My initial plunge into leadership came during World War II. I was a lieutenant in the infantry, 19 years old, and scared out of my wits. My orders were to assume command of a platoon on the front lines in Belgium. I arrived in the middle of the night, when most of the men were asleep. The platoon had taken up residence in a bombed-out shell of a house. I was led into the kitchen by the platoon’s runner, and he offered me a bench to sleep on. Instead, I put my sleeping bag on the floor, next to the rest of the men. Not that I slept. I lay awake all night, listening to the bombs explode. I was as green as can be and knew little about command—or the world, for that matter. When the others in the house began to stir, I heard one sergeant ask another, “Who’s that?” “That’s our new platoon leader,” the man answered. And the sergeant said, “Good. We can use him.”
The Seven Ages of the Leader
Reprint: R0401D
Leaders go through many transitions in their careers. Each brings new crises and challenges—from taking over a damaged organization to having to fire somebody to passing the baton to the next generation. These moments can be wrenching—and can threaten your confidence—but they’re also predictable. Knowing what to expect can help you get through and perhaps emerge stronger.
In this engaging article, Warren G. Bennis, professor and founding chairman of the University of Southern California’s Leadership Institute, reflects on leadership, recounting his own experiences as a young lieutenant in the infantry in World War II, as the new president of a university, and as the mentor to a unique nursing student. Bennis also describes the experiences of other leaders he has known throughout his career.
Drawing on more than 50 years of academic research and business expertise—and borrowing from Shakespeare’s seven ages of man—Bennis says the leader’s life unfolds in seven stages. “The infant executive” seeks to recruit a mentor for guidance. “The schoolboy” must learn how to do the job in public, subjected to unsettling scrutiny of every word and act. “The lover with a woeful ballad” struggles with the tsunami of problems every organization presents. “The bearded soldier” must be willing—even eager—to hire people better than he is, because he knows that talented underlings can help him shine. “The general” must become adept at not simply allowing people to speak the truth but at actually being able to hear what they are saying. “The statesman” is hard at work preparing to pass on wisdom in the interests of the organization. And, finally, “the sage” embraces the role of mentor to young executives.
For information on an audio conference with Warren Bennis based on the concepts in this article, visit http://conferences.harvardbusinessonline.org.
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