A leader who strongly believed that leadership was not simply a title - it was a way of thinking, of behaving. As a scholar, a teacher, a leader, she demonstrated what can be achieved by someone who understands the power and practice of good leadership.
Georgia Sorenson
Featured Leadership Topics
Understand Leadership
“I think we all are leaders. Leadership changes from group to group, activity to activity. If you go to my daughter’s house, you’ll see her running her family very effectively, but if she goes somewhere else, she might be a follower, for example. So, we all are leaders and followers every day. I don’t believe that it gets encapsulated into one person.”
Description of the video:
So you taught at the Army War College? I did. How did your view of leadership go over at the Army War? To be honest, I didn't actually teach there. They wouldn't actually let me teach there, I think. Because the Army has a very considered view of leadership. Have you ever been in the military? I was a leader on the Army cavalry. Okay. There you know. Yeah. They've spent the Army as really a phenomenal institution in terms of leadership, and they spent a lot of money, Dwight Eisenhower started on understanding leadership and followership. And obviously, at Hollander did a lot of great work for the Army on followership. And they did it for a reason. You know, they wanted to learn how did Hitler arise. Why did we let that happen? But also, how do you create a team a team that works together Okay productively. And I mean, the army has got the teamwork down pat. I mean, they're, you know, soldiers that go out and get all their limbs blown up and they want to go back to the field to be with their team. That's phenomenal. Now, some people could say it's coercive, but I didn't experience that. I experienced just a really strong culture with a strong purpose, core values that are articulated. And I was let's see, I was hired by by a general general Hunt at the Army W College. It was part of a Donald Rumsfeld initiative, by the way, on transformational leadership. And what Donald Rumsfeld meant by transformational leadership was how to integrate the different service sectors, the Marines and the Airforce because they were he felt that they were kind of competitive and would be better to them working together as a group. So I didn't know that they that that was their definition of transformational leadership until I got there. So I you know, I'm not opposed to that, of course. So I was kind of quiet there. There was only one other woman. We became very good friends. He Heidi Cano. Now, I've forgotten your question. Why did I go there, is that it? I know, I was wondering how your views of leadership matched up with what happened when you went to the Army Warpel Right. Okay. U I'm not sure that I changed them very much, you know, to be perfectly honest. They kind of had all the answers to everything. And they people, you know, I was a person that people would come to and talk to about leadership, but not in a systemic way, I would say. Okay. I I've become very close with several people from the Army War college afterwards and helped them get jobs in the private universities when they retired and so forth. So I've got a good connection there. I've I've I've had influence, but it's not wasn't direct. So based on the way you understand leadership, what constitutes successful leadership? Well, I would say successful leadership in a group would be the accomplishment of their task in the way that the group feels satisfied and ennobled by the work that they did.
Promote Values and Ethics
“I decided, for me, that being helpful to a living being was always more important than an idea. So, if I’m going to a meeting and I see a lost dog, I’ll stop and help the lost dog and I’ll be late to the meeting. People now expect it because I know what my values are. I’m not going to turn away from some living being that’s suffering, and I don’t care how important anything else is at the moment. So, that’s helped me understand myself better. So, think young people can know themselves, know their values, know the hierarchy of their values. It helps them make decisions, frankly. It helps you make decisions to know what you really believe in, and to feel empowered or authenticated or credentialed or whatever it is for them to put their gifts forward.”
Description of the video:
So you taught at the Army War College? I did. How did your view of leadership go over at the Army War? To be honest, I didn't actually teach there. They wouldn't actually let me teach there, I think. Because the Army has a very considered view of leadership. Have you ever been in the military? I was a leader on the Army cavalry. Okay. There you know. Yeah. They've spent the Army as really a phenomenal institution in terms of leadership, and they spent a lot of money, Dwight Eisenhower started on understanding leadership and followership. And obviously, at Hollander did a lot of great work for the Army on followership. And they did it for a reason. You know, they wanted to learn how did Hitler arise. Why did we let that happen? But also, how do you create a team a team that works together Okay productively. And I mean, the army has got the teamwork down pat. I mean, they're, you know, soldiers that go out and get all their limbs blown up and they want to go back to the field to be with their team. That's phenomenal. Now, some people could say it's coercive, but I didn't experience that. I experienced just a really strong culture with a strong purpose, core values that are articulated. And I was let's see, I was hired by by a general general Hunt at the Army W College. It was part of a Donald Rumsfeld initiative, by the way, on transformational leadership. And what Donald Rumsfeld meant by transformational leadership was how to integrate the different service sectors, the Marines and the Airforce because they were he felt that they were kind of competitive and would be better to them working together as a group. So I didn't know that they that that was their definition of transformational leadership until I got there. So I you know, I'm not opposed to that, of course. So I was kind of quiet there. There was only one other woman. We became very good friends. He Heidi Cano. Now, I've forgotten your question. Why did I go there, is that it? I know, I was wondering how your views of leadership matched up with what happened when you went to the Army Warpel Right. Okay. U I'm not sure that I changed them very much, you know, to be perfectly honest. They kind of had all the answers to everything. And they people, you know, I was a person that people would come to and talk to about leadership, but not in a systemic way, I would say. Okay. I I've become very close with several people from the Army War college afterwards and helped them get jobs in the private universities when they retired and so forth. So I've got a good connection there. I've I've I've had influence, but it's not wasn't direct. So based on the way you understand leadership, what constitutes successful leadership? Well, I would say successful leadership in a group would be the accomplishment of their task in the way that the group feels satisfied and ennobled by the work that they did.
Plan for Succession
“I do think that when older people that are established or well-known take the time with a young person, it’s a kind of uplifting, empowering, helpful little boost along the way.”
Description of the video:
So you taught at the Army War College? I did. How did your view of leadership go over at the Army War? To be honest, I didn't actually teach there. They wouldn't actually let me teach there, I think. Because the Army has a very considered view of leadership. Have you ever been in the military? I was a leader on the Army cavalry. Okay. There you know. Yeah. They've spent the Army as really a phenomenal institution in terms of leadership, and they spent a lot of money, Dwight Eisenhower started on understanding leadership and followership. And obviously, at Hollander did a lot of great work for the Army on followership. And they did it for a reason. You know, they wanted to learn how did Hitler arise. Why did we let that happen? But also, how do you create a team a team that works together Okay productively. And I mean, the army has got the teamwork down pat. I mean, they're, you know, soldiers that go out and get all their limbs blown up and they want to go back to the field to be with their team. That's phenomenal. Now, some people could say it's coercive, but I didn't experience that. I experienced just a really strong culture with a strong purpose, core values that are articulated. And I was let's see, I was hired by by a general general Hunt at the Army W College. It was part of a Donald Rumsfeld initiative, by the way, on transformational leadership. And what Donald Rumsfeld meant by transformational leadership was how to integrate the different service sectors, the Marines and the Airforce because they were he felt that they were kind of competitive and would be better to them working together as a group. So I didn't know that they that that was their definition of transformational leadership until I got there. So I you know, I'm not opposed to that, of course. So I was kind of quiet there. There was only one other woman. We became very good friends. He Heidi Cano. Now, I've forgotten your question. Why did I go there, is that it? I know, I was wondering how your views of leadership matched up with what happened when you went to the Army Warpel Right. Okay. U I'm not sure that I changed them very much, you know, to be perfectly honest. They kind of had all the answers to everything. And they people, you know, I was a person that people would come to and talk to about leadership, but not in a systemic way, I would say. Okay. I I've become very close with several people from the Army War college afterwards and helped them get jobs in the private universities when they retired and so forth. So I've got a good connection there. I've I've I've had influence, but it's not wasn't direct. So based on the way you understand leadership, what constitutes successful leadership? Well, I would say successful leadership in a group would be the accomplishment of their task in the way that the group feels satisfied and ennobled by the work that they did.
Storytelling
“Another really important thing I learned from him is you never, never, never, never, never cancel an appointment because somebody better came along. You don’t cancel a student’s appointment – I know this because we were driving down to Charlottesville once to give a talk, and Hillary Clinton’s office called me on my cellphone and they wanted to know if he could come and talk to her on a certain day. He looked at his calendar, he had a student meeting... He said, “Well, no, you’re going to have to tell her I can’t do it then.” I said, “Are you kidding me?”... And he says, “No.” That was just steadfast for him, especially students. He did get to know Hillary later, but he didn’t go that day. So, that’s definitely influenced me too. I’m not as good at it as him, but I don’t cancel appointments when somebody better comes along.”
Description of the video:
So you taught at the Army War College? I did. How did your view of leadership go over at the Army War? To be honest, I didn't actually teach there. They wouldn't actually let me teach there, I think. Because the Army has a very considered view of leadership. Have you ever been in the military? I was a leader on the Army cavalry. Okay. There you know. Yeah. They've spent the Army as really a phenomenal institution in terms of leadership, and they spent a lot of money, Dwight Eisenhower started on understanding leadership and followership. And obviously, at Hollander did a lot of great work for the Army on followership. And they did it for a reason. You know, they wanted to learn how did Hitler arise. Why did we let that happen? But also, how do you create a team a team that works together Okay productively. And I mean, the army has got the teamwork down pat. I mean, they're, you know, soldiers that go out and get all their limbs blown up and they want to go back to the field to be with their team. That's phenomenal. Now, some people could say it's coercive, but I didn't experience that. I experienced just a really strong culture with a strong purpose, core values that are articulated. And I was let's see, I was hired by by a general general Hunt at the Army W College. It was part of a Donald Rumsfeld initiative, by the way, on transformational leadership. And what Donald Rumsfeld meant by transformational leadership was how to integrate the different service sectors, the Marines and the Airforce because they were he felt that they were kind of competitive and would be better to them working together as a group. So I didn't know that they that that was their definition of transformational leadership until I got there. So I you know, I'm not opposed to that, of course. So I was kind of quiet there. There was only one other woman. We became very good friends. He Heidi Cano. Now, I've forgotten your question. Why did I go there, is that it? I know, I was wondering how your views of leadership matched up with what happened when you went to the Army Warpel Right. Okay. U I'm not sure that I changed them very much, you know, to be perfectly honest. They kind of had all the answers to everything. And they people, you know, I was a person that people would come to and talk to about leadership, but not in a systemic way, I would say. Okay. I I've become very close with several people from the Army War college afterwards and helped them get jobs in the private universities when they retired and so forth. So I've got a good connection there. I've I've I've had influence, but it's not wasn't direct. So based on the way you understand leadership, what constitutes successful leadership? Well, I would say successful leadership in a group would be the accomplishment of their task in the way that the group feels satisfied and ennobled by the work that they did.
Lead Authentically
“Well, I guess I think role models, the best we can do is to be who we are, the quirky, crazy, irresponsible parts too. I’m pretty disclosing to people, maybe more than I should be, I don’t know, but I think offering up your authentic self is all you can do really.”
Description of the video:
So you taught at the Army War College? I did. How did your view of leadership go over at the Army War? To be honest, I didn't actually teach there. They wouldn't actually let me teach there, I think. Because the Army has a very considered view of leadership. Have you ever been in the military? I was a leader on the Army cavalry. Okay. There you know. Yeah. They've spent the Army as really a phenomenal institution in terms of leadership, and they spent a lot of money, Dwight Eisenhower started on understanding leadership and followership. And obviously, at Hollander did a lot of great work for the Army on followership. And they did it for a reason. You know, they wanted to learn how did Hitler arise. Why did we let that happen? But also, how do you create a team a team that works together Okay productively. And I mean, the army has got the teamwork down pat. I mean, they're, you know, soldiers that go out and get all their limbs blown up and they want to go back to the field to be with their team. That's phenomenal. Now, some people could say it's coercive, but I didn't experience that. I experienced just a really strong culture with a strong purpose, core values that are articulated. And I was let's see, I was hired by by a general general Hunt at the Army W College. It was part of a Donald Rumsfeld initiative, by the way, on transformational leadership. And what Donald Rumsfeld meant by transformational leadership was how to integrate the different service sectors, the Marines and the Airforce because they were he felt that they were kind of competitive and would be better to them working together as a group. So I didn't know that they that that was their definition of transformational leadership until I got there. So I you know, I'm not opposed to that, of course. So I was kind of quiet there. There was only one other woman. We became very good friends. He Heidi Cano. Now, I've forgotten your question. Why did I go there, is that it? I know, I was wondering how your views of leadership matched up with what happened when you went to the Army Warpel Right. Okay. U I'm not sure that I changed them very much, you know, to be perfectly honest. They kind of had all the answers to everything. And they people, you know, I was a person that people would come to and talk to about leadership, but not in a systemic way, I would say. Okay. I I've become very close with several people from the Army War college afterwards and helped them get jobs in the private universities when they retired and so forth. So I've got a good connection there. I've I've I've had influence, but it's not wasn't direct. So based on the way you understand leadership, what constitutes successful leadership? Well, I would say successful leadership in a group would be the accomplishment of their task in the way that the group feels satisfied and ennobled by the work that they did.
Navigate Change
“When I worked in the White House, I worked on women’s issues, women’s employment issues – that was my little niche – and it was really different back then. Women couldn’t have credit cards in their own names, they couldn’t inherit their own family farm, even if it was their father’s farm. We couldn’t get loans from banks. We couldn’t do apprenticeships to learn a trade. There were many, many changes that have occurred in my lifetime. I worked really hard on women’s issues in particular. There was a great cadre of women, including Jean Lipman-Blumen in Washington, and Joy Simonton and Leslie – I forgot her last name at the moment – Leslie Wolff, and Nancy Pelosi was there. I mean, there was a cadre of women in Washington that were working for change and so we passed 110375, Affirmative Action Executive Order...”
Description of the video:
So you taught at the Army War College? I did. How did your view of leadership go over at the Army War? To be honest, I didn't actually teach there. They wouldn't actually let me teach there, I think. Because the Army has a very considered view of leadership. Have you ever been in the military? I was a leader on the Army cavalry. Okay. There you know. Yeah. They've spent the Army as really a phenomenal institution in terms of leadership, and they spent a lot of money, Dwight Eisenhower started on understanding leadership and followership. And obviously, at Hollander did a lot of great work for the Army on followership. And they did it for a reason. You know, they wanted to learn how did Hitler arise. Why did we let that happen? But also, how do you create a team a team that works together Okay productively. And I mean, the army has got the teamwork down pat. I mean, they're, you know, soldiers that go out and get all their limbs blown up and they want to go back to the field to be with their team. That's phenomenal. Now, some people could say it's coercive, but I didn't experience that. I experienced just a really strong culture with a strong purpose, core values that are articulated. And I was let's see, I was hired by by a general general Hunt at the Army W College. It was part of a Donald Rumsfeld initiative, by the way, on transformational leadership. And what Donald Rumsfeld meant by transformational leadership was how to integrate the different service sectors, the Marines and the Airforce because they were he felt that they were kind of competitive and would be better to them working together as a group. So I didn't know that they that that was their definition of transformational leadership until I got there. So I you know, I'm not opposed to that, of course. So I was kind of quiet there. There was only one other woman. We became very good friends. He Heidi Cano. Now, I've forgotten your question. Why did I go there, is that it? I know, I was wondering how your views of leadership matched up with what happened when you went to the Army Warpel Right. Okay. U I'm not sure that I changed them very much, you know, to be perfectly honest. They kind of had all the answers to everything. And they people, you know, I was a person that people would come to and talk to about leadership, but not in a systemic way, I would say. Okay. I I've become very close with several people from the Army War college afterwards and helped them get jobs in the private universities when they retired and so forth. So I've got a good connection there. I've I've I've had influence, but it's not wasn't direct. So based on the way you understand leadership, what constitutes successful leadership? Well, I would say successful leadership in a group would be the accomplishment of their task in the way that the group feels satisfied and ennobled by the work that they did.
Develop a Team
“The Army has got the teamwork down pat. You know, there are soldiers that go out... and they want to go back to the field... to be with their team. That’s phenomenal. Now, some people could say it’s coercive, but I didn’t experience that. I experienced just a really strong culture with a strong purpose, core values that are articulated.”
Description of the video:
So you taught at the Army War College? I did. How did your view of leadership go over at the Army War? To be honest, I didn't actually teach there. They wouldn't actually let me teach there, I think. Because the Army has a very considered view of leadership. Have you ever been in the military? I was a leader on the Army cavalry. Okay. There you know. Yeah. They've spent the Army as really a phenomenal institution in terms of leadership, and they spent a lot of money, Dwight Eisenhower started on understanding leadership and followership. And obviously, at Hollander did a lot of great work for the Army on followership. And they did it for a reason. You know, they wanted to learn how did Hitler arise. Why did we let that happen? But also, how do you create a team a team that works together Okay productively. And I mean, the army has got the teamwork down pat. I mean, they're, you know, soldiers that go out and get all their limbs blown up and they want to go back to the field to be with their team. That's phenomenal. Now, some people could say it's coercive, but I didn't experience that. I experienced just a really strong culture with a strong purpose, core values that are articulated. And I was let's see, I was hired by by a general general Hunt at the Army W College. It was part of a Donald Rumsfeld initiative, by the way, on transformational leadership. And what Donald Rumsfeld meant by transformational leadership was how to integrate the different service sectors, the Marines and the Airforce because they were he felt that they were kind of competitive and would be better to them working together as a group. So I didn't know that they that that was their definition of transformational leadership until I got there. So I you know, I'm not opposed to that, of course. So I was kind of quiet there. There was only one other woman. We became very good friends. He Heidi Cano. Now, I've forgotten your question. Why did I go there, is that it? I know, I was wondering how your views of leadership matched up with what happened when you went to the Army Warpel Right. Okay. U I'm not sure that I changed them very much, you know, to be perfectly honest. They kind of had all the answers to everything. And they people, you know, I was a person that people would come to and talk to about leadership, but not in a systemic way, I would say. Okay. I I've become very close with several people from the Army War college afterwards and helped them get jobs in the private universities when they retired and so forth. So I've got a good connection there. I've I've I've had influence, but it's not wasn't direct. So based on the way you understand leadership, what constitutes successful leadership? Well, I would say successful leadership in a group would be the accomplishment of their task in the way that the group feels satisfied and ennobled by the work that they did.
About Georgia Sorenson
Georgia Sorenson was a truly incredible champion for women’s leadership. As a scholar, a teacher, a leader, she demonstrated what can be achieved by someone who understands the power and practice of good leadership.
She was a leader who strongly believed that leadership was not simply a title—it was a way of thinking, of behaving. Sorenson was a woman who believed in women, and in the importance of good governance.
One must seriously consider the question: Would there be a field of leadership studies without Georgia Sorenson? Drawing upon historical lessons learned from the creation of the fields of sociology and psychology, Sorenson, with colleague James MacGregor Burns, developed a systematic plan more than 30 years ago to establish the field of leadership studies.
Recognizing the essential, foundational building blocks needed, Sorenson established or supported refereed scientific leadership journals; built a $2 million leadership library for scholars to find all essential and classic texts; co-founded a professional association (the ILA); co-edited the award-winning, four-volume Encyclopedia of Leadership (a disciplinary resource); chronicled the benchmarks for a consolidation of leadership theory (The Quest for a General Theory of Leadership); and helped establish or served on the board of numerous leadership institutes.
But, Sorenson’s interest in leadership has never been purely academic. From her work as a senior policy analyst in the Carter White house or as analyst for the U.S. Commission of Civil Rights to the themes in her recent book, The Power of Invisible Leadership: How a Compelling Common Purpose Inspires Exceptional Leadership, Sorenson’s commitment to leadership has always been aimed toward the larger question, leadership for what.
Explore the full oral history of Georgia SorensonBorn or Made?
“I think we all are leaders. Leadership changes from group to group, activity to activity. If you go to my daughter’s house, you’ll see her running her family very effectively, but if she goes somewhere else, she might be a follower, for example. So, we all are leaders and followers every day. I don’t believe that it gets encapsulated into one person.”
Description of the video:
Well, I think you can add to my question away because I think we all are leaders. Leadership changes from group to group activity to activity. If you got in my daughter's house, you'll seek or wanting her family very effectively. But if she goes somewhere else, he or she might be a follower, for example. So we all are leaders in polymers every day. So I believe that it gets encapsulated into one person. I think there was certain, well, you know, the Five-Factor theory in psychology where it says extroversion is an important part of leadership. Most leaders, I think for the extra inverting, I'm an introvert and Jim was an introvert.
Leaders Are Readers
“The thing about the Tao Te Ching, which was written by Lao Tzu after Confucius, and there are many translations, but I love my translation. I read that book hundreds of thousands of times maybe and I didn’t really get what it was trying to tell me and I was buying the books and giving it to hitchhikers. I was really an advocate even though I hadn’t had my ah-ha moment, but at some point, I really understood what they were saying, what he was saying.”
Books I Recommend
- Learning for Leadership
—by Ken Rice - Tau Te Ching
—by Lau Tzu - The Connective Edge
—by Jean Lipman-Blumen - Leadership
—by James Macgregor Burns
Books I’ve Written
- Dead Center: Clinton-Gore Leadership and the Perils of Moderation
- The Quest for a General Theory of Leadership
- The Power of Invisible Leadership: How a Compelling Common Purpose Inspires Exceptional Leadership
- Encyclopedia of Leadership
- Strategic Leadership: The General's Art
- The SAGE Encyclopedia of Leadership Studies
