function of knowing yourself, having a vision that is well communicated, building trust among colleagues, and taking effective action to realize your own leadership potential.

Warren G. Bennis

vision knowing action

The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born.

Warren G. Bennis

future-leaders born-leaders leadership

Becoming a leader is synonymous with becoming yourself. It is precisely that simple, and it is also that difficult.

Warren G. Bennis

honesty simple leadership