''Why Leaders Can't Lead: The Unconscious Conspiracy Continues'' by WarrenBennis

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[ISBN:0-7879-0943-2] One of the BooksOnLeadership.

The best book on how leaders can lead. --Peter Drucker

Bennis teaches leaders to maximize their virtues, correct their faults, face change successfully, and love their work. Leaders will win, but so will their organizations: Bennis advocates a collaborative leadership that empowers employees and enhances organizational effectiveness.

A priceless gift to those seeking to be accountable leaders. --Max De Pree, author of Leading Without Power

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Don't bother getting this book. I was in an airport book store and this was the only title they had by this author, so I got it. I was hoping for tips on how to be a better leader, but instead, the book (true to its title) is about how most leaders suck. I knew that already, so I didn't really need this book.

In Part 1 (The Unconscious Conspiracy), Chapter 2, "Learning Some Basic Truisms About Leadership," is helpful, so I recommend reading it. The rest of Part 1, as well as Parts 2 and 3 (A Society Without Dreams and Parts of the Problem) just tell lots of stories about lots of bad leadership, without much insight.

Part 4, Parts of the Solution, is not as promising as it sounds, but does have some smatterings of good info. So if you want to browse the book, I'd start with Chapter 2 and the chapters in Part 4.

I've quoted the best parts on WhatIsLeadership and DissentInOrganizations.


I haven't read Bennis' OnBecomingaLeader, but I suspect I'll like it better.

-- BobbyWoolf, 08/25/00

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[AnswerMe: What's the book with the line "The leader who has no concept that he leads"? It describes a natural-state leader, an uber-man; not a PointyHairedBoss leader.]