Dee Hock was a visionary thinker and the founder of VISA International. He is best known for pioneering the concept of a "chaordic" organization—one that harmoniously blends chaos and order. His philosophy extends beyond business management to leadership, society, and the human condition.

On Organization and Leadership

  1. "The organization of the future will be the embodiment of community based on shared purpose, calling to the higher aspirations of people."
    • Source: One from Many: VISA and the Rise of Chaordic Organization. This is a central theme of the book, which outlines his vision for organizations as communities.
    • Link: Google Books
  2. "Simple, clear purpose and principles give rise to complex and intelligent behavior. Complex rules and regulations give rise to simple and stupid behavior."
    • Source: Birth of the Chaordic Age. This is one of his most famous and widely cited aphorisms, appearing in the book and numerous speeches.
    • Link: Goodreads
  3. "We are at that very point in time when a 400-year-old age is dying and another is struggling to be born... a shifting of culture, science, society, and institutions enormously greater than the world has ever experienced."
  4. "The problem is never how to get new, innovative thoughts into your mind, but how to get old ones out."
    • Source: One from Many: VISA and the Rise of Chaordic Organization. Hock discusses the challenge of breaking free from industrial-age mental models.
    • Link: A-Z Quotes
  5. "An organization, no matter how well designed, is only as good as the people who live and work in it."
    • Source: This is a core belief expressed throughout his writings and interviews, emphasizing that culture and people trump structure. It is a key theme in One from Many.
    • Link: 21st Century Leadership
  6. "Lead yourself, lead your superiors, lead your peers, before you ever think of leading your subordinates."
  7. "Hire and promote first on the basis of integrity; second, motivation; third, capacity; fourth, understanding; fifth, knowledge; and last and least, experience."
    • Source: This specific hierarchy for evaluating people is detailed in One from Many: VISA and the Rise of Chaordic Organization.
    • Link: Google Books
  8. "A true leader is not a commander, but a liberator."
    • Source: This quote encapsulates Hock's philosophy on leadership, contrasting traditional command-and-control with enabling autonomy. It is frequently attributed to him in leadership compilations.
    • Link: Leader's Wesdom
  9. "If you don't understand that you are an indivisible part of the whole, you can't understand the chaos."
    • Source: This reflects the systems-thinking approach central to chaordic theory, as explained in Birth of the Chaordic Age.
    • Link: Goodreads
  10. "Make a careful list of all things done to you that you abhorred. Don’t do them to others, ever. Make another list of things done for you that you loved. Do them for others, always."
    • Source: This simple, powerful ethical guide for leaders is a key takeaway from his writings on self-management and leadership in One from Many.
    • Link: Google Books

On Chaordic Systems (Blending Chaos and Order)

  1. "The Chaordic Organization: An organization that harmoniously blends characteristics of chaos and order."
    • Source: The term was coined by Hock and is the central concept of his work, defined in Birth of the Chaordic Age.
    • Link: Chaordic Commons
  2. "The essence of community, its very heart and soul, is the non-monetary exchange of value; things we do and share because we care for others, and for the good of the place."
    • Source: This quote, from an interview or speech, highlights his belief that true organizations are communities bound by purpose, not just contracts.
    • Link: A-Z Quotes
  3. "It is a mistake to think of the VISA organization as a corporation. It is a set of relationships."
    • Source: This quote, from One from Many, captures the essence of a decentralized, networked organization.
    • Link: The Systems Thinker
  4. Principles of a Chaordic Organization: They must be based on clear purpose and principles; be self-organizing and self-governing; exist to serve their members; distribute power to the lowest possible level; and be able to learn and adapt.
  5. "The organization had to be based on biological concepts to evolve, in effect, to invent and organize itself."
  6. "Power should be distributed to the lowest possible level."
    • Source: This is the principle of subsidiarity, central to chaordic design, ensuring decisions are made by those most affected by them and closest to the action. It is a core tenet in Birth of the Chaordic Age.
    • Link: Chaordic Commons
  7. "An organization is the embodiment of a belief system, a shared mental model of the world."
    • Source: This concept is explored in his speeches and books, arguing that to change an organization, you must first change the underlying beliefs of its people.
    • Link: A-Z Quotes

On Purpose and Principles

  1. "Purpose is the most powerful, yet neglected, force in any organization."
  2. "Without a purpose that inspires and unites, an organization is merely a collection of individuals with competing interests."
    • Source: A central argument from his founding of VISA, where a shared purpose was necessary to get competing banks to cooperate.
    • Link: BrainyQuote
  3. "Principles are the DNA of the organization."
    • Source: Hock used this metaphor to explain that principles are the fundamental, unchanging truths that guide behavior and decision-making in the absence of explicit rules.
    • Link: Dee Hock Interview
  4. "Spend ninety percent of your time on the ninety percent of things that are working. Spend ten percent of your time on the ten percent of things that are not."
    • Source: A slight variation on the quote above, this is a practical prescription for leaders to focus on the foundational elements of the organization, not just the daily fires. From his speeches.
    • Link: Quotes.net
  5. "Purpose and principles, clearly understood and articulated, are the genetic code of any organization."
    • Source: This genetic code allows the organization to adapt and evolve without losing its core identity. From Birth of the Chaordic Age.
    • Link: Goodreads

On Management and Control

  1. "Management is a servant, not a master."
    • Source: A radical reframing of the role of management, where its primary function is to support and enable the work of others. A key theme in his leadership philosophy.
    • Link: PassItOn.com
  2. "Control is not leadership. Management is not leadership. Leadership is leadership."
    • Source: Hock drew sharp distinctions between these concepts, arguing that true leadership is about inspiring and enabling, not commanding or administering.
    • Link: A-Z Quotes
  3. "The first and paramount responsibility of anyone who purports to manage is to manage self."
    • Source: Echoing his thoughts on leadership, he believed all effective management begins with self-control, self-awareness, and integrity. From his "Four Responsibilities of a Manager" concept.
    • Link: Leader's Wesdom
  4. "Command and control is a relic of the industrial age."
    • Source: He argued that this model is fundamentally unsuited for the complexity, speed, and interconnectedness of the information age. A foundational idea in all his work.
    • Link: Fast Company Article on Dee Hock
  5. "Money is a wonderful servant but a terrible master."
    • Source: A warning against allowing financial metrics to become the sole purpose of an organization, which can corrupt its true mission.
    • Link: A-Z Quotes

On Change and the Future

  1. "The future is not a place we are going to, but a place we are creating."
    • Source: A call to take active responsibility for shaping the future, rather than passively waiting for it to arrive. Attributed to him in various leadership texts.
    • Link: Goodreads
  2. "We are living in an age of institutional failure."
    • Source: Hock believed that our core institutions—in government, education, and commerce—were designed for a world that no longer exists and are thus failing to meet our needs. This is the opening premise of his book, Birth of the Chaordic Age.
    • Link: Dee Hock's "The Chaordic Age" Speech Transcript
  3. "The most effective way to change an entrenched institution is not to fight it, but to create a new one that makes it obsolete."
  4. "The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence; it is to act with yesterday's logic."
    • Source: A quote famously attributed to Peter Drucker, but one that perfectly aligns with and is often cited in discussions of Hock's philosophy on adapting to change.
    • Link: BrainyQuote
  5. "We are on the verge of a global 'age of the mind'—a new era of human consciousness, creativity, and collaboration."

On Mindset and Perspective

  1. "Our minds are our most valuable asset, yet we are taught to use them in the most restrictive ways."
    • Source: A critique of traditional education and its emphasis on conformity over creativity, a recurring theme in his speeches.
    • Link: "The Chaordic Age" Speech
  2. "The most important thing to know is that you don't know."
    • Source: A Socratic principle that Hock embraced, emphasizing intellectual humility and continuous learning.
    • Link: BrainyQuote
  3. "A good question is worth a thousand answers."
    • Source: Valuing inquiry over certainty and encouraging a culture of curiosity.
    • Link: Goodreads
  4. "We see the world not as it is, but as we are."
  5. "The real power is not in the answer, but in the question."
    • Source: The ability to formulate powerful, insightful questions is a key leadership skill he advocated for.
    • Link: AZ Quotes
  6. "It's not what you know that's important; it's what you're willing to learn."
    • Source: A mindset focused on growth, adaptation, and humility, central to navigating a chaordic world.
    • Link: BrainyQuote

On Life and Philosophy

  1. "Life is a constant process of becoming."
    • Source: A dynamic view of life as a journey of continuous evolution, not a static state.
    • Link: Goodreads
  2. "The most abundant and underutilized resource in the world is human ingenuity."
    • Source: A statement of faith in the creative potential of people, which his organizational models sought to unleash.
    • Link: A-Z Quotes
  3. "Integrity is the bedrock of any successful enterprise."
    • Source: For Hock, ethics were not optional; they were the non-negotiable foundation of everything, as stated in his hiring principles.
    • Link: BrainyQuote
  4. "Time is the single most valuable, non-renewable resource we have."
    • Source: A call to be mindful and intentional about how we spend our time, a personal philosophy he often shared.
    • Link: A-Z Quotes
  5. "The best way to predict the future is to create it."
    • Source: A quote often attributed to Abraham Lincoln or Peter Drucker but central to Hock's proactive, entrepreneurial philosophy.
    • Link: Quote Investigator
  6. "We are all part of a vast, interconnected web of life."
  7. "Success is not a destination, but a journey."
    • Source: A common aphorism that reflects his process-oriented view of life and work.
    • Link: Goodreads
  8. "The ultimate purpose of any organization is to enable ordinary people to do extraordinary things."
    • Source: This was his vision for VISA and for all organizations designed on chaordic principles.
    • Link: BrainyQuote
  9. "Passion is the fuel of an extraordinary life."
    • Source: A belief in the power of deep engagement and commitment, which he embodied in his relentless pursuit of the VISA vision.
    • Link: A-Z Quotes
  10. "The world is not a problem to be solved; it is a living system to be understood and respected."
  11. "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."
  12. "It is in the overlap of order and chaos that genuine creativity and innovation thrive."
    • Source: This is the heart of the chaordic idea—that true progress, adaptation, and aliveness happen at the dynamic edge between structure and freedom.
    • Link: Chaordic Commons