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Warren G. Bennis: Generous Company

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The Palgrave Handbook of Organizational Change Thinkers

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Abstract

Warren G. Bennis was an intellectual pioneer in group dynamics, planned change and organization development, and leadership. He was both a scholar and university administrator with diverse interests in how the applied social sciences can serve the betterment of people, organizations, and society. Warren’s research and writing laid the foundation for how we think about team development and the role of democratic forms of organizing in adapting to turbulent environments. His work on planned change and organization development helped to define these applied fields and point the way for their growth and progress. Warren’s research on leadership transformed how we define leaders versus managers and how we understand what leaders do to develop people and organizations. It showed that the core of leadership is creating trustworthy relationships with self and others. Warren G. Bennis is required reading for any of us interested in organizational change.

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References

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Further Reading

  • Bennis, W. (1993). An invented life: Reflections on leadership and change. Reading: Addison-Wesley.

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  • Bennis, W. (1998). Managing people is like herding cats. London: Kogan Page.

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  • Bennis, W. (2010). Still surprised: A memoir of a life in leadership (p. 2010). San Francisco: Jossey Bass.

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  • Bennis, W., & Biederman, P. (2009). The essential Bennis: Essays on leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. USC Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California, 90089-0808, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Thomas G. Cummings

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  1. Thomas G. Cummings
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Correspondence to Thomas G. Cummings .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. College of Education and Human Development, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, USA

    David B. Szabla

  2. Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    William A. Pasmore

  3. The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA

    Mary A. Barnes

  4. Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Asha N. Gipson

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Cummings, T.G. (2017). Warren G. Bennis: Generous Company. In: Szabla, D.B., Pasmore, W.A., Barnes, M.A., Gipson, A.N. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Organizational Change Thinkers. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-52878-6_2

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