DreamMakers: Putting Vision and Values to Work (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

There is enough inspiration to last almost a lifetime. -- Booklist, April 1, 1998

Product Description

For all those leading or immersed in major organizational transformation, this collection of twelve awe-inspiring interviews--with such eminent leaders as Joe Brodecki, fundraiser for the Holocaust Museum, Marilyn King, Olympic athlete and founder of Beyond Sports, and David Cole, former President of America Online--proves that grand-scale organizational change is possible even in the face of resistance, fear, and adversity.

These "dreammakers'" struggles, mistakes, joys, surprises, and discoveries reveal a set of underlying strengths that are crucial for leaders of any organization--passion, courage, resilience, dedication to personal relationships, commitment to community, the ability to focus on other people's talents, and a belief in being part of something greater than themselves. Inspiring for both who they are and what they have accomplished, these extraordinary leaders give those on the front lines as well as those behind the scenes new insight into achieving change with integrity and compassion.

In addition to sharing the stories of outstanding corporations and individuals, DreamMakers celebrates the triumphs of several communities and organizations that have realized social and economic dreams--Surry County, Virginia, for its model community, the tiny island nation of Aruba for its transformative Aruba Quality Foundation, and Detroit's Youth on the Edge of Greatness program for giving more than 600 "at-risk" teenagers a new focus in life. Each inspiring story in this book brings to life the capacity for vision critical to leaders of any organization and encourages readers to release the dreammakers within themselves.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Intercultural Press; 1st edition (April 7, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0891061088
• ISBN-13: 978-0891061083
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #245,830 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #54 in

  Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Sociology > Social Situations

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Honest, and real stories of DreamMakers., July 21, 2000

By	Turgay BUGDACIGIL (Istanbul, Turkey) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

"DreamMakers are people who make dreams happen. They have the deep insight and long foresight necessary to perceive the consequences their actions will have...This book tells twelve different stories that could not have happened without the DreamMakers involved. These DreamMakers come from all sectors of society all over the world -corporations, local and national goverments, nonprofit organizations, and voluntary community groups. They also come from different economic and social backgrounds. They come from different national, cultural, ethnic, and racial backgrounds.What they share, however, is far more powerful and important than how they differ...This is a book about hope, intended for anyone who is seeking to create a better future. It is especially for those who choose to accept leadership roles, who sense on an intuitive level that we are living in an unprecedented time in which to make a difference, and who are looking for inspiration, insights, and ideas to reshape our institutions, communities, and lives. The people I call DreamMakers are not those we read about in the headlines every day. They are not necessarily, nor would they identify themselves as, heroines, heroes, or geniuses. They have, however, discovered and tapped in to the extraordinary nature and power we all have within us. It is my hope that, from hearing these personal stories, others may discover that ability as well" (from the Preface).

In this context, Michele Hunt firstly tells the theories underlying this book, and formulates:

1. 'The Power of Shared Vision' by defining vision as our deepest expression of what we want to create. And she argues that " I believe vision fuels our passion and lifts us above our fear. It is our North Star for exploring and charting our future".

2. 'Shared Values of DreamMakers' by asking some questions as follows:

* How they see the world, how they treat people, how they take in information, how they make decisions, how they build teams, how they use creativity, how they act, how they respond to 'failure', how they learn and grow, and how they are anchored (more detailed discussion and answers of these questions see Chapter 1).

In the following Chapters, she tells the stories of different individuals/DreamMakers. And she summarizes these stories, as 'lessons we learned', end of the each chapter. These lessons learned from all stories told in the book can be summarized as follows:

* DreamMakers express vision and values.

* DreamMakers engage others in their vision.

* DreamMakers work with others to build a shared vision.

* DreamMakers understand that we are all connected and interdependent.

* DreamMakers support diversity and honor the integrity and contributions of all people.

* DreamMakers question and challenge the status quo.

* DreamMakers value and nurture interpersonal relationships.

* DreamMakers tap in to the extraordinary potential in all of us.

* DreamMakers find unprecedented opportunities for transformation and renewal in the current climate of rapid change.

* DreamMakers collaboratively transform and renew themselves and others.

* DreamMakers make their dreams a reality.

* DreamMakers are both passionate and compassionate.

* DreamMakers focus on education and continual learning.

* DreamMakers trust feelings, emotions, and intuition.

* DreamMakers learn from their mistakes.

* DreamMakers foster creativity and hope.

* DreamMakers follow a moral compass.

* DreamMakers believe in a higher power and purpose.

* DreamMakers demonstrate responsibility toward a large community.

* DreamMakers are committed to making the world a better place.

As written by Max De Pree, "Stories about people tell us both who we are and who we might become. Stories map the paths toward potential and unity. The stories in DreamMakers are honest, real stories. Not everythig works. Not everything is easy. Ann Denison writes, 'We had to call the police, and they arrested him'. Leadership and service are demanding".

I highly recommend.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring, Thought Provoking, March 9, 2003

By	Roger E. Herman (Greensboro, NC USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Several things grabbed my attention as I picked up this book. First was the author's photo on the front cover-rather unusual. But, if you're a Black woman in today's world, achieving at a high level, there's something to say here. Flipping over to the back cover, I saw testimonials from Peter Senge, Frances Hesselbein (President and CEO of the Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit Management), Warren Bennis, Jack Kemp, the chairman of ServiceMaster, the president of London Fog, and more. OK, this woman is connected, obviously valued by some people who are careful about where their names appear. Foreword by Max De Pree, former chairman and CEO of Herman Miller, Inc.

Checking her biography, I learned that she served for two years as executive director of the Federal Quality Institute, appointed by President Clinton. Prior to that she was vice president for people and quality for Herman Miller. The impressive list goes on. This is a woman who knows what makes the difference between high achieving organizations and also-rans.

In her first chapter, Hunt talks about visioning-imagining the world we want to create. Her emphasis is on leading and living on purpose. She talks about change and how we need good foundations to thrive when everything is changing around us at a frightening pace. "I believe vision fuels our passion and lifts us above our fear." The redesign, realignment, reinvention must be done with a deliberate urgency, engaging the hearts and minds of the people who comprise organizations and communities. Dream makers inspire their people-all their stakeholders-to move consciously and purposefully into the future. We can all learn from their examples.

The next twelve chapters consist of twelve stories of people who make a difference. At the end of each chapter is a summary of lessons learned. Each one of these stories could be a valuable book all by itself, so this collection has a lot to offer. The book concludes with some personal philosophy from the author, putting the frosting on the cake. Recommended for leaders and aspiring leaders who want to gain greater insights into the kinds of things that make life and organizations work a lot better.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational perspectives on leadership, September 24, 1998

By A Customer

Michelle Hunt has an uncanny ability to make leadership palpable. Her case studies, particularly the one dealing with an IT company in Virginia, are insightful and inspiring. While it's disappointing that she didn't interview junior people about who they looked up to as leaders, her vignettes capture the true essence of leadership.