Biography - Warren Bennis (1925 - )

The purpose of this brief guide is to direct you quickly to information by and about Warren Bennis who is a well known scholar, particularly in the field of leadership. At present Bennis is at the University of Southern California where he is a Distinguished Professor of Business Administration and Founding Chairman of the USC Leadership Institute. For additional biographical details see: "Bennis, Warren" in The IEBM Handbook of Management Thinking, ed. by Malcom Warner, p.66. As well, provided below you will find several interviews with Bennis, one of which is from the Ivey Business Journal. Bennis also gave a lecture here as part of the Wettlaufer Lecture Series and a copy of the video is available.
In a recent short summary Bennis listed four important factors that are "critical for leading in this new world":
1) "One is the adaptive capacity, which I think is probably the sine qua non, absolutely the most essential and central aspect of leadership in this environment of complexity and turbo-change."
2) "The second critical ingredient is the capacity to engage followers in shared meaning - to align the stars around a common, meaningful goal."
3) "Third, leaders are really going to have to spend a long time - and it's a continual process - finding out who they themselves are: learning their own voice, learning how they affect other people, learning a great deal about emotional intelligence."
4) "And finally, leaders will have to rely on a moral compass, a set of principles, a belief system, a set of convictions."
For a more complete explication see: "Leading Mangers to Adapt and Grow," by Bennis in Best Practice: Ideas and Insights From the World's Foremost Business Thinkers, p. 335. For a general overview of leadership theories a good place to start is the section on "Management/Leadership", in Vol. 3 of Theories and Models in Applied Behavioral Science.
See also the January 2004 issue of the Harvard Business Review - "The Seven Ages of the Leader" by Bennis, p.46.

Listed below are the books by Bennis in the Western Libraries. Following that list we have selected some interviews with Bennis from the many articles that are available. Bennis has often indicated that he was very much influenced by Douglas McGregor, whose precepts he refers to as "McGregorian Chants". For additional information see our biographical profile of MacGregor.

Books by Bennis in the Western Libraries
(presented in reverse chronological order - from the newest to the oldest)

Still Surprised: A Memoir of a Life in Leadership
BUS  HC102.5.B46A3 2010

The Essential Bennis
Electronic Resource 2009

Transparency: How Leaders Create a Culture of Candor
DBW HD2741.B386x 2008

Leading for a Lifetime: How Defining Moments Shape the Leaders of Today and Tomorrow
BUS HD57.7.B4615 2007

The Heart of a Business Ethic
BUS HF5387.H437 2005

Leaders: Strategies for Taking Charge
BRES HD57.7.B47 2003

Geeks and Geezers: How Era, Values and Defining Moments Shape Leaders.
BUS HD57.7.B4578 2002

Managing the Dream: Reflections on Leadership and Change.
BUS HD57.7.B4643 2000

The Future of Leadership: Today's Top Leadership Thinkers Speak to Tomorrow's Leaders.
BUS HD57.7.F88 2001

Douglas McGregor, Revisited: Managing the Human Side of the Enterprise
HF5549.H377 2000

Co-Leaders: The Power of Great Partnerships.
HD57.7.H397 1999

The Temporary Society.
DBW HN58.B43 1998 [ first published in 1968]

On Becoming a Leader.
HUR BF637.L4B37 1998 [first published in 1989]

Organizing Genius: The Secrets of Creative Collaboration.
HF58.9.B45 1997

Managing People is Like Herding Cats.
BUS HD57.7.B462 1997

Reinventing Leadership: Strategies to Empower the Organization.
HD57.7.B465 1995

An Invented Life: Reflections on Leadership and Change.
HD57.7.B458 1993

Why Leaders Can't Lead: The Unconscious Conspiracy Continues.
HM141.B434 1989

The Unreality Industry: The Deliberate Manufacturing of Falsehood and What it is Doing to Our Lives.
DBW HN90.M3M58 1989

The Leadership Challenge [Sound Recording]: Skills for Taking Charge.
HF5006.F37 no.5 1989

On Becoming a Leader.
HD57.7.B4625 1989

Leaders: The Strategies for Taking Charge.
DBW HD57.7.B46 1985

Essays in Interpersonal Dynamics.
DBW HM132.E8 1979

The Unconscious Conspiracy: Why Leaders Can't Lead.
HM141.B43 1976

The Planning of Change.
HM101.B45 1976

Interpersonal Dynamics: Essays and Readings of Human Interaction.
HM132.B45 1973 [first published 1968]

The Leaning Ivory Tower.
LD701.B419B46 1973

The Management of Change and Conflict: Selected Readings.
HD38.T445 1972

American Bureaucracy.
DBW HD70.U5B43 1970

Organization Development: Its Nature, Origins, and Perspectives.
DBW HM131.B435 1969

The Temporary Society.
LAW HN58.B43 1968

Interpersonal Dynamics: Essays and Readings on Human Interaction.
HM132.B45 1968 [first published 1964]

Changing Organizations: Essays on the Development and Evolution of Human Organization.
DBW HM131.B432 1966

Leadership and Motivation: Essays.
HF5549.M273 1966

Personal and Organizational Change Through Group Methods: The laboratory Approach.
DBW BF637.C6S3 1965

The Role of the Nurse in the Outpatient Department: A Preliminary Report.
WY125.B472e 1961

The Planning of Change: Readings in the Applied Behavioral Sciences.
EDU/HUR HM101.B45 1961

Selected Articles by Warren Bennis

"Rites of Passage", Antioch Review, Winter 2011, Vol. 69, Iss. 1; p. 34-57.

"My Inglorious Road to Success", Harvard Business Review, Jul/Aug. 2010, Vol. 88, Iss. 7/8, p. 38.

"What's Needed Next: A Culture of Candor", Harvard Business Review, June 2009, Vol. 87, Iss. 6; p. 54-61.

"Making Judgement Calls", Harvard Business Review, Oct. 2007, Vol. 85, Iss. 10; p. 94-102.

"Leading for the Long Run", Harvard Business Review, May 2006, Vol. 84, Iss. 5; p. 23-24.

"How Business Schools Lost Their Way", Harvard Business Review, Ma. 2005, Vol. 83, Iss. 5; p. 151-152.

"The Seven Ages of the Leader", Harvard Business Review, Jan. 2004, Vol. 82, Iss. 1; p. 46-53.

"Crucibles of Leadership", Harvard Business Review, Sep. 2002, Vol. 80, Iss. 9; p. 39-45.

"Will the Legacy Live On?", Harvard Business Review, Feb. 2002, Vol. 80, Iss. 2, p. 95-99.

"Don't Hire the Wrong CEO", Harvard Business Review, May/June 2000, Vol. 78, Iss. 3; p. 170-176.

"The End of Leadership", Organizational Dynamics, June 1999, Vol. 28, Iss. 1; p. 71-79.

"The Leader as Storyteller", Harvard Business Review, Jan/Feb. 1996, Vol. 74, Iss. 1; p. 154-160.

"Managing the Dream: Leadership in the 21st Century", Antioch Review, Winter 1991, Vol. 49, Iss. 1; p. 22-28.

"Democracy is Inevitable", Harvard Business Review, Sep/Oct. 1990, Vol. 68, Iss. 5; p. 167-176.

"Leadership: A Beleaguered Species", Organizational Dynamics, June 1976, Vol. 5, Iss. 1; p. 3-16.

"Chairman Mac in Perspective", Harvard Business Review, Sep/Oct. 1972, Vol. 50, Iss. 5; p. 140-149.

"Revisionist Theory of Leadership", Harvard Business Review, Jan/Feb. 1961, Vol. 39, Iss. 1; p. 26-150 (9p).

Selected Interviews with Warren Bennis

In the Summer of 2001, Bennis was interviewed by Stephen Bernhut, the editor of our own Ivey Business Journal. Links to the catalogue record are provided easy access for members of the Western community.

"Avoiding the Mistakes that Plague New Leaders;"
Christina Bielaszka-DuVernay; Harvard Management Update, May 2009; Vol. 14, Iss. 5; p. 3.

"Judgement Call;"
Allan Alter and Eric Chabrow; CIO Insight, Apr. 2007; Iss. 80; p. 44.

"Warren Bennis;"
Des Dearlove; New Zealand Management, June 2004; Vol. 51, Iss. 5; p. 38.

"Warren Bennis: Q&A on Today's Leadership;"
Ellen M Heffes; Financial Executive, Jan/Feb. 2002; Vol. 18, Iss.1; p. 18.

"Managing the Dream: Warren Bennis on Leadership;
Stephen Bernhut; Ivey Business Journal, May/June 2001; Vol. 65, Iss. 5; p.36.

"Interview with Warren Bennis: Leading in the new Millennium;
Anonymous; Executive Excellence, Mar. 2001; Vol. 18, Iss. 3; p. 5.

"A Lifetime of Generous Company: An interview with Warren Bennis;"
Kimberly Hopkins Perttula; Journal of Management Inquiry, Dec. 2000; Vol. 9, Iss. 4; p.353.

"Questioning Authority;"
Bob Thomas; Across the Board, Sep/Oct. 2002; Vol. 39, Iss. 5; p. 13.

"Great Groups and Leaders; Warren Bennis;"
Sarah Powell; Team Performance Management, 2000; Vol. 6, Iss. 1/2; p.34.

"Warren Bennis, Chairman, The Leadership Institute;
James A Johnson; Journal of Healthcare Management, Jul/Aug. 1998; Vol. 43, Iss. 4; p. 293.

"Future Leaders: An interview with Warren Bennis;"
Anonymous; Executive Excellence, Dec. 1997; Vol. 14, Iss. 12; p.8.

"In conversation with...Warren Bennis;"
Anonymous; Director, Sep. 1997; Vol. 51, Iss. 2; p. 58.

 "An interview with Warren Bennis;"
Chris Lee; Training, Aug. 1997; Vol. 34, Iss. 8; p. 33.

"Interview: Warren Bennis;"
Romano, Catherine; Management Review, Jan 1997; Vol. 86, Iss. 1; p.54.

"A Talk with Warren Bennis;"
Psychology Today, Nov. 1993; Vol. 26, Iss. 6; p.30.

"People, Dollars, and Ideas;"
Vogl, A J; Across the Board, Sep. 1993; Vol. 30, Iss. 7; p. 23.