On Becoming a Leader (Chapter 3. pp. 49 - 66)

We are getting some outlines of Warren Bennis's philosophy on leadership. Here are some thought-provoking ideas he shared in Chapter 3. Feel free to react to any of these statements (or others that you found interesting). What did these ideas make you think about?

"People begin to become leaders at that moment when they decide for themselves how to be." (p. 49)

"Know thyself, then, means separating who you are and who you want to be from what the world thinks you are and wants you to be." (p. 50)

"Self-knowledge, self-invention are lifetime processes." (p. 51)

"...All of us can find tangible and intangible rewards in self-knowledge and self-control, because if you go on doing what you've always done, you'll go on getting what you've always got." (p. 51)

"No one can teach you how to become yourself, to take charge, to express yourself, except you." (p. 51)

4 Lessons of Self-Knowledge:
1) You are your own best teacher.
2) Accept responsibility. Blame no one.
3) You can learn anything you want to learn.
4) True understanding comes from reflecting on your experience.

"Unless you have the appetite to absorb new and potentially unsettling things, you don't learn... It's a kind of fearlessness and optimism and confidence, and you're not afraid of failure." (p. 56)

"Nothing is truly yours until you understand it - not even yourself." (p. 57)

"...Paying close attention to the signals from others that remain unaltered throughout your life." (p. 58)

"Leaders learn from others, but they are not made by others." (p. 59)

"Leaders begin, then, by backing themselves, inspiring themselves, trusting themselves, and ultimately inspire others by being trustworthy." (p. 60)

"While we cannot change our height or bone structure, we can change our minds... While there is neurobiological evidence that part of the brain is hardwired prior to birth, it is increasingly clear that the brain is also plastic in nature, able to absorb and collate experiences that cause the brain itself to change." (p. 63)

"Socrates said, 'The unexamined life is not worth living." (p. 64)

"That is why true learning begins with unlearning - and why unlearning is one of the recurring themes of our story." (p. 65)

And ending on a powerful note: "You make your life your own by understanding it." (p. 66)

I truly hope that this quality space we've creating through Vision & Voice will be an opportunity to do just that!