Praise for Joy at Work
“Joy at Work is a remarkable book about a remarkable company told
by a remarkable man. For almost 20 years, AES defied most conventional
management wisdom as it built a culture in which people
were treated as adults, leaders were truly servant leaders, and
fun was a core value that became actualized in the day-to-day lives
of AES people, not something just hung on the wall to be talked
about. The lessons of this journey are captured by Dennis Bakke in
a brilliantly written, frank, and honest account of the ups and the
downs. In a world in which fear often seems to have replaced fun,
the search for profits has replaced the pursuit of purpose; conformity
and following the crowd have replaced the courage to do the
right thing and live by principles; and widespread corruption has
replaced the conviction of ideals, this book offers both the recipe
for a better way of organizing and being in an organization and the
inspiration to try. Never has a book such as this been more needed,
more important, or more welcome.”
— Jeffrey Pfeffer, professor of organizational behavior,
Stanford Graduate School of Business
“The idea of creating a workplace in which everyone maximizes his
or her God-given potential and serves the community is a strong
biblical principle. This book provides valuable ideas for leaders
who wish to build or strengthen organizations using sound spiritual
principles: service, integrity, and social responsibility. Dennis
Bakke knows firsthand what it is to put these truths to work.”
— Chuck Colson, founder,
Prison Fellowship Ministries
“All leaders—and aspiring leaders—should read this provocative
book. Writing from his own experience, Dennis Bakke turns conventional
management thinking on its head. He’s big on accountability,
but his unorthodox views will shock most of today’s corporate-governance
gurus. And when did you last hear a CEO give himself less
than straight A’s on his published report card? Bakke is a committed
Christian, but you don’t have to share his religious views to appreciate
his vision of leadership. Joy at Work is a joy to read.”
— Lynn Sharp Paine, John G. McLean Professor,
Harvard Business School
“Dennis Bakke is one of the best examples of postmodern management,
illustrating that the best way to do business is to create an
organization in which both labor and management become joyfully
self-actualized human beings. In this book he proves that it works. If
you’re looking for a model in which labor and management reach a
respect and make work a fulfilling experience, look no further.”
— Tony Campolo, professor emeritus of sociology,
Eastern University
“Dennis Bakke is widely known as an innovator in business and in
the development of the people who make up the firm. In this book,
he shares both the joys and some of the difficulties of walking the
talk in the real world of the marketplace. It’s a book that every leader
in business should read.”
— C. William Pollard, chairman emeritus,
ServiceMaster
“Dennis Bakke gives a riveting account, warts and all, of how he
tried to practice what he preached. Anyone who believes that values
are relevant to a publicly traded company will find this book provocative,
challenging, and stimulating.”
—Lord Brian Griffiths of Fforestfach, vice chairman,
Goldman Sachs International
“Finally! Here’s a truth-telling CEO, with years of in-the-trenches
experience, who practices what he preaches. Dennis Bakke
thoughtfully dispels popular business myths, and he’ll persuade
you to think differently about your workplace. People are not “our
most important asset.” (People are people, not assets.) Customers
are not always No. 1. (It’s not that simple.) Gutsy CEOs will buy
Joy at Work for every co-worker—and feed a revolution of joy in
the workplace. Managers who thrive on power, prestige, and phony
empowerment will hate this book. I hope Joy at Work becomes
a movement.”
— John Pearson, president and CEO,
Christian Management Association
“Dennis Bakke’s exciting and provocative approach may be the answer.
Getting extraordinary performance from ‘ordinary’ people has the
potential to change organizations and even, perhaps, our society. It
is worth pondering.”
— Walter Scott, professor of management,
Kellogg School of Business
“I have espoused for many years that you should ‘love your job,’ but
Joy at Work takes this concept much deeper. This book challenges
the traditional organizational structure and the purpose of the organization.
It’s a must-read and will also challenge your thinking
about better ways to run a business.”
— Roger Eigsti, former CEO and chairman,
Safeco Corporation
“Not surprisingly, Dennis Bakke vaporizes the wall between ‘secular’
and sacred. His vision of leadership, hammered on the anvil of
the highest level of corporate experience, is radically right for the
church and the nonprofit world as well.”
— John Yates, rector,
The Falls Church
“The beauty of Dennis Bakke’s philosophy and approach is its humane
simplicity. Dennis’s fun and practical insights into creating
and sustaining a joy-filled workplace come from his personal and
shared journey of more than 20 years of hard-fought incubation
and nurturing, trial and error, frustration and exhilaration, and ultimately
failure and success at AES—in short, life. By sharing some of
that journey, I felt the power and excitement of Joy at Work.”
— Barry Sharp, chief financial officer, AES
“In Joy at Work, Dennis Bakke walks us through the tough, real-time
dilemmas of a large, complex international business. It should be
required reading for younger executives striving to balance success
and significance.”
— J. McDonald Williams, chairman emeritus,
Trammell Crow Company
“Dennis Bakke’s Joy at Work presents us the high vision of our daily
work as a joyous, sacred calling. You will find his remarkable story
inspiring and fascinating.”
— Howard E. Butt, Jr., vice chairman,
HE Butt Grocery Company
“Dennis Bakke has written a totally helpful book, and not only for
business types. As a pastor, I was deeply challenged by the holy realism
and enduring hope in spite of human setbacks. The principles
approach is as wise as it is concrete. I recommend this book.”
— Earl F. Palmer, senior pastor,
University Presbyterian Church
“Dennis Bakke reminds us that no matter the role, whether it be
manager or employee, coach, star, or backup, it is getting to make
decisions that makes work fun! Out of all the books I’ve read on
leadership, few have been as powerful as Joy at Work.”
— Trent Dilfer, Super Bowl champion quarterback
“Joy at Work is a remarkable book about a remarkable company told
by a remarkable man. For almost 20 years, AES defied most conventional
management wisdom as it built a culture in which people
were treated as adults, leaders were truly servant leaders, and
fun was a core value that became actualized in the day-to-day lives
of AES people, not something just hung on the wall to be talked
about. The lessons of this journey are captured by Dennis Bakke in
a brilliantly written, frank, and honest account of the ups and the
downs. In a world in which fear often seems to have replaced fun,
the search for profits has replaced the pursuit of purpose; conformity
and following the crowd have replaced the courage to do the
right thing and live by principles; and widespread corruption has
replaced the conviction of ideals, this book offers both the recipe
for a better way of organizing and being in an organization and the
inspiration to try. Never has a book such as this been more needed,
more important, or more welcome.”
— Jeffrey Pfeffer, professor of organizational behavior,
Stanford Graduate School of Business
“The idea of creating a workplace in which everyone maximizes his
or her God-given potential and serves the community is a strong
biblical principle. This book provides valuable ideas for leaders
who wish to build or strengthen organizations using sound spiritual
principles: service, integrity, and social responsibility. Dennis
Bakke knows firsthand what it is to put these truths to work.”
— Chuck Colson, founder,
Prison Fellowship Ministries
“All leaders—and aspiring leaders—should read this provocative
book. Writing from his own experience, Dennis Bakke turns conventional
management thinking on its head. He’s big on accountability,
but his unorthodox views will shock most of today’s corporate-governance
gurus. And when did you last hear a CEO give himself less
than straight A’s on his published report card? Bakke is a committed
Christian, but you don’t have to share his religious views to appreciate
his vision of leadership. Joy at Work is a joy to read.”
— Lynn Sharp Paine, John G. McLean Professor,
Harvard Business School
“Dennis Bakke is one of the best examples of postmodern management,
illustrating that the best way to do business is to create an
organization in which both labor and management become joyfully
self-actualized human beings. In this book he proves that it works. If
you’re looking for a model in which labor and management reach a
respect and make work a fulfilling experience, look no further.”
— Tony Campolo, professor emeritus of sociology,
Eastern University
“Dennis Bakke is widely known as an innovator in business and in
the development of the people who make up the firm. In this book,
he shares both the joys and some of the difficulties of walking the
talk in the real world of the marketplace. It’s a book that every leader
in business should read.”
— C. William Pollard, chairman emeritus,
ServiceMaster
“Dennis Bakke gives a riveting account, warts and all, of how he
tried to practice what he preached. Anyone who believes that values
are relevant to a publicly traded company will find this book provocative,
challenging, and stimulating.”
—Lord Brian Griffiths of Fforestfach, vice chairman,
Goldman Sachs International
“Finally! Here’s a truth-telling CEO, with years of in-the-trenches
experience, who practices what he preaches. Dennis Bakke
thoughtfully dispels popular business myths, and he’ll persuade
you to think differently about your workplace. People are not “our
most important asset.” (People are people, not assets.) Customers
are not always No. 1. (It’s not that simple.) Gutsy CEOs will buy
Joy at Work for every co-worker—and feed a revolution of joy in
the workplace. Managers who thrive on power, prestige, and phony
empowerment will hate this book. I hope Joy at Work becomes
a movement.”
— John Pearson, president and CEO,
Christian Management Association
“Dennis Bakke’s exciting and provocative approach may be the answer.
Getting extraordinary performance from ‘ordinary’ people has the
potential to change organizations and even, perhaps, our society. It
is worth pondering.”
— Walter Scott, professor of management,
Kellogg School of Business
“I have espoused for many years that you should ‘love your job,’ but
Joy at Work takes this concept much deeper. This book challenges
the traditional organizational structure and the purpose of the organization.
It’s a must-read and will also challenge your thinking
about better ways to run a business.”
— Roger Eigsti, former CEO and chairman,
Safeco Corporation
“Not surprisingly, Dennis Bakke vaporizes the wall between ‘secular’
and sacred. His vision of leadership, hammered on the anvil of
the highest level of corporate experience, is radically right for the
church and the nonprofit world as well.”
— John Yates, rector,
The Falls Church
“The beauty of Dennis Bakke’s philosophy and approach is its humane
simplicity. Dennis’s fun and practical insights into creating
and sustaining a joy-filled workplace come from his personal and
shared journey of more than 20 years of hard-fought incubation
and nurturing, trial and error, frustration and exhilaration, and ultimately
failure and success at AES—in short, life. By sharing some of
that journey, I felt the power and excitement of Joy at Work.”
— Barry Sharp, chief financial officer, AES
“In Joy at Work, Dennis Bakke walks us through the tough, real-time
dilemmas of a large, complex international business. It should be
required reading for younger executives striving to balance success
and significance.”
— J. McDonald Williams, chairman emeritus,
Trammell Crow Company
“Dennis Bakke’s Joy at Work presents us the high vision of our daily
work as a joyous, sacred calling. You will find his remarkable story
inspiring and fascinating.”
— Howard E. Butt, Jr., vice chairman,
HE Butt Grocery Company
“Dennis Bakke has written a totally helpful book, and not only for
business types. As a pastor, I was deeply challenged by the holy realism
and enduring hope in spite of human setbacks. The principles
approach is as wise as it is concrete. I recommend this book.”
— Earl F. Palmer, senior pastor,
University Presbyterian Church
“Dennis Bakke reminds us that no matter the role, whether it be
manager or employee, coach, star, or backup, it is getting to make
decisions that makes work fun! Out of all the books I’ve read on
leadership, few have been as powerful as Joy at Work.”
— Trent Dilfer, Super Bowl champion quarterback
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