Warren Bennis
Two things on Bennis's new book:
- His first book (of forty or so) was entitled Planning for Change. It was published in 1961.
- Proximity is important. Bennis's advice to Colin Powell when he was Secretary of State was to move into the White House, or at least have an office there. Powell didn't do it. The result was that he was the one who had to justify Iraq to a sceptical congress. No one ever really trusted him again. I'll repeat that advice again. Proximity is important. If you are not close to your teams as they strategize on new strategies and then carry things out, you are much less likely to create successful strategies. Do you have to do everything? No. Does it pay to be close by? Yes.
Reference
Bennis, Warren. Still Surprised. A Memoir of a Life in Leadership. Jossey-Bass. 2010.