SIDEBAR: The Wisdom of Chairman Max

In “Leadership Is An Art” (Dell, 1989) and “Leadership Jazz” (Dell, 1992), Max De Pree looks at leadership not as a science or discipline but as a creative art. Here is a sampling:

Leadership is an art, something to be learned over time, not simply by reading books. Leadership is more tribal than scientific, more a weaving of relationships than an amassing of information. (LA, p.3)

Instinctively, most of us follow a leader who has real vision and who can transform that vision into a meaningful and hopeful strategy. (LJ, p.40)

The tenders of vision are often lonely, usually unpopular, and frequently demand that others change. People with a vision inject ambiguity and risk and uncertainty into our lives, (LJ, p.40)

As a Christian I believe each person is made in the image of God. For those of us who have received the gift of leadership from the people we lead, this belief has enormous implications. (LA, p.63)

Fragility is part of a vision’s nature. People who think they have created an indestructible vision simply issue a command, write an agenda. Had Odysseus sailed home according to an agenda, the account of his voyage would not be worth remembering. (LJ, p.40)

A friend of mine described a colleague as great at running the “ninety-five-yard dash.” That is a distinction I can do without. Lacking the last five yards makes the first ninety-five pointless. (LA, p.43)

A whale is as unique as a cactus. But don’t ask a whale to survive Death Valley. We all have special gifts. Where we use them and how determines whether we actually complete something. (LA, p. 145)

We do not grow by knowing all of the answers, but rather by living with the questions. (LA, p.58)

It is not a matter primarily of whether or not we reach our particular goals. Life is more than just reaching our goals. As individuals and as a group we need to reach our potential. Nothing else is good enough. We must always be reaching toward our potential. (LA, p.50)

The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. (LA, p.11)