While checking up on the HBR blog I came across an amazing IdeaCast: The Art of Leading Well. This short audio clip features Warren Bennis, professor at the University of Southern California and author of Still Surprised: A Memoir of a Life in Leadership.

Key points on leadership from Warren

Two things that make a great leader:

1. The capacity to build a team that is compatible – great leaders build great teams.
2. Not just picking the people with the best resume but those who have the personality to work well as a team.

The three leaders Warren admires most: Daniel Vasella, Howard Schultz and Bill George.

Finally, Warren is asked to fill in the rest of this sentence: If you want to be a great leader you need to…

The understanding of being a leader more and more will depend on things that we don’t usually talk about….. The heroic act of being a truly responsible leader is….leaders who really understand sacrifice and redemption…. and thirdly, generosity and respect. And those aren’t the things we read in leadership texts most of the time. – Warren Bennis

You can listen to the full audio clip on the HBR blog.

About Alanah Throop

Alanah Throop is a student at the University of Toronto working towards a degree in Political Science and English. Alanah was previously a full time member of the Rypple Marketing team before returning to finish school last fall. Now, she is focusing on student life as well as a few part-time experiences including Rypple and a Children’s Program to help kids get the self-care skills they deserve.