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 More Quotes by Warren G. Bennis More Quotes From Warren G. Bennis Too many companies believe people are interchangeable. Truly gifted people never are. They have unique talents. Such people cannot be forced into roles they are not suited for, nor should they be. Effective leaders allow great people to do the work they were born to do. Warren G. Bennis unique leadership believe The learning person looks forward to failure or mistakes. The worst problem in leadership is basically early success. Warren G. Bennis problem mistake looks The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why. Warren G. Bennis being-a-leader managers leadership Learning to be an effective leader is no different than learning to be an effective person. And that's the hard part Warren G. Bennis different leader business One of the qualities that all the leaders have is a voracious appetite to learn whatever they do not as yet know and understand, coupled with an openness to new experiences. Warren G. Bennis new-experiences quality leader Every one of the geezers who continues to play a leadership role has one quality of overriding importance: neotony. The dictionary definition is that neotony, a zoological term, involves "the retention of youthful qualities throughout old age." It is more than merely retaining a youthful appearance, although that is often part of it. Neotony is the retention of all those wonderful qualities that we associate with youth: curiosity, playfulness, eagerness, fearlessness, warmth, energy. Warren G. Bennis curiosity age play Trust resides squarely between faith and doubt. Warren G. Bennis faith-and-doubt doubt The leaders I met, whatever walk of life they were from, whatever institutions they were presiding over, always referred back to the same failure something that happened to them that was personally difficult, even traumatic, something that made them feel that desperate sense of hitting bottom-as something they thought was almost a necessity. It's as if at that moment the iron entered their soul; that moment created the resilience that leaders need. Warren G. Bennis iron leadership motivational The leader...is rarely the brightest person in the group. Rather they have extraordinary taste, which makes them more curators than creators. They are appreciators of talent and nurturers of talent and they have the ability to recognize valuable ideas. Warren G. Bennis leader inspirational ideas Taking charge of your own learning is a part of taking charge of your life, which is the sine qua non in becoming an integrated person. Warren G. Bennis integrated becoming management Embrace error: Create an atmosphere in which prudent risk taking is strongly encouraged. Warren G. Bennis atmosphere risk errors People who cannot invent and reinvent themselves must be content with borrowed postures, secondhand ideas, fitting in instead of standing out. Warren G. Bennis standing-out people ideas Encourage dissent: Leaders should have associates who have contrary views, who are devil's advocates, "variance sensors" who can tell them the difference between what is expected and what is really happening, between what they want to hear and what they need to hear. There are too many naked emperors running around today. Warren G. Bennis should-have views running Great things are achieved by talented people who are absolutely convinced that they not only can but will achieve them. Warren G. Bennis great-things achieve people To become a leader, then, you must become Warren G. Bennis makers leader leadership Government is like an onion. To understand it, you have to peel through many different layers. Most outsiders never get beyond the first or second layer. Warren G. Bennis onions government different Failing organizations are usually over-managed and under-led. Warren G. Bennis failure business leadership Good leaders make people feel that they're at the very heart of things, not at the periphery. Warren G. Bennis leadership inspirational relationship Excellence is a better teacher than mediocrity. The lessons of the ordinary are everywhere. Truly profound and original insights are to be found only in studying the exemplary. Warren G. Bennis teaching teacher retirement There is a profound difference between information and meaning. Warren G. Bennis learning differences knowledge
