We often ask employees to bring their best selves to work—but how often do we really encourage them to become their best selves? True leadership isn’t just about performance metrics and KPIs. It’s about creating a culture that inspires people to stretch toward their potential—inside and outside of work. That journey begins with a dream.
Why Supporting Dreams Matters
When leaders take the time to learn what drives their team members personally, they tap into something transformative. Dreams aren’t just feel-good fantasies. They are internal motivators, and when supported, they unleash creativity, resilience, and purpose.
When your team knows you believe in them—not just professionally but personally—they bring their whole selves to work. Trust deepens, loyalty grows, and people engage at a level far beyond just “doing their job.” This is how a leader fosters discretionary effort—the choice employees make to give more than the minimum.
Leadership, Culture, and Results
Leadership doesn’t lead directly to results. It leads to culture, which shapes behavior, which in turn produces results.
LEADERSHIP → CULTURE → BEHAVIOR → RESULTS
If you want to see better outcomes in your organization, start with your culture—and let that begin with dreams.
Discretionary Effort: A Multiplier Effect
Liz Wiseman, in her book Multipliers, defines the impact great leaders have by bringing out discretionary effort. She found that leaders who challenge and empower their teams ignite this extra effort in a natural, sustainable way.
Here’s how to cultivate it:
- Challenge with belief: People rise to meet high expectations when leaders genuinely believe in their potential.
- Encourage ownership: Autonomy drives engagement. Supporting personal dreams builds the muscle of overcoming resistance—valuable at work and in life.
- Leverage strengths: When people work in roles that align with their passions and abilities, they thrive—and your company becomes impossible to replicate.
Encouraging your people to live into their dreams helps you to build these muscles. Supporting dreams isn’t a distraction from business goals—it’s a direct investment in human potential.
Creativity and Resistance: Lessons from Rubin and Pressfield
Rick Rubin, in The Creative Act, reminds us that creativity flows through us—we don’t force it; we receive it. When employees are in touch with their dreams, they become channels for innovation and ideas that serve your organization in unique ways.
But dreaming isn’t always easy. The War of Art by Steven Pressfield tells us why: RESISTANCE. He says, “Resistance is always lying and always full of sh*t.” The things that matter most to us are often the hardest to start. Overcoming resistance isn’t just a creative struggle—it’s a leadership skill. Supporting dreams helps people push past this barrier in every aspect of life.
A Few Thoughts on Timing and Scope
Victor Hugo wrote, “Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come.” Suppressing a meaningful dream can cause internal dissonance. But when given space, that dream might just become the next big innovation your business needs.
In 10x is Easier than 2x, Benjamin Hardy argues that exponential growth doesn’t require more effort—it requires more vision. Achieving something 10x greater starts by dreaming 10x bigger. Helping employees think this way in their personal lives builds a mindset that transfers to work.
Your Role as the Dream Manager
Want to put the power of dreams into action in your organization? Becoming a “Dream Manager” means you’re building a culture that values personal growth as much as professional performance. It’s not about adding more to your plate—it’s about leading with intention and creating an environment where your people can thrive.
Here’s a sneak peek at the first 3 steps in the 10-step framework I use with leadership teams looking to elevate culture and drive results through personal purpose:
- Create a Safe and Supportive Environment – Build trust through open, honest communication. Let your team know their dreams matter—and that they’ll be met with curiosity, not judgment.
- Conduct Dream Discovery Sessions – Schedule 1-on-1 conversations. Ask about goals, passions, and personal aspirations. Encourage employees to keep a “dream journal.” Think of it like browsing at Costco—no pressure to commit, just space to explore.
- Identify and Prioritize Dreams – Help team members sort their dreams into categories—career, travel, health, etc.—and pick one or two that light them up. Focus drives action.
Want the full playbook?
Download the full 10-Step Dream Manager Guide to get all 10 steps in a practical, printable format—designed to help you take action and start conversations that matter.
By helping your team pursue their dreams, you don’t just build better employees—you build better humans. That’s the kind of leadership that transforms companies.
Dream boldly. Lead differently. Watch your people soar…