Lea M. Salvanera

Take the Lead… A Reaction Paper
on Warren Bennis’ Book “On Becoming a Leader”

The author is a Development Communications degree holder from the University of the Philippines Los Baños. She currently pursues a Masters in Management degree, also at the University of the Philippines Los Baños. She teaches Research and Technical Writing courses.

There is no more powerful engine driving an organization toward excellence and long-term success than an attractive, worthwhile and achievable VISION of the future.

-Burt Nanus, Visionary Leadership (1992)

As defined by Bateman and Snell (2007) in their book, Management: Leading and Collaborating in a Competitive World, vision refers to a mental image of a possible and desirable state of a particular organization. In relation, the epigraph cited above depicts the interrelation of a clear vision toward great success. I think the statement also particularly refers to the so-called strategic vision (Bateman and Snell 2007) which pertains to the long-term direction and strategic intent of an individual or a company. It is geared towards the future and it provides a vantage point on where a particular organization is headed to, and what it can become.

In the Development Communication (DevCom) context, vision is somehow equated to the objectives of a specific endeavor in the light of using the clout of communication in achieving development, say, improving the quality of life of the people. Also in DevCom, we are adhering to what is known as SMART objectives. SMART, this stands for Simple, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-bound. We, at DevCom, make sure that our SMART objectives and vision would unswervingly cater to our target stakeholders for the purpose. Hence, this book reviewer firmly believes in the DevCom dictum—“Knowing thy audience first,” at all times in everything we do. Because it is only when one knows his people that he can clearly envisage what strategies to design and inflict. It is therefore imperative for a leader to have a strong vision plus a sprinkle of a strong character to make all things happen.

Basically, the 10-chapter On becoming a Leader speaks about the prerequisites and the processes a leader-aspirant should likely possess and endure respectively, in order to reach the leadership pedestal. In a nutshell, Bennis accentuated that to become a full-pledged leader, they must: 1. master the context first, 2. understand the basics, 3. know one self, 4. know the world, 5. operate on his instinct, 6. deploy himself, 7. move through chaos, 8. get people on his side, 9. recognize the substance of an organization, 10. forge the future. Additionally, I think Bennis would also like to tell his readers, like in a song—“’Rome wasn’t build in a day,’ truly a leader can’t be shaped overnight.” It really takes a good deal of time, right opportunity, great experiences and a higher sense of maturity for a person to become a leader. On hindsight, I think Bennis really believed in the Idea that leaders can be made. Putting the contents of the book aside, I will now share with you my thoughts and reflections on On Becoming a Leader.

First, I would like to dwell on the concept of “learning” in relation to becoming a leader. Del Rosario (2003) considered the proposition that “Knowledge acquired through learning drives performance (of a leader).” What is learning then? Learning is a continuous process of producing relatively permanent changes in a person’s behavior. Self-knowledge and learning, as far as my humble readings are concerned, are important foundations of molding a person into a leader. Here sprouts one’s credibility and integrity needed to intensify the desire of leading. Chapter 3 on Bennis’ Knowing yourself (1989) said, “True learning begins with unlearning.” Why unlearn? Because when we take away and set aside all the things gripping in our minds that we are able to realize new things that we don’t usually think as worthwhile. Bennis is right when he wrote that for leaders to acquire wisdom, they should detach themselves from the social glue that ties them to their conventional thinking. He also played on with the idea symbolically, thus, leaders should wear off their square hats, and put on sombreros instead in order to think and see things on a different lens. Perhaps one of the things leaders have to be good at is perspective, again as mentioned by Bennis. And why should they change their headdress? Simple. So that they could welcome significant change and continually seek for ground breaking feats all for the betterment of not only themselves as leaders but of their organization as well. The idea is almost similar with what Couzes and Posner have written on “The Leadership Challenge.” Leaders should be equipped with a playful mind to challenge the process, and a discerning eye to see the real story within a story, and of course, to envision the future as well.

Second, let me share with you an SMS or a text message I received sometime 2004:

People who focus on possibilities achieve much more in life than people who focus on limitations. Live life defined by your own sense of possibility, your own sense of worth, your own sense of your soul. Define yourself for yourself not by how others are going to define you and stick with it.

I think the message above depicts individual as potential leaders who have been keeping his doors open for prospective undertakings, to anticipate a brighter future as compared to those whose doors are always locked, scared of bandits coming their way. On the same vein, the SMS correlates with the idea pushed by Brooke Knapp as cited by Bennis (1989). Bennis mentioned on On Becoming a Leader that there are two kinds of people: those who are qualified by fear, and those who are afraid but went ahead anyway, reiterating that life isn’t about limitations, but options.

The above SMS also relayed a significant idea that leaders should know themselves best, and be the most truthful persons for themselves and others. He should care less on impressing, and do more of expressing. Leaders should also know how to deploy themselves well, doing so would mean encouraging people to join and align with these leaders. This could only mean that for an individual to become a leader, he should emerge, like a bird spreading its wings with confidence and freedom. As Bennis puts—a leader should strive hard, and try everything (to quest for possibilities) until he finds the real essence of his existence in this world, realizing that the very first step he’s making is “taking the lead” for changing.

Finally, let me discuss with you a segment on the book which somehow caught my attention. It’s about the right-brain and left-brain culture and its relation to leaders operating on instinct. To dichotomize, the right side of the brain is deemed responsible for the holistic, intuitive, conceptual, and synthesizing aspects of thinking, whereas the left is for logical, analytical, mathematical, and technical aspect (VIPP, 1993).

Other leaders may think using more of their left brain. Some, naturally, use the other. The same is being reflected on ways to learn. For facilitators, like leaders, should know when and where to utilize the two brain sides. There are instances when left brain should take lead, and there are instances that the other side should. Question is, what side of the brain do best leaders usually use? I agree with what Bryant, et.al., quoted by Bennis, that a whole-brain approach in leadership is possible and healthier. A leader can try to beat purely logical treatments of problems and solutions, hence including emotions and intuition in order to deal with issues in a more holistic and creative manner. The whole-brain approach can open up and create new knowledge and new ways of solving problems that will make the leader a whole person in the learning process. It is also parallel with the situational approaches to leadership as discussed by Baleman and Snell (2007). They believe that effective leader’s behavior vary from situation to situation, from being autocratic (left brain dominating) or democratic (right brain). The best leaders for them are those that “look first” or being reflective before leading, and those who could use ether side of their brain depending on the situation. And this is what makes leaders more upright.

Finally, I assume Bennis would like impart through this piece that leaders can be made. I tend to agree with him. Indeed leaders can be developed in time and through a number of metamorphoses. He also mentioned that the process of becoming a leader is much the same as the process of becoming an integrated human being—integrated in a way that the persona, the volition, the time, and the experiences of an individual will be orchestrated to craft an entirely new person, a new born leader.

References

_________. (1993). Visualization in Participatory Programmes: A Manual for Facilitators and Trainers Involved I n Participatory Group Events. Bangladesh: UNICEF.

Bateman, Thomas S. and Snell, Scott A. (2007). Management: Leading and Collaborating in a Competitive World. Int’l ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Education (Asia).

Bennis, Warren. (1989). On Becoming a Leader. MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc.

Del Rosario J. (Feb 2003). Traversing the Learning Avenue to KM: Conference Manual. KMAP. Executive Briefing. Asian Institute of Management. Makati City.

Lecture Notes on DEVC 180 under Ms. M.R. Almoro and Ms. H. Cabral, AY 2002-2003, College of Development Communication, University of the Philippines Los Baños.

Read, Allen Walker B. (1995). The New International Webster’s Comprehensive Dictionary of the English Language. Encyclopedic Edition. USA: J.G. Ferguson Publishing Company.