Leading Without Power: Finding Hope in Serving Community (J-B US non-Franchise Leadership) by Max De Pree (1997-09-19)
Categories: Books, Business & Money, Management & Leadership



Dimensions: 5.69 x 0.85 x 8.37 inches
ISBN-13: 978-0787910631
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0787910635
Publisher: Jossey-Bass
Print length: 192 pages
Publication date: September 19, 1997
subtitle: Hardcover – September 19, 1997
author: Max De Pree
review: Editorial Reviews Amazon.com Review Max De Pree, former CEO of Herman Miller and author of two bestselling books that look at business in a decidedly nontraditional manner, now turns his attention to nonprofits and the way they bring out the best in people. Leading Without Power: Finding Hope in Serving Community addresses the possibility of managing through inspiration rather than domination by drawing a distinction between "organizations" and "movements." While some may argue that his theories are a bit too touchy-feely, De Pree's successful corporate background proves that there is more to his ideas than mere rhetorical bombast. Review ?This is a book to be read, re-read, shared widely within any organization. Every chapter has pictures for our mind that will remain vivid long after the book is closed. A vibrant testament to human potential, the why of work.? (Frances Hesselbein, president and CEO, The Drucker Foundation) ?Here is Max De Pree at his best, and that is very good indeed. In Leading Without Power, De Pree shows us why we cannot master the how-to-dos of effective leadership without also being clear about what leaders?and followers?must be. In doing so, he not only provides us with much practical wisdom about creative leading and organizational health, he also nurtures our souls. This is a book to be savored by all who care about such things as vision, faithfulness, trust, and hope.? (Richard J. Mouw, president, Fuller Theological Seminary) ?Being CEO of a non-profit organization is not so much a job as it is a love affair. Why keep at it if it is just going to limp along? Like any love story, my work may have its struggles, and Max De Pree provides the practical help, inspiration, and encouragement that keep me focused and motivated. But he also adds poetry, art and dance to the work, and to the way I work.? (Stephen A. Hayner, president, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship) "A rich source of leadership wisdom that speaks to the needs of school leaders today." (The School Administrator) From the Inside Flap Simple yet profound, Max De Pree's observations are often quoted by America's top CEOs, educators, and opinion makers. The best-selling author of Leadership Is an Art and Leadership Jazz, he has done no less than revolutionize leadership thinking and practice. Now, in Leading Without Power, De Pree finds that the most successful organizations of the Information Age operate not as controlled collections of human resources, but as dynamic communities of free people. And in order to mobilize these communities, leaders must know how to lead without power, because free people follow willingly?or not at all. De Pree holds up nonprofits as mirrors of our greatest aspirations?places where people work for the opportunity to contribute to the common good, and for the chance to realize their full human potential. He calls such organizations ?movements? and challenges others to follow their example. Movements, De Pree maintains, transcend ?the deceptive simplicity of a single bottom line? and set standards for leadership and service all organizations should reach for. They lead not with the power of the paycheck or with bureaucratic carrots-and-sticks, but with the promise of meaningful work and lives fulfilled. For that reason, nonprofit or otherwise, they are the most successful organizations of all. Brimming with rich, warm, and wise advice, Leading Without Power takes an enlightened look at the forces that drive selfless accomplishment. It offers encouragement and hope for creating organizations that inspire the very best in people. And it provides leaders at every level with a new context for effecting positive change. From the Back Cover Simple yet profound, Max De Pree?s observations are often quoted by America?s top CEOs, educators, and opinion makers. The best-selling author of Leadership Is an Art and Leadership Jazz, he has done no less than revolutionize leadership thinking and practice. Now, in Leading Without Power, De Pree finds that the most successful organizations of the Information Age operate not as controlled collections of human resources, but as dynamic communities of free people. And in order to mobilize these communities, leaders must know how to lead without power, because free people follow willingly?or not at all. De Pree holds up nonprofits as mirrors of our greatest aspirations?places where people work for the opportunity to contribute to the common good, and for the chance to realize their full human potential. He calls such organizations ?movements? and challenges others to follow their example. Movements, De Pree maintains, transcend ?the deceptive simplicity of a single bottom line? and set standards for leadership and service all organizations should reach for. They lead not with the power of the paycheck or with bureaucratic carrots-and-sticks, but with the promise of meaningful work and lives fulfilled. For that reason, nonprofit or otherwise, they are the most successful organizations of all. Brimming with rich, warm, and wise advice, Leading Without Power takes an enlightened look at the forces that drive selfless accomplishment. It offers encouragement and hope for creating organizations that inspire the very best in people. And it provides leaders at every level with a new context for effecting positive change. About the Author MAX DE PREE writes from forty years of experience in the corporate world, almost as many in the nonprofit world, and nineteen years as a grandparent. De Pree is chairman emeritus of Herman Miller, Inc., a member of Fortune magazine's National Business Hall of Fame, and a recipient of the Business Enterprise Trust's Lifetime Achievement Award. He has served on the boards of Fuller Theological Seminary, Hope College, and Words of Hope. De Pree is also a member of the advisory board of the Peter F. Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit Management. He himself has found hope in his service to a variety of communities. Read more