Organizing Genius in brief Kentucky Principals Academy Bennis, W. & Biederman, P. W. (1997). Organizing genius. New York, NY: Basic Books

Great Great Groups What makes a “Great Group” so great? –Great Groups have a leader with a clear vision. –Great Groups are able to accomplish much more than talented people working alone. –Great Groups only succeed when everyone in them, leaders and members alike, is free to do his or her absolute best. –Great Groups have reshaped the world in very different but enduring ways and that work is its own reward. Bennis, W. & Biederman, P. W. (1997). Organizing genius. New York, NY: Basic Books Bennis, W. & Biederman, P. W. (1997). Organizing genius. New York, NY: Basic Books

Great Groups and Enduring Impact Each of the following groups has made a strong impact on our society and for that reason were examined in Organizing Genius. Walt Disney studio that invented the animated feature film in 1937 with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Walt Disney studio that invented the animated feature film in 1937 with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) and Apple that first made computers easy to use and accessible to everyone. Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) and Apple that first made computers easy to use and accessible to everyone. The 1992 Clinton campaign that put the first Democrat in the White House since Jimmy Carter. The 1992 Clinton campaign that put the first Democrat in the White House since Jimmy Carter. The elite corps of aeronautical engineers and fabricators that built radically new planes at Lockheed's top-secret Skunk Works. The elite corps of aeronautical engineers and fabricators that built radically new planes at Lockheed's top-secret Skunk Works. The influential arts school and experimental community known as Black Mountain College located in the foothills of North Carolina. The influential arts school and experimental community known as Black Mountain College located in the foothills of North Carolina. The Manhattan Project that developed the first nuclear weapon used during WWII. The Manhattan Project that developed the first nuclear weapon used during WWII. Bennis, W. & Biederman, P. W. (1997). Organizing genius. New York, NY: Basic Books Bennis, W. & Biederman, P. W. (1997). Organizing genius. New York, NY: Basic Books

Being Great in Several Senses Greatness starts with superb people! Greatness starts with superb people! –Recruiting the right people for the job is crucial. Great Groups and great leaders create each other. Great Groups and great leaders create each other. –The leader and the team are able to achieve something together that neither could achieve alone. The leader finds greatness in the group and he or she helps the members find it in themselves. Every Great Group has a strong leader. Every Great Group has a strong leader. –These groups are made up of individuals with unique gifts working together, but there must be one organizing the genius. Bennis, W. & Biederman, P. W. (1997). Organizing genius. New York, NY: Basic Books Bennis, W. & Biederman, P. W. (1997). Organizing genius. New York, NY: Basic Books

The leaders of great groups love talent and know where to find it. The leaders of great groups love talent and know where to find it. –Great Groups are headed by individuals that are confident to recruit people better than themselves. Great Groups are full of talented people that can work together. Great Groups are full of talented people that can work together. –Group members MUST be capable of working side by side with a common goal. Great Groups think that they are on a mission from God. Great Groups think that they are on a mission from God. –Great Groups always believe that they are doing something vital, even holy. Bennis, W. & Biederman, P. W. (1997). Organizing genius. New York, NY: Basic Books Bennis, W. & Biederman, P. W. (1997). Organizing genius. New York, NY: Basic Books

Every Great Group is an island – but an island with a bridge to mankind. Every Great Group is an island – but an island with a bridge to mankind. –People trying to make radical changes in the world must be isolated from the outside to focus, but still able to tap the outside resources. Great Groups see themselves as winning underdogs. Great Groups see themselves as winning underdogs. –These groups are able to snatch the prize from the “favorite” from out of nowhere. Great Groups always have an enemy. Great Groups always have an enemy. –Having an enemy, whether real or imaginary, raises the stakes of the competition and rallies the group to define itself. Bennis, W. & Biederman, P. W. (1997). Organizing genius. New York, NY: Basic Books Bennis, W. & Biederman, P. W. (1997). Organizing genius. New York, NY: Basic Books

People in Great Groups have blinders on. People in Great Groups have blinders on. –Participants only have one passion – the task at hand. Great Groups are optimistic, not realistic. Great Groups are optimistic, not realistic. –Great Groups are most often youthful and filled with talented people that don’t believe in the impossible. In Great Groups the right person has the right job. In Great Groups the right person has the right job. –Finding your personal niche is vital to the success of the group. Bennis, W. & Biederman, P. W. (1997). Organizing genius. New York, NY: Basic Books Bennis, W. & Biederman, P. W. (1997). Organizing genius. New York, NY: Basic Books

The leaders of Great Groups give the other members what they need and free them from the rest. The leaders of Great Groups give the other members what they need and free them from the rest. –Brilliant people want a challenge that will allow them to explore their talent. Great Groups ship. Great Groups ship. –Great Groups don’t just talk about things, they make these things happen. Great work is its own reward. Great work is its own reward. –Given a task that the group believes in and a chance to do it well, will lead the group to work tirelessly for no more reward than the job at hand. Bennis, W. & Biederman, P. W. (1997). Organizing genius. New York, NY: Basic Books Bennis, W. & Biederman, P. W. (1997). Organizing genius. New York, NY: Basic Books

Does your leadership team function as a Great Group? Bennis, W. & Biederman, P. W. (1997). Organizing genius. New York, NY: Basic Books Bennis, W. & Biederman, P. W. (1997). Organizing genius. New York, NY: Basic Books