Warren Bennis Quotes

Leadership is providing inspiration and vision, then developing and empowering others to achieve this vision.

Great leaders motivate large groups of individuals to improve the human condition.

When you're leading, don't talk.

True leadership cannot be awarded, appointed, or assigned. It comes only from Influence.

If you want to be a leader, go lead

Nothing that matters in this world happens unless leaders lead it.

Anyone who influences others is a leader.

The strongest leaders do not command, they empower

Managers help people see themselves as they are; Leaders help people to see themselves better than they are.

You don't lead by hitting people over the head - that's assault, not leadership.

Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.

Everyone has power. But it doesn't help if you don't use it.

Leadership is influence.

Leadership is a choice, not a position.

Power is the ability to get things done.

For me, leadership is making a difference. It's using your agency to bring about change.

You have to enable and empower people to make decisions independent of you. As I've learned, each person on a team is an extension of your leadership; if they feel empowered by you they will magnify your power to lead.

Leadership is about vision and responsibility, not power.

Because management deals mostly with the status quo and leadership deals mostly with change, in the next century we are going to have to try to become much more skilled at creating leaders.

The world isn't one way or another. Things can be changed very, very rapidly by someone with sufficient confidence, sufficient knowledge and sufficient authority.

Leadership is a matter of having people look at you and gain confidence, seeing how you react. If you're in control, they're in control.

We lead by influence. That is what good leadership is about.

There is only one way to respond to the issue of leadership and that is to lead.

Leadership is having the trust of the people are trying to lead.

Leaders get people to do what they otherwise wouldn’t do.