My first report on the subject was published as Leaders (Harper and Row, 1985, co-authored with Bert Nanus). Leaders covered the whats. On Becoming a Leader is the hows: how people become leaders, how they lead, and how organizations encourage or stifle potential leaders. - Introduction. Deemed “the dean of leadership gurus” by Forbes magazine, Warren Bennis has for years persuasively argued that leaders are not born—they are made. Delving into the qualities that define leadership, the people who exemplify it, and the strategies that anyone can apply to achieve it, his classic work On Becoming a Leader has served as a source of essential insight for countless readers. In a world increasingly defined by turbulence and uncertainty, the call to leadership is more urgent than ever. Featuring a provocative new introduction, this new edition will inspire a fresh generation of potential leaders to excellence.