139 Quotes by Warren G. Bennis

Learning to be an effective leader is no different than learning to be an effective person. And that's the hard part

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.

Charisma is the result of effective leadership, not the other way around.

I am reminded how hollow the label of leadership sometimes is and how heroic followership can be.

Innovation- any new idea-by definition will not be accepted at first. It takes repeated attempts, endless demonstrations, monotonous rehearsals before innovation can be accepted and internalized by an organization. This requires courageous patience.

If I had to reduce the responsibilities of a good follower to a single rule, it would be to speak truth to power.

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

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.

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.