--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A great director or leader knows his…" description: "\"A great director or leader knows his people, creates a great team, and then makes a great movie that can influence millions more than the readers of hi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98a/warren-bennis-35384_cinema_a-great-director-or-leader-knows-his-peo_2731133.jpg" --- # A great director or leader knows his people, creates a… ![“A great director or leader knows his people, creates a great team, and then makes a great movie that can influence millions more than the readers of his column.” quote by Warren Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98a/warren-bennis-35384_cinema_a-great-director-or-leader-knows-his-peo_2731133.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98a/warren-bennis-35384_cinema_a-great-director-or-leader-knows-his-peo_2731133.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98a/warren-bennis-35384_cinema_a-great-director-or-leader-knows-his-peo_2731133.jpg) > “A great director or leader knows his people, creates a great team, and then makes a great movie that can influence millions more than the readers of his column.” [Warren Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-bennis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective leaders understand their team, build strong groups, and create influential work that reaches many. **In simple terms:** Leaders know their team, build strong groups, create impact. Key Takeaway Cultivate deep team insight and collaborative vision. Themes leadership teamwork influence Mood inspirational reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - corporate strategy - film production - non‑profit management - education Key Concepts organizational behavior visionary leadership Questions to Reflect On - How do you measure true influence? - What safeguards protect team welfare? A Different Perspective Leadership can be misused for personal gain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Director](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/director/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Great team](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-team/) [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Readers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/readers/) [Team](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/team/) ## Related quotes > [“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” -John C. Maxwell”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/a-leader-is-one-who-knows-the-way-goes-the-way-and-shows-the-way-john/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [“What first separates a leader from a normal human being? A leader knows who they are as a human being.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-slap/what-first-separates-a-leader-from-a-normal-human-being-a-leader/) [Stan Slap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-slap/) > [Pirlo's a leader - a silent leader, but one who knows how to carry his team through difficult moments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-bonucci/pirlo-s-a-leader-a-silent-leader-but-one-who-knows-how-to-carry-his/) [Leonardo Bonucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-bonucci/) > [“A good leader knows action plan and backup; a great leader, worst-case scenario.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrmn-ca-vikram-verma/a-good-leader-knows-action-plan-and-backup-a-great-leader-worst-case/) [Vikrmn: CA Vikram Verma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrmn-ca-vikram-verma/) > [“A powerful leader knows how to take the fall for the benefit of his followers. He can never shift any blame because he knows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gift-gugu-mona/a-powerful-leader-knows-how-to-take-the-fall-for-the-benefit-of-his/) [Gift Gugu Mona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gift-gugu-mona/) > [Every great leader knows that his or her role comes with responsibility for those who follow him or her, and in ensuring they provide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-howes/every-great-leader-knows-that-his-or-her-role-comes-with/) [Lewis Howes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-howes/) > [The intelligent employer encourages challenge, questioning--not blind acceptance and "our Leader knows best" acclaim.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-barnett-gilson/the-intelligent-employer-encourages-challenge-questioning-not-blind/) [Mary Barnett Gilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-barnett-gilson/) > [A good leader is someone who knows what he's bad at, and hires someone who's good at it to take care of it for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flanagan/a-good-leader-is-someone-who-knows-what-he-s-bad-at-and-hires-someone/) [John Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flanagan/) > [A leader is someone who knows what they want to achieve and can communicate that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/a-leader-is-someone-who-knows-what-they-want-to-achieve-and-can/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [Charisma is the gift from above where a leader knows from inside himself what to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-weber/charisma-is-the-gift-from-above-where-a-leader-knows-from-inside/) [Max Weber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-weber/) > [A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/a-leader-is-one-who-knows-the-way-goes-the-way-and-shows-the-way/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [You have to create circumstances where your first-tier leader knows what you are trying to accomplish, because he is the one who's going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/you-have-to-create-circumstances-where-your-first-tier-leader-knows/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [A leader knows who is outside of the system and needs special help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-edwards-deming/a-leader-knows-who-is-outside-of-the-system-and-needs-special-help/) [W. Edwards Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-edwards-deming/) > [In the simplest terms, a leader is one who knows where she wants and gets up and goes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-erskine/in-the-simplest-terms-a-leader-is-one-who-knows-where-she-wants-and/) [John Erskine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-erskine/) > [A leader knows what's best to do; a manager knows merely how best to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-adelman/a-leader-knows-what-s-best-to-do-a-manager-knows-merely-how-best-to/) [Kenneth Adelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-adelman/) ## More by Warren Bennis > [Specialized management courses are useful but should come well after the complexity of management and business are understood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-bennis/specialized-management-courses-are-useful-but-should-come-well-after/) [Warren Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-bennis/) > [“...once you recognize, or admit, that your primary goal is to fully express yourself, you will find the means to achieve the rest of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-bennis/once-you-recognize-or-admit-that-your-primary-goal-is-to-fully/) [Warren Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-bennis/) > [How can we educators claim credit for understanding, let alone teaching, the 'global mind' without a single course on the impact of religion on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-bennis/how-can-we-educators-claim-credit-for-understanding-let-alone/) [Warren Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-bennis/) > [Learning in a face-to-face human community, as humans have evolved to do over hundreds of thousands of years, may always be the ideal -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-bennis/learning-in-a-face-to-face-human-community-as-humans-have-evolved-to/) [Warren Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-bennis/) > [As my blog editor knows all too well, I wasn't all that keen to enter the blogosphere world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-bennis/as-my-blog-editor-knows-all-too-well-i-wasn-t-all-that-keen-to-enter/) [Warren Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-bennis/) > [The original and brilliant idea of an MBA was the opportunity for students to study the theory and application of business and management principles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-bennis/the-original-and-brilliant-idea-of-an-mba-was-the-opportunity-for/) [Warren Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-bennis/) > [I've become more and more aware of the promise and struggle to teach the global mind nowadays because I use every chance I get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-bennis/i-ve-become-more-and-more-aware-of-the-promise-and-struggle-to-teach/) [Warren Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-bennis/) > [The primary goal of management education was, as originally conceived, to impart knowledge that could be applied to a variety of real-world business situations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-bennis/the-primary-goal-of-management-education-was-as-originally-conceived/) [Warren Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-bennis/) > [“The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born-that there is a genetic factor to leadership. That’s nonsense; in fact, the opposite is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-bennis/the-most-dangerous-leadership-myth-is-that-leaders-are-born-that-2/) [Warren Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-bennis/) > [Learning options will indeed mushroom for business students and leaders, but it will take prudence and shrewdness to find and utilize the best option.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-bennis/learning-options-will-indeed-mushroom-for-business-students-and/) [Warren Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-bennis/) > [Most regular, two-year MBA programs provide both experience and the capacity to link together the essential elements of management such as finance, marketing, organizational…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-bennis/most-regular-two-year-mba-programs-provide-both-experience-and-the/) [Warren Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-bennis/) > [One of the best teaching experiences Ed Schein and I had when we were teaching at MIT in the 1960s was inventing a course…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-bennis/one-of-the-best-teaching-experiences-ed-schein-and-i-had-when-we-were/) [Warren Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-bennis/) [Explore all 13 Warren Bennis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-bennis/) ## More Cinema quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. I've taken breaks as the years have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-made-like-five-movies-while-i-was-in-college-i-think-they-just/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [You have to have a great director to make a great movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/you-have-to-have-a-great-director-to-make-a-great-movie/) [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) > [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/) [Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/) > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [There was a time in the 1980s when I worked in 22 films a year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radha-ravi/there-was-a-time-in-the-1980s-when-i-worked-in-22-films-a-year/) [Radha Ravi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radha-ravi/) > [To an ever greater extent out experience is governed by pictures, pictures in newspapers and magazines, on television and in the cinema. Next to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-crimp/to-an-ever-greater-extent-out-experience-is-governed-by-pictures/) [Douglas Crimp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-crimp/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [I love film people and actors and I am in the right world because I am one of those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-love-film-people-and-actors-and-i-am-in-the-right-world-because-i/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/) [Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/) > [I'd love to work in the States; I'd love to work anywhere where you get a good script and a good part to play.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-carmichael/i-d-love-to-work-in-the-states-i-d-love-to-work-anywhere-where-you/) [Laura Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-carmichael/) > [I even see the cinema itself as a woman, with its alternation of light and darkness, of appearing and disappearing images](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-fellini/i-even-see-the-cinema-itself-as-a-woman-with-its-alternation-of-light/) [Federico Fellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federico-fellini/) > ['Rear Window' isn't really a horror film, but it is a psychological drama, which I love. It is very tense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-silvers/rear-window-isn-t-really-a-horror-film-but-it-is-a-psychological/) [Diana Silvers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-silvers/) > [What a thrill. You know you've entered new territory when you realise that your outfit cost more than your film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-yu/what-a-thrill-you-know-you-ve-entered-new-territory-when-you-realise/) Jessica Yu > [I am not interested in churning out a certain number of films every year. For me, it's about the quality of work. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepika-padukone/i-am-not-interested-in-churning-out-a-certain-number-of-films-every/) [Deepika Padukone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepika-padukone/) [Browse all 23,940 Cinema quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A great director or leader knows his people, creates a great team, and then makes a great movie that can influence millions more than the readers of his column.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Warren Bennis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-bennis/a-great-director-or-leader-knows-his-people-creates-a-great-team-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cinema" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-bennis/a-great-director-or-leader-knows-his-people-creates-a-great-team-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98a/warren-bennis-35384_cinema_a-great-director-or-leader-knows-his-peo_2731133.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98a/warren-bennis-35384_cinema_a-great-director-or-leader-knows-his-peo_2731133.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98a/warren-bennis-35384_cinema_a-great-director-or-leader-knows-his-peo_2731133.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A great director or leader knows his people, creates a great team, and then makes a great movie that can…” — Warren Bennis", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Warren Bennis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-bennis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A great director or leader knows...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-bennis/a-great-director-or-leader-knows-his-people-creates-a-great-team-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-bennis/a-great-director-or-leader-knows-his-people-creates-a-great-team-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```