¶ … Leader' by Warren Bennis The classic book 'On Becoming a Leader' by Warren Bennis scrutinizes the dissimilarities between leaders and their followers. It details the processes that lead to the emergence of leaders and how they sustain themselves. In the chapter under the topic 'Knowing the World', Bennis studies the significance of studying to leaders, and differentiates between the three main types of learning: innovative, shock, and maintenance. He goes ahead to reveal the benefit of (1) looking back into one's childhood and adolescent years, and utilizing past experiences to influence present happenings; (2) deliberately searching for the types of experiences that can enlarge and improve an individual; (3) knowing the importance of risk-taking coupled with the knowledge that failure is both important and unavoidable; and,(4) bearing in mind that the future gives one the chance to do the things that ought to be done, rather than being a test or trial (Bennis, 2009).

It is not easy to become a leader, just like it is hard to become a poet or doctor. And, people who think otherwise are only deceiving themselves. Although mastering leadership skills is not as easy as most of us think, we all have leadership potential. As a matter of fact, almost all of us can point towards certain leadership experiences. Leaders come in different shapes, sizes and dispositions. However, they all seem to have some things in common. A guiding vision is the first and most important leadership quality. The leader should have a very clear idea of what he or she intends to do-personally and professionally-in addition to the ability to persevere in the face of challenges and failures. Passion is the second most important leadership quality -- a fundamental enthusiasm that guides the promises of life, when combined with an extent of vocational passion, profession and a course of action. Integrity is the next most important leadership quality. There are three important aspects of integrity: maturity, candor and self-knowledge (Bennis, 2009).

Maturity is also very essential to every leader because there is more to leading than just issuing orders and showing the way. Every leader must have gained experience and grown up through the following-being observant, dedicated, working in a team and learning from each other, and always being truthful with noservility. The basis of trust is integrity, which is more of a product than a leadership quality. This is one quality that can never be acquired-it must be earned. It is earned from followers and co-workers, and in the absence of it, the leader finds it hard to function effectively.

Being daring and curiosity are two other important leadership qualities. Every good leader thinks about every issue at hand, is willing to take risks, yearns to learn more, and is willing to experiment with new ideas. They hardly worry about failure, but are quick to accept their mistakes, with the knowledge of gaining from such mistakes. Another theme that comes up severally in this book is learning from difficult situations, though it is featured in different twists. As a matter of fact, that could be said in relation to every single basic ingredient. The essential part of every leader is, "letting the self emerge." It is all about how one takes the important step of making a difference through an expression without proving a point (Bennis, 2009 p. 107).

One important way in which leaders learn from their past is through reflection. This is true. Almost everyone gets shaped by their negative experiences and not necessarily their positive experiences. We all get thousands of experiences every week, but our victories are not remembered like our shortcomings because they just do not add up. They only react. As a matter of fact, potent lessons are contained in our mistakes. However, this is only the case if people think through their mistakes to find out where they went wrong. With that in mind, they can rectify the mistakes, learn from them and take the right action. The major point is for me not to become a victim of my feelings, shoved by my unsolved emotions. My experiences in life should not take advantage of me, but I need to exploit them creatively for my own gains. Just the way writers turn their life experiences into plays or books, we can all turn our experiences into something very beneficial to our lives. I have understood that genuine reflection does not just inform and inspire, but demands ultimate decisions on important issues that can help me build my skills as a sales representative in the sports...

To become an effective NFL or NBA sales representative, I'm expected to know my roles. And, the only way I can do this, is by engaging in conscious reflection of not just myself, but the task awaiting me, in advance.
Changing my perspective is very important. Maybe migrating to a foreign country, or traveling all over the world as a sales representative in the sporting industry, is what I need. Shifting position can change people. I can shift the vantage point of the same set of facts and get a very different result. Perspective is the one thing that leaders must be good at. There isn't more to perspective than my view of things, my unique frame of reference. I would be flying really blind without perspective. Nevertheless, as an NFL or NBA sales representative, knowing the best way of expressing myself is of utmost importance. The first thing is to know exactly what I want, and understand my capabilities and abilities, as well as the difference between the two. The second thing is for me to acknowledge what gives me the most satisfaction, and what drives me forward. Getting to know my values and priorities, and those of my organization, in addition to establishing the differences between the two, take the third place. Finally-having taken note of the differences existing between what satisfies and what drives me, and my personal values and those of my organization- I need to find out if I possess the willingness to overcome those obvious differences. Paying attention to the inner voice-trusting the judgment of the inner voice-remain one of the most essential lessons in leadership (Bennis, 2009).

As we have noted earlier in the making of leaders, their experiences, understanding, proper application of their experiences and any skills they might have, all play important roles. Clearly stated, people must understand the world, just like their own selves, before they can become true and effective leaders. We require true engagement, just like respite. We require friends, mentors and/or some groups of souls connected to us. I'm yet to hear of a leader somewhere across the world who never had a mentor. A teacher who discovered the qualities they had, but were never aware of; older siblings or parents, or even senior colleagues who showed them how they should behave, and sometimes how they should not; or those who requested or expected more from them (Bennis, 2009).

As a sales representative for NFL or NBA, innovative learning is very critical. This stems from the fact that identifying existing contexts is not enough, hence I should be able to figure out future contexts as well. The major aspects of innovative learning include:

Anticipation: being imaginative and active rather than habitual and passive.

Learning by paying attention to others.

Participation: shaping events, instead of being shaped by them.

Perceptibly, then, innovative learning requires you to trust yourself totally. It also requires you to be self-directed, both at work and in your personal life. Once you learn to predict the future, and decide the way events should unfold rather than allowing them to take control, you stand to benefit greatly. One way of realizing your vision is through innovative learning. It is a primary way through which we can gain autonomy, a way of working and understanding an important issue in a very positive way. It is one dialogue that starts with curiosity, and is encouraged by knowledge, resulting in more understanding. It is unlimited, inclusive, knowledgeable, dynamic, and unending. It gives us the chance to alter the status quo. In sum, people have what it takes to relieve themselves from past experiences holding them back, and forcing them to behave in certain ways, or play certain roles. On the same note, by practicing innovative learning, people get to live their own lives, rather than flowing with the wind. They no longer accept things just the way they are, but predict their potential. They take part in making things happen (Bennis, 2009).

On a final note, to act effectively, the leader must make use of a combination of all the skills discussed through expression. Leaders who trust their colleagues are equally trusted. Of course, trust can only be earned, but cannot be given just as a requirement. Any leadership devoid of mutual trust is a mere contradiction of terms. Trust is said to exist between doubt and faith. Every successful leader always believes in himself, his abilities, his colleagues, and the possibilities that come with working…