Wisdom from Warren

Having written over 18 books on the subject, Warren Bennis, Ph.D., is a respected and influencial voice in the leadership/organizational arena. He has also written and published over 900 articles covering a wide range of issues dealing with leadership, management, and human resource development. So his insights should never be taken lightly or easily dismissed. Further, while I know nothing of his faith, nothing in his writings, which I have read, is inconsistent with Scripture or the leadership model portrayed by Christ.

Having said that, I want to excerpt some quotes from an article he wrote in 1999. The title of the article is, "The End of Leadership: Exemplarly Leadership is Impossible Without full Inclusion, Initiatives, and Cooperation of Followers." This article was published in Organizational Dynamics, 28 (1). The follwing are all direct quotes:

The source for effective change is the workforce in creative alliance with top leadership.

I came to the unmistakable realization that TOPdown leadership was not only wrong, unrealistic and maladaptive, but also, given the report of history, dangerous. And given certain changes taking place in the organizational landscape, this obsolete form of leadership will erode the competitive advantage and destroy the aspoiriations of any organization . . .

What we tend to forget is that greatness lies within nations and organizations themselves as much, if not more, than their leaders.

No change can occur without willing and committed followers.

... the TOPdown model, in the present business context, is dyfunctional, maladaptive and, as I'll get to now, dangerous.

What should be clear by now is that post-bureaucratic organization rquires a new kind of alliance between leaders and the led. Today's organizations are evolving into federations, networks, clusters, cross-functional teams, temporary systems, ad hoc forces, lattices, modules, matices--almost anything but pyramids with their obsolete TOPdown leadership. The new leader will encourage healthy dissent and values those followers courageous enough to say no. It will go to the leader who exults in cultural differences and knows that diversity is the best hope for long-term survival and success.

1. The New Leader understands and practices the power of appreciation.
2. The New Leader keeps reminding people of what's important.
3. The New Leader generates and sustains trust.
4. The New Leader and the Led are intimate allies.

Only a poet could sum up the majesty of this alchemy:

We are all angels with only one wing.
we can only fly while embracing each other.

These New Leaders will not have the loudest voice, but the most attentive ear. Instead, of pyramids, these post-bureaucratic organizations will be strutures built of energy and ideas, led by people who find their joy in the task at hand, while embracing each other--and not worrying about leaving monuments behind.