The Power of Strategic Dreaming - Part 1

The world needs more dreams.

Dreams inspire. Dreams motivate. Dreams bring out the best in us.

Why? Because they allow us to see beyond our problems, beyond our fears, beyond the obstacles that seem insurmountable as we face them every day. Instead, dreams give us images that we hold in our minds of a better future, where we can be what we are capable of being, doing what we are capable of doing. These images remind us that current problems are merely bumps in a longer road headed to the dream. Dreams give us hope for the future.

That’s the American Dream. Our ancestors came to these shores to be and do the things they could not be and do in their homelands. And that powerful thought was built into the core of our government and society – that we have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of our dreams.

And dreams work. On November 4, 2008, the world witnessed a significant milestone in a significant dream. Forty-five years earlier, a man stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and shared his dream with the nation. His dream was that African-Americans would one day be able to pursue the American Dream. It was his dream that they would no longer face rampant discrimination and societal opposition as they pursued their dreams of a better life. The obstacles to his dream at that time were significant and complex – laws, traditions, segregation, and ingrained patterns of biased thinking.

Martin Luther King that day could have demanded civil rights legislation at the federal level. He could have incited his followers to open rebellion and violence. He could have lashed out at those who harbored prejudiced thoughts against people of color. But he didn’t. He didn’t come to Washington with a plan, a solution to the problem he saw. Instead, he came with a dream. And in his powerful rhetorical style, he shared his dream that one day his children would be judged by the content of their character, not by the color of their skin. So simple a dream, but so challenging to achieve. But it touched the hearts of many Americans and started a long, slow process of change. Forty-five years later, Americans turned out in record numbers to judge Barack Obama capable of being the leader of the American people, based on the content of his character, not by the color of his skin.

Dreams have the power to transform. Martin Luther King’s dream has helped transform our nation, our institutions, and the way we think of ourselves and our fellow citizens. If are so powerful and dreams work, why don’t we use them more often? Why don’t we use dreams to transform our organizations? Our corporations, non-profit organizations, even our government groups are facing difficult challenges in the years ahead. Much needs to be done and many are in need but financial pressures, globalization issues, and environmental challenges seem like insurmountable obstacles. We need transformation in our organizations, new ways to think, and new ways to carry out our missions. Perhaps our organizations need dreams.