University Book Review: Analyzing 'On Becoming a Leader'

This report is a comprehensive review of Warren Bennis's 'On Becoming a Leader,' analyzing the book's key themes and arguments. The review covers the core concepts of leadership, including the importance of self-awareness, understanding context, and developing essential skills such as passion, vision, and trust. The report examines the book's purpose, audience, authority, accuracy, objectivity, and currency, providing a critical assessment of its strengths and weaknesses. It explores the author's perspective on leadership development, highlighting the significance of experience, mentorship, and adaptability. Furthermore, the review identifies the most interesting aspects of the book and discusses how its insights can be applied in professional settings, offering recommendations for readers. The report also evaluates the book's overall value and its relevance to current leadership challenges.

Running head: GLOBAL CITIZENS
Sociology
Name of the Student:
Name of University:
Author Note

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Leadership can be referred to be the ability to lead others and inspire them to follow a
trail towards a goal. Leadership is very important too guide people towards the right path. These
skills are very relevant and determine success. Leadership ensures a clear vision which allows
people to understand how they are supposed to follow the path and work accordingly to achieve
goals. Leadership can be defined as the ability of allowing others to become confident about their
goals and aspirations. In order to become a leader, one must possess the necessary leadership
skills to guide people towards the right direction. A person can emerge as a good leader by
acquiring relevant leadership skills by reading books. One such exemplary books, which is
immensely popular, is On Becoming a Leader by Warren Bennis. The book shall be reviewed
and analyzed in this article with respect to few criteria (Bennis & Bennis, 2010). The author was
one of the pioneer figures to contribute to the field of leadership study. His works received more
significance, relevance and popularity through his books, which are among the best sellers which
focuses on leadership. Bennis also coauthored many books on leadership. He also interviewed
great leaders from America during 1990s, among whom are Ray Kroc on one hand, who is the
founder of McDonald while Neil Armstrong on the other hand.
There are many excellent books which focus on Leadership, among which One
Becoming a Leader is an exceptional works, as it points out the very necessity of self
development. As Bennis has highlighted in the book that a very important aspect for becoming a
leader is to know one self. The situations in which a leader has to world, is also to be understood
by the leaders, in order to be able to guide and set directions for the followers. The circumstances
in which a leader acts, is very important as it determines the effectiveness of the leadership as
employed by the leader. Thus, a leader must be aware of the circumstances, the people or the

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followers and various other factors which are crucial for affecting the leadership and how the
leader must act in the system.
Leadership often gets impacted due to the context and situation in which the leader must
act. Some leaders and their decisions are influenced more than others. In other words, some
leaders allow the situation to affect their decisions more, rather than maintaining objectivity
while taking important decisions. A successful leader should be able to take decisions
objectively, while keeping in mind the greater good and the bigger picture, rather than focusing
on the current scenarios and circumstances. Bennis, makes his point clear by taking example of
Norman Lear who leaded television production, in the book. Lear was daring enough to produce
television shows which did not conform to the norms and codes set by Sitcoms during the 1960s.
He always looked for opportunities to do things differently rather than what were always stated.
He emphasized on understanding the context rather than matching the status quo (Bennis &
Bennis, 2010). Therefore, Bennis has put emphasis on the need to understand the context in order
to lead, with the help of Lear’s example. In order to master the context, it is important to be
expressive and give importance to the instincts. A person can only emerge as a leader under the
guidance of correct leaders, whose guidance should be followed as vision allowing progress in
the path towards the goal. Lear, by following these objectives, could create sitcoms which were
very different from the established types and opened new avenues with his ground breaking
creations.
There are few criteria which should be followed in order to become a leader. These traits
are not inherited by a person but eventually develop and acquire during the years of growth and
with experience. If a person wants to be an effective leader, it is important to have passion,
vision, maturity, trust and self knowledge. In the chapter Knowing Yourself, Bennis has

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emphasized that the best teacher for a person can be the self, if one can allow themselves to be
educated. Bennis has underlined the need to open one self to the scopes of learning, through self-
reflection. A person can eventually become a leader, if he or she can assess their own limitations
or strengths. This enables one to become a leader.
Knowing the World is a chapter in which the author points out that the knowledge of the
world is very important and affects the decision. The world is perceived through the mistakes
and experiences (Bennis & Bennis, 2010). Learning is not restricted to what is learnt from books,
formal education and from mentors, but the dedicated attempt to learn more about the world,
which constantly changes with time. It is very important to prioritize learning than one’s learning
to be able to affect other people’s lives in a positive way, as a leader, as have been shown
through the book, by Bennis. Leaders must learn to trust their own instincts, which have been
pointed out in the chapter Operating on Instinct. It can merely be a gut feeling or an inner calling
which may guide a leader to take an action
In chapter Deploying Yourself: Strike Hard, Try Everything, the author draws the
attention of the readers to the corrective test or failure. He has instilled the idea among the
readers that failures enhances the chances of achieving success as it allows a leader to adopt a
newer approach to a problem, through which their skills and abilities are tested. Moving through
the Chaos, is a chapter in which the author of the book has emphasized on the need to make
progress even through difficult times, or when things tend to fall apart (Bennis & Bennis, 2010).
A leaders should be able to lead change and progress even through the most troubling times. A
person needs to maintain patience, perseverance and adaptability during times of change and be
focused on the vision which is to be followed. The chaotic times are the most crucial, for the
capabilities of the leaders to be testes, Bennis opines.

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Bennis has outlines how important is to develop trust among the followers in the chapter
Getting People on Your Side. In order to gain trust, a leader must be consistent, congruent,
reliable and maintain integrity. In the chapter Organizations can Help or Hinder (Bennis &
Bennis, 2010). Bennis has also defined how an organization can be the determining factor for the
effectiveness of a leader. An organization might be bureaucratic, what the leader sets the course
of action and vision which are to be followed. Their skills, thus, ensure that the leadership is
effective as they continue to show confidence and faith in their decisions. In Forging the Future,
Bennis has stated that the roles of leaders are much beyond leading followers. Leaders ensure
innovation to thrive in the competitive business environment and the fast changing world.
Leaders help to create alliances and ensure communication at all levels. They ensure to take
organizations and followers ahead into the future.
Purpose and Audience
The purpose of the book is to allow people to learn about leadership so that they can
emerge as great leaders themselves. The traits of a leader are not inherited by a person. A person
learns about him/herself and the world as they grow up and become more aware. The
experiences and mistakes when a person makes in his life time, makes him/her wiser to take
decisions. Therefore, for a leader, the book is very important to be able to perceive the world in a
different way and develop instincts, based on which the decisions of life can be made. The book
has been written for people who want to learn about leadership to become great leaders. Some
people possess leadership skills but lack the confidence and knowledge how to be better version
of oneself, to be able to show direction and guide people towards the right path in their life. The
book On Becoming a Leader is very effective to gain confidence and learn about the traits which

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an effective leader should possess. It helps the people who are eager to undertake responsibilities
and challenges to be able to lead people beyond conforming and mediocrity.
Authority
Warren Bennis, who has authored the book On Becoming a Leader, has served as the
youngest commander at the infantry during the World War II in European Theatre. He was
mentored by Douglas McGregor, who was a theorist of management and also heavily influenced
by Abraham Maslow who has theorized the Motivation and Personality Theory. He attained
great mentorship and guidance from such great people, which is why he lays emphasis on
guidance and mentorship, which is very important to grow and follow examples set by leaders
themselves. He has been a great leaders himself, from whom people should draw inspiration as
he has made immense contributions to the areas of management. He has been the coauthor for
many books, out of which some are autobiographical. He also served as a professor who taught
leadership and management in top universities and institutes across the globe. Warren Bennis is
one of the most read authors for his works concerning leadership and inspire people to learn
about leadership to conquer their weaknesses and limitations to only become more confident and
be able to emerge as leaders themselves.
Accuracy & Reliability
The work is reliable and accurate as the author has offered it a great deal of time to
substantiate the matters he has spoken about in the book to lay bare the ideas about leadership
(Bamyeh, 2014). The qualities which are possessed by leaders and what make them great have
been talked about in the book, with respect to real account and biographies of thirty leaders from
America who are remarkable in their own field and sets vision to be followed by people. The

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political inclinations often become stark in the writings of Bennis, which might make some
readers to pursue the book further. However, the book is immensely helpful for people to
understand how leadership qualities are to be built and situations to be unfolded. There are
several chapters through which the author has categorically addressed various aspects of
leadership and how one can become an effective leader. The information which have been
presented in the book can be accounted for, as the author has dedicated and arranged the facts
before making them reach the audiences
Objectivity
In the book, the author discuses a leadership style which is empowering as well as
transformational in nature. The book provides insights and guidance by sighting examples from
lives of thirty leaders, who did exceptionally well and has set great examples to be followed by
the people to emerge as leaders in their real life scenarios. The biographies, which have been
sighted as examples, appear in the book at the end after the author has laid out his discussions
and ideas about leadership. The objectivity, in the book can be argued about as the author has
shown political inclinations too (Bamyeh, 2014).The role models whom, Bennis has projected in
the books, might not be likable to everyone who reads the book as he has also incorporated
political innuendoes. Readers who are not inclined towards the same political side, might get
jolted and develop an aversion towards the book.
Currency
The work of Bennis is still relevant in the current times which makes the book strong in
currency (Bamyeh, 2014). It’s a fast paced changing world, in which adaptability and flexibility
are very important to be able to handle critical situations. A person, as a leader, has to face and

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deal with various situations. The current business circumstances are extremely competitive and
susceptible to changes. A leader must be able to manage such uncertainties while encouraging
change and adaptability. The leadership examples and traits which have been highlighted by the
author, still relevant to business environment and managerial roles. A person will be able to
undertake roles and eventually become a leader in their respective field by reading the book.
Leadership has undergone changes, which has given way to various types of leadership.
However, the core traits and qualities remain the same. Bennis has also pointed out the
importance of suitability of the leadership type with the circumstances and organizational
structure, which is very significant in recent times.
Coverage
The information have been presented in a well-structured and congruent manner which
shall be immensely helpful for the leaders. The topic has been well focused. The ideas have been
presented across to the audience in a manner which makes it useful as well as enriching to learn
from the examples cited from the lives and biographies of great leaders who have dared to not
conform to the pre-established norms and orders to set newer examples and make people believe
in their instincts and inner calling, even though they are made to believe the otherwise. On
Becoming a Leader is a book which has been primarily presented with the very idea that people
who are leaders have no extraordinary power but the ability to express themselves. If a person
wants to become a leader, he or she must be able to understand him/herself completely as well as
the world (Bennis & Bennis, 2010). The process through which a person becomes a better
version of him/herself and emerge as an integrated human being, is similar to that of becoming a
leader. Leaders are not born but eventually become through their own experiences and mistakes.
The work of Bennis is of great significance as it has rightly pointed out that leadership is very

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important in a business context. It has also underlined that the effectiveness of an organization is
directly linked to the leaders. Leaders are like anchors in an organization who seal the integrity
of the companies. The aim should be to become leaders and not mere managers, who is dynamic,
experimental, understanding, encourages imagination, flexible and questions the order to initiate
positive changes (Bennis & Bennis, 2010). The book is very worthy as it allows people to
become their own teacher through self-reflectivity, have accountability and being proactive about
the responses which are required to the situations (Bamyeh, 2014). Thus, it can be said that the
book has great coverage of the topic and contributes to the field of study of leadership.
It can thus be concluded by saying that the book is a great piece of read, which must be
read by people who wish to become better versions of themselves. They can earn about the traits
which are essential to become leaders. Most importantly, the author emphasizes on the need to
know oneself and practice self reflectivity, to be able to understand the world better. The
qualities and responsibilities of a leader have been discussed in the book. The biographies are
very inspirational as readers can look up to them with reverence and learn how to question and
challenge the exiting order and initiate change and positive outcomes.

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Bibliography
Ahmad, T. (2019). How to write a book review that can get citations?. Library Hi Tech News.
Bamyeh, M. A. (2014). From the editor: Ways to write a good book review.
Bennis, W., & Bennis, W. G. (2010). On becoming a leader. ReadHowYouWant. com.
Obeng-Odoom, F. (2014). Why write book reviews?. Australian Universities' Review,
The, 56(1), 78.