As you enter positions of trust and power, dream a little before

The words of Toni Morrison—“As you enter positions of trust and power, dream a little before you think”—resound like a call from the ancients to those who would lead. In these words, the great writer bids us remember that the seat of authority is not merely a place of calculation and strategy, but a sacred space where vision must precede decision. To dream is to imagine a better world, to lift the eyes beyond mere survival, beyond profit, beyond cold reason, and see instead the radiance of what could be. Only then should the mind sharpen itself to plan and to govern, for without dreams, thought becomes a prison, and leadership becomes a machine without a soul.

The origin of this wisdom lies in Morrison’s life and legacy as a writer, a voice for the oppressed, and a witness to the power of imagination. She knew that those who wield influence shape not only laws and policies, but the hearts of generations. In every age, there arises the temptation to let fear, numbers, or the weight of practicality suffocate the dream of justice and beauty. Morrison warns against this suffocation. She reminds us that trust given by the people is not simply a tool of management, but a covenant of hope. To honor it, one must be brave enough to dream first, and then to think.

History offers us examples of this truth. Consider Martin Luther King Jr., who, though facing the brutal realities of segregation, dared to begin with a dream. His words, “I have a dream,” did not begin with charts or laws, but with a vision that stirred the soul of a nation. That dream became the guiding star by which reason, policy, and reform were later navigated. If he had thought first, weighed the dangers, and measured the obstacles, perhaps fear would have silenced him. But because he dreamed first, he changed the course of history.

There is also the example of Nelson Mandela. Imprisoned for nearly three decades, he might have allowed bitterness to calcify his mind. Yet he dreamed of reconciliation, of a South Africa where blacks and whites could walk together as brothers. When at last he entered a position of power, he did not govern as one enslaved by vengeance. He governed as one guided by a dream greater than himself. His thinking was sharp and practical, but it was shaped by the prior vision of unity and justice. Without that dream, his leadership might have been consumed by old hatreds. Instead, it became a light to the nations.

Morrison’s teaching is both gentle and fierce. She tells us: the world has no shortage of thinkers, no shortage of cold efficiency, no shortage of those who calculate and manage. But the world withers without dreamers, especially when they hold trust and power. For reason without imagination builds cages, but reason guided by dreams builds kingdoms of possibility. Therefore, the one who aspires to lead must guard the fire of imagination as a sacred trust, lest the weight of responsibility extinguish it.

The lesson is clear: before you act, pause to dream. Before you speak, envision the world you wish your words to create. Before you wield power, ask yourself what kind of future you desire to leave behind. Let your dreams be as anchors for your thoughts, and your thoughts as instruments for your dreams. In this way, your leadership will not be a cold machine, but a living flame that warms and inspires.

Practically, let every soul cultivate the art of dreaming. Write visions upon paper before crafting plans upon charts. In moments of decision, ask not only, “What is possible?” but also, “What is worthy?” Spend time in silence, letting imagination rise before the clamor of logic. And when entrusted with power, let the heart speak before the mind calculates, that your rule may not merely manage the present, but give birth to a better tomorrow.

Thus, Morrison’s words echo across the ages like a mother’s counsel to her children and like a prophet’s cry to her people: do not let the iron grip of reason strangle the golden thread of the dream. For leadership without vision is hollow, but when trust, power, dreams, and thought are woven together, they form the tapestry of true greatness. And those who live by this wisdom shall leave behind not only policies, but legacies.