Knowledge For Managers: The Quest For Leadership In The Modern World By

The knowledge that managers need to function effectively in this new age is vastly different from the prevailing autocratic view of leadership. Warren Bennis states that the militaristic, command-and-control leadership of the past must give way to a new style of leadership- a style that cultivates, what he refers to as “intellectual capital”. In the post restructuring and reengineering era, “intellectual capital ” is the last uncultivated dimension through which functional management practice can evolve. “Intellectual capital means ideas, know how, innovation, knowledge and expertise”. In the epoch following downsizing and flat management, knowledge of a more collaborative approach to management must replace the monarchical view of leadership. Leaders in this dawning age will have to demonstrate more flexibility and take more risks than managers of the old order. Do to the rapid changes in technology and the encroachment of global influence on day-to-day decisions, managers must change their roles considerably – from the exercising of “absolute power ” to the promotion of empowerment of others. This paper will outline the nature of the new knowledge needed by mangers and how they can be helped to acquire such knowledge that will increase their own “intellectual capital”. (Bennis and Townsend, 1995, pp. 1-3)