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The Art and Adventure of Leadership: Understanding Failure, Resilience and Success
For the first time, a top leadership scholar and a top leadership practitioner explore the true duties, demands, and privileges of leadership. I ntellectual sparks flew when Warren Bennis, the “father” of modern leadership studies and Steven B. Sample, one of the most accomplished university presidents in recent history, came together for candid explorations of the forces that shape successful leaders and unsuccessful ones. The Art and Adventure of Leadership , their final collaboration, reveals the profound insights that the authors gained together over the 16 years in which they co-taught one of the most popular leadership courses in America. Here, each brings his own distinct vantage point as they address the mechanics and mysteries of leadership. The result is a unique examination of the journey of great leaders from momentary setbacks to ultimate success. It offers profound lessons on what determines the difference between failure and redemption for leaders. And it illuminates important and overlooked dimensions of great leaders ranging from Winston Churchill to Steve Jobs. Together, they explore With incredible insight, this book examines why George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and other giants were able to recover from failures, learn resilience, and prepare themselves for their moments of destiny. In so doing, it demonstrates and helps cultivate the leadership skills that you need to create your own most meaningful legacy. The Art and Adventure of Leadership is a unique look at leadership, and a critical resource for the leaders of tomorrow.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published March 18, 2015
About the author
Warren Bennis
102 books124 followersWarren Gamaliel Bennis is an American scholar, organizational consultant and author, widely regarded as a pioneer of the contemporary field of Leadership Studies. Bennis is University Professor and Distinguished Professor of Business Administration and Founding Chairman of The Leadership Institute at the University of Southern California.
“His work at MIT in the 1960s on group behavior foreshadowed -- and helped bring about -- today's headlong plunge into less hierarchical, more democratic and adaptive institutions, private and public,” management expert Tom Peters wrote in 1993 in the foreword to Bennis’ An Invented Life: Reflections on Leadership and Change.
Management expert James O’Toole, in a 2005 issue of Compass, published by Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, claimed that Bennis developed “an interest in a then-nonexistent field that he would ultimately make his own -- leadership -- with the publication of his ‘Revisionist Theory of Leadership’ in Harvard Business Review in 1961.” O’Toole observed that Bennis challenged the prevailing wisdom by showing that humanistic, democratic-style leaders better suited to dealing with the complexity and change that characterize the leadership environment.
“His work at MIT in the 1960s on group behavior foreshadowed -- and helped bring about -- today's headlong plunge into less hierarchical, more democratic and adaptive institutions, private and public,” management expert Tom Peters wrote in 1993 in the foreword to Bennis’ An Invented Life: Reflections on Leadership and Change.
Management expert James O’Toole, in a 2005 issue of Compass, published by Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, claimed that Bennis developed “an interest in a then-nonexistent field that he would ultimately make his own -- leadership -- with the publication of his ‘Revisionist Theory of Leadership’ in Harvard Business Review in 1961.” O’Toole observed that Bennis challenged the prevailing wisdom by showing that humanistic, democratic-style leaders better suited to dealing with the complexity and change that characterize the leadership environment.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 14, 2016
I read this book for one of my educational leadership classes and really enjoyed it. Instead of giving a formal review, I've included some parts that resonated with me:
"Not every great person is a leader, and not every leader is a great person. Many great people make a tremendous contribution to the human race without shouldering the burdens specific to the leader. Talent, skill, or merit is not enough. Intelligence is not enough. Popularity is not enough, nor is luck. Nor is any combination of those factors enough to guarantee the final legacy of a man or woman. To any mysterious witches' brew of greatness, we must add the capacity to overcome failure. The ability to process failure is foundational to greatness and to leadership."
"[Mature leaders] must know in their heart their own answer to certain questions:
- In what circumstances can I afford to fail, and to what extent?
- In which circumstances should I proactively take risks so aggressively that failure is inevitable?
- In which circumstances must I seek never to fail, lest I risk fatally compromising my legacy or my organization?"
"Given the headaches of leadership, the obstacles, second-guessing, and criticism, there is a certain kind of person who will thrive in the role. And there is a certain kind of person who will find the role toxic for himself or herself or makes the role toxic for others. As Bennis has long described it, the central issue involves whether the leader is doing what he or she does to express or to prove himself or herself. If a person finds himself or herself in a leadership or management position as a natural result of expressing and exploring personal talents and gifts, he or she has an edge over the person who shoehorns himself or herself into a leadership role to prove his or her worth."
"Only about 30 percent of a leader's time can be spent on truly substantive matters in most cases. The other 70 percent of his or her time should be dedicated, without apology or embarrassment, to matters that seem routine or trivial. Although many people are surprised to hear that leaders shouldn't expect to spend more than 30 percent of their time on the more world-shaking aspects of their jobs, the greatest risk rises from the tendency to spend only 20 percent on it, then 10 or 5, until nothing is achieved except the routine and trivial."
"Not every great person is a leader, and not every leader is a great person. Many great people make a tremendous contribution to the human race without shouldering the burdens specific to the leader. Talent, skill, or merit is not enough. Intelligence is not enough. Popularity is not enough, nor is luck. Nor is any combination of those factors enough to guarantee the final legacy of a man or woman. To any mysterious witches' brew of greatness, we must add the capacity to overcome failure. The ability to process failure is foundational to greatness and to leadership."
"[Mature leaders] must know in their heart their own answer to certain questions:
- In what circumstances can I afford to fail, and to what extent?
- In which circumstances should I proactively take risks so aggressively that failure is inevitable?
- In which circumstances must I seek never to fail, lest I risk fatally compromising my legacy or my organization?"
"Given the headaches of leadership, the obstacles, second-guessing, and criticism, there is a certain kind of person who will thrive in the role. And there is a certain kind of person who will find the role toxic for himself or herself or makes the role toxic for others. As Bennis has long described it, the central issue involves whether the leader is doing what he or she does to express or to prove himself or herself. If a person finds himself or herself in a leadership or management position as a natural result of expressing and exploring personal talents and gifts, he or she has an edge over the person who shoehorns himself or herself into a leadership role to prove his or her worth."
"Only about 30 percent of a leader's time can be spent on truly substantive matters in most cases. The other 70 percent of his or her time should be dedicated, without apology or embarrassment, to matters that seem routine or trivial. Although many people are surprised to hear that leaders shouldn't expect to spend more than 30 percent of their time on the more world-shaking aspects of their jobs, the greatest risk rises from the tendency to spend only 20 percent on it, then 10 or 5, until nothing is achieved except the routine and trivial."
July 27, 2015
"The effective leader has a decided contrarian streak—a tendency to consider what others won't consider, an appetite for studying what others don't study, and a willingness to go where others won't tread."
Warren Bennis is an amazing source for leadership material. That in an of itself is enough to warrant reading this book. However, it is also co-authored by Steven Sample, author of perhaps my favorite leadership book of all time, The Contrarian's Guide to Leadership. Any book written by two such giants in the field of leadership, is bound to be amazing; but rather than the standard leadership material Warren and Steven have presented something special. This book is an honest, discussion on what being a leader means. What does it look like to be a leader rather than just do leadership? What is the difference between a manager and a leader? What are the challenges a leader will face? What can't everyone be a leader? These are just some of the topic Warren and Steven talk through in the book. The book is written in a way that challenges you to think as you read it, not just write down points. This isn't about some random number to steps that will make you a better leader, it is about how to have the mindset of a leader.
In my mind this is the book does for leadership what C.S. Lewis did for Christianity when he wrote Mere Christianity; and therein lies its only potential fault. I do feel like the level of writing will inevitably drive some people away from the book. It is very complex, and not the easiest read; though I highly recommend you do so. To avoid this book on the basis of its complexity would be like avoiding works of art because you don't know how to paint.
Warren Bennis is an amazing source for leadership material. That in an of itself is enough to warrant reading this book. However, it is also co-authored by Steven Sample, author of perhaps my favorite leadership book of all time, The Contrarian's Guide to Leadership. Any book written by two such giants in the field of leadership, is bound to be amazing; but rather than the standard leadership material Warren and Steven have presented something special. This book is an honest, discussion on what being a leader means. What does it look like to be a leader rather than just do leadership? What is the difference between a manager and a leader? What are the challenges a leader will face? What can't everyone be a leader? These are just some of the topic Warren and Steven talk through in the book. The book is written in a way that challenges you to think as you read it, not just write down points. This isn't about some random number to steps that will make you a better leader, it is about how to have the mindset of a leader.
In my mind this is the book does for leadership what C.S. Lewis did for Christianity when he wrote Mere Christianity; and therein lies its only potential fault. I do feel like the level of writing will inevitably drive some people away from the book. It is very complex, and not the easiest read; though I highly recommend you do so. To avoid this book on the basis of its complexity would be like avoiding works of art because you don't know how to paint.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews