‘Still Surprised’ is the long-awaited memoir from leadership legend Warren Bennis. Bennis, who can name US Presidents and CEOs among his coaching clients, has provided countless insights into human behaviour through academic research, and later, his teaching and writing. His books ‘Leaders‘ and ‘On Becoming a Leader‘ have both ranked with the FT’s 100 Best Business Books. Warren is currently the founding chairman of University of Southern California’s Leadership Insitute and a distinguished professor of business administration at the USC Marshall School of Business.

However, upon reading this book I sincerely believe that to introduce Warren Bennis in such a way is to still hold back some of the credit he deserves from a lifetime dedicated to leadership and management. A lifetime that is told in terms of several ‘good stories’ in this book. Warren immeadiately

Warren immeadiately shares the following with us upon opening his book:

“Alfred Hitckcock said that ‘Drama is life with all the boring bits cut out.‘ I think that’s what a good memoir is as well”.

With this in mind, Warren swiftly skips over his “dull” childhood and takes us to the moment he was sent off to train as a second lieutenant in World War 11. From that terrifying training period at ‘Fort Benning’, Warren begins to unwind the secret to how one man came to learn so much about leadership.

Warren jumped into the arena of Social Science at the perfect time. The industry was booming with optimism, and thanks to a close relationship with his small university’s president,  none other than Douglas McGregor (who theorised about theory x and theory y workers), he was soon mixing with management greats such as Abraham Maslow and Elton Mayo.

It seems that Warren Bennis’s interlect was only matched by his great fortune, as opportunities arose that took his career from one level to another.

‘Still Surprised’ is an enjoyable read. Warren writes with a quiet confidence that is intriguing yet comforting. Wary of being ‘over-modest’ as he senses other authors are, Warren quites with refreshing honesty and reasonable pace. In his own words, Warren says the he hopes his book will give the reader “a good picture of our world since about World War 11 up to the present, from Roosevelt to Obama. I’ve tried to capture the changing culture of our country, as reflected through my experience.”

If you want a brief peek into a world where the height of your success is based upon the boldness of your ideas, and where lively debate is the centrepiece of conversation, I invite you to explore Warren’s extraordinary world in a memoir that can only be described as inspiring.

‘Still Surprised: A Memoir of a Life in Leadership‘ is available for £10.82 from Amazon.co.uk or $18.45 from Amazon.com respectfully.