More Hesselbein on Leadership

A Long and Exuberant Journey

In my last year with the Girl Scouts of the USA, Warren Bennis published a book, On Becoming a Leader, in which he profiled 30 leaders after interviewing 100. The book was so successful that he made a videotape, “The Leader Within,” with three leaders from the book: Max De Pree, chairman of Herman Miller, General Dave Palmer, superintendent of West Point, and me.

I wondered what office furniture, cadets at West Point, and a Brownie troop in South Central Los Angeles would have in common. We were filmed separately, and when the great day came when we received the finished videotape, it was amazing how—with three very different faces, very different lives—Warren found powerful commonalities, common lessons in leadership. ...