Max Owen De Pree (1924–2017) was an American business executive and an author of leadership books. He was the CEO of the Herman Miller office furniture company 1980–87 and served on its board of directors until 1995. De Pree grew the Zeeland, Michigan-based small family-owned business into the second-largest furniture maker in the world.
De Pree was born in Zeeland, Michigan, to D. J. De Pree, founder of Herman Miller. After serving in World War II, De Pree graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hope College. He and his brother Hugh De Pree assumed leadership of the company in the 1960s. Hugh became CEO and president in 1962. Max succeeded his brother as the company’s leader in 1980 and served as CEO until 1987, continued to be a member of the company’s Board of Directors until 1995.
Max De Pree is the author of four books: Leadership is an Art (2011,) Leadership Jazz (2008,) Dear Zoe (1996,) and Leading Without Power (1997.) His books have sold more than a million copies in more than 20 languages around the world. De Pree is celebrated for establishing the practice of such leadership concepts as servant leadership and inclusive capitalism.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Max De Pree
In the end, it is important to remember that we cannot become what we need to be, by remaining what we are.
—Max De Pree
Topics: Leadership, Change, Growth
Earning trust is not easy, nor is it cheap, nor does it happen quickly. Earning trust is hard and demanding work. Trust comes only with genuine effort, never with a lick and a promise.
—Max De Pree
Notice I did not say what people can do–what we can do is merely a consequence of what we can be.
—Max De Pree
Topics: Art, Humanity, Leadership
We can teach ourselves to see things the way they ARE. Only with vision can we begin to see things the way they CAN BE.
—Max De Pree
I don’t come with the wheelchair. The wheelchair comes with me.
—Max De Pree
The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between the two, the leader must become a servant and a debtor. That sums up the progress of an artful leader.
—Max De Pree
Topics: Responsibility, Leadership
Leaders don’t inflict pain — they share pain.
—Max De Pree
Topics: Leaders, Leadership
We are alone, absolutely alone on this chance planet; and amid all the forms of life that surround us, not one, excepting the dog has made an alliance with us.
—Max De Pree
Topics: Dogs, Animals
Channeled correctly and integrated properly, our diversity can be our greatest strength.
—Max De Pree
Topics: Leadership
Only a group of people who share a body of knowledge and continually learn together can stay vital and viable.
—Max De Pree
The greatest thing is, at any moment, to be willing to give up who we are in order to become all that we can be.
—Max De Pree
Leadership is much more an art, a belief, a condition of the heart, than a set of things to do. The visible signs of artful leadership are expressed, ultimately, in its practice.
—Max De Pree
Topics: Leadership
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