That is the key challenge facing management today; change is the only constant. Warren G. Bennis More Quotes by Warren G. Bennis More Quotes From Warren G. Bennis Understand stakeholder symmetry: Find the appropriate balance of competing claims by various groups of stakeholders. Warren G. Bennis groupsbalanceclaims See the long view: By all means "plant the corn, milk the cows, and feed the horses" but always keep the eventual "harvest" in mind. Warren G. Bennis horseviewsmean Almost without exception, members of great groups see themselves as winning underdogs, as a feisty David hurling fresh ideas at a big, backward-looking Goliath. They always have an "enemy." Warren G. Bennis winningenemyideas If great teams don't have an "enemy," they create one for themselves because, as former Coca-Cola CEO Roberto Goizueta pointed out, "you can't have a war without one." Warren G. Bennis teamwarenemy People in great groups have blinders on. Their work is all they see. They value failures as learning opportunities. They are optimistic, not realistic, as they proceed from one challenge and crisis to the next. Warren G. Bennis optimisticopportunitypeople No leader can create sustainable, significant change without a reservoir of good will. Without that, you always tend to compromise with failure. Warren G. Bennis significant-changecompromiseleader In great groups, the right people always have the right job. Warren G. Bennis groupsjobspeople Understand the "Gretzky Factor": Cultivate an instinct, a "touch", call it what you will, that enables you to know both where the "puck" is now and where it will be soon. Warren G. Bennis gretzkypuckinstinct Perhaps the central task of the leader of leaders thus becomes the development of other leaders. Warren G. Bennis tasksdevelopmentleader Some of the strongest resistance to necessary change is the result of what Jim O'Toole has so aptly characterized as "the ideology of comfort and the tyranny of custom." Warren G. Bennis necessary-changeresistancecomfort People vary enormously in how they learn. Some learn through their eyes - by reading but also by responding to all kinds of visual information. Others learn mostly through their ears or touch or other senses. Warren G. Bennis eyereadingpeople This duality, making yourself better while teaching and developing others' judgment capabilities, is the key to leadership that is both productive and principled. Warren G. Bennis judgmentkeysteaching Think of successful creative collaborations are dreams with deadlines. Warren G. Bennis successfuldreamthinking Great groups deliver great results. And for everyone involved in a great group, great work is its own reward. Warren G. Bennis great-workrewardsgroups Organizations should try to find out if their learning programs actually work. Warren G. Bennis programorganizationtrying Great leaders love talent and know where to find it. They surround themselves with talented people who can work effectively together. Warren G. Bennis leadertogetherpeople The failure to find the right niche for people - or to let them find their own perfect niches - is a major reason that so many workplaces are mediocre, even toxic, in spite of the presence of talent. Leaders of great groups give them whatever they need and free them from everything else. Warren G. Bennis perfectgivingpeople Leaders must earn the trust of their teams, their organizations, and their stakeholders before attempting to engage their support. Warren G. Bennis supportteamorganization One of the worst mistakes is to do nothing. Warren G. Bennis worstmistake Expect the best from your people and they will usually deliver but your expectations must be realistic. Warren G. Bennis realisticexpectationspeople
