True to Our Roots
Fermenting a Business Revolution
Published on 9. June 2010
240 pages
978-0-470-88285-6 (ISBN)
Description
True to Our Roots sets forth the simple but powerfulmanagement principles that enabled Fetzer Vineyards under PaulDolan to become one of America's biggest and best-knownwineries even as it was turning into a model for sustainablebusinesses everywhere. Today, Dolan and Fetzer are leading theCalifornia wine industry toward profound change in how wineries andgrape growers preserve their environment, strengthen theircommunities, and enrich the lives of their employees, withoutsacrificing the bottom line. This is truly a management revolutionin one of the most globalized, competitive industries on Earth.
The principles Dolan discovered and developed at Fetzer can beapplied to any business and by leaders at every level:
* A business is part of a much larger system
* A company's culture is determined by the context createdfor it
* The soul of a company is found in the hearts of its people
* The future can't be predicted, but it can be created
* There is a way to make an idea's time come
Filled with personal anecdotes and practical wisdom, this bookoffers inspiration and guidance to business managers who see thecompelling need to build and grow healthy, sustainableorganizations. For all readers, True to Our Roots providesboth a fascinating glimpse into the California wine industry andheartening proof that business can do well by doing good.
Reviews / Votes
"Paul Dolan has not only led the way to sustainability inCalifornia viticulture but has demonstrated that one person in onecompany can transform an entire industry. If only there were aroomful of Paul Dolans in America, we would be a profoundlydifferent and better country in twenty years. May it be so." --Paul Hawken Author, The Ecology of Commerce "There are but few companies worldwide that are actually takingpositive and active steps toward sustainable commerce. Paul Dolanhas led Fetzer Vineyards with a strong commitment to define newbusiness principles for the future. I commend Fetzer for forgingthis path and Paul Dolan for documenting the defining principles inthis book." --Yvon Chouinard Owner, Patagonia, Inc. "Paul Dolan is my hero. He's the best example out there of how tocreate genuine sustainability in a business while being part of apublicly traded company. This is no small feat. Dolan pulls it offbecause he manages truly from his heart. His book is aninspiration." --Marjorie Kelly Cofounder and Publisher, Business Ethics magazine Author, The Divine Right of Capital "Businesses have a new bottom line to work towards:sustainability. Read True to Our Roots to understandits importance and how to achieve it. It may make thedifference between success and failure." --Harry Paul Coauthor, FISH! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and ImproveResults "Paul Dolan writes compellingly of new possibilities for businessand the potential to change the way we work and live and sustainour planet for future generations. Going beyond the conventionalwisdom, he demonstrates how we can, with enough courage andimagination, reshape the world in a more equitable way whenbusiness invests in the well-being of its employees, the community,and the environment." --Arnold S. Hiatt Former CEO, Stride Rite Corporation Chairman, Stride Rite Foundation "Paul Dolan is a provocative and creative leader who has providedan insightful pathway of excellence not just for the currentgeneration but for generations to come. True to Our Rootswas illuminating to read--and reread--containing gems ofwisdom that go beyond our vineyards and wine cellars to rules ofconduct for everyday life. His axioms and guidelines can beapplied to all competitive enterprise." --John A. De Luca Executive Vice Chairman, Wine Institute "If you know Paul Dolan, it will come as no surprise that Trueto Our Roots is honest, thoughtful, and inspiring. This isPaul's story. It's about his respect for nature and forhumankind and how he has found a path to serve both in creating asuccessful and sustainable business. Paul's ideas are ofgreat importance. If his writings were wine bottles,you'd carry them to friends you care about." --Robert H. Dunn CEO, Business for Social Responsibility "Higher-quality products. Lower costs. Fifteen percentearnings growth for a decade. The largest-selling brand in theindustry. Sound good? In True to Our Roots, CEOPaul Dolan shows how he used the challenges of sustainability tocatalyze a business revolution at Fetzer--to the benefit not onlyof wine connoisseurs and shareholders but also workers,communities, and the planet. A very important read for anyoneinterested in learning how to create truly sustainablevalue." --Stuart L. Hart S.C. Johnson Professor of Sustainable Global Enterprise, Johnson School of Management, Cornell University "Ever wondered what sustainability tastes like? Paul Dolan knows.Uncork. Savour. Understand. Adopt. And adapt." --John Elkington Cofounder and Chair, SustainAbilityMore details
Other editions
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Book
11/2003
1st Edition
Bloomberg Press
€26.50
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Person
Paul Dolan believes that business leaders can help make a better world, and he sees Mendocino County, California, as fertile ground to grow this vision. As president of Fetzer Vineyards (1992-2004) where he also served as winemaker (1977-1992) and managing director for new products and strategic development with the wine group of Brown-Forman Corporation, he led a transformation that put the company at the forefront of organic viticulture and sustainable business. With the creation of Mendocino Wine Company (MWC), a partnership of the Dolan and Thornhill families, leadership in sustainable winegrowing continues, cradled in the open, creative atmosphere of Mendocino County. A native Californian descended from three generations of distinguished winemakers, Dolan graduated from Santa Clara University with a degree in business and finance and holds a master's degree in enology from California State University, Fresno. Dolan serves on the boards of Wine Institute and Business for Social Responsibility, and is a founder of Wine Vision. He participated on President Clinton's Council on Sustainable Development, and chaired the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance Board. Dolan continues to advocate for sustainability and organic farming based on the simple premise that his natural view of our relationship with the world is not only the right view, but also delivers better products and healthier lives.
Content
Acknowledgments.
Preface.
Foreword
In this undated memoir, found after his death, Bernard "Barney"Fetzer describes finding and buying the run-down rural ranch wherehe ultimately founded Fetzer Vineyards.
Introduction.
Sustainability: Fetzer's Business Revolution
Fetzer has balanced economic success with environmental andsocial responsibility for more than ten years, winning innumerableawards for wine quality and sustainable business practices whilegrowing the business 100 percent.
Chapter 1: Your Business Is Part of a Much LargerSystem
We are not alone, we are interconnected, and we can make adifference. This awareness opens up unlimited opportunities fortransforming relationships with employees, suppliers, businesspartners, and other stakeholders.
Chapter 2: Your Company's Culture Is Determined by theContext You Create for It
With the right business context, sustainability is no longer amanagement concept or social philosophy, but a practical frameworkfor concerted action by everyone throughout the organization.
Chapter 3: The Soul of a Business Is Found in the Hearts ofIts People
Sustainable businesses must accomplish a transition from mereaccountability--doing what's expected--to broaderresponsibility for maximizing profits in a way that heals the earthand supports human rights.
Chapter 4: True Power Is Living What You Know
Integrity is the root of sustainability. At Fetzer Vineyards,this awareness has driven everything from waste reduction andenergy conservation to large-scale organic viticulture, workerhousing programs, and "green" facility construction.
Chapter 5: You Can't Predict the Future, but You Can CreateIt
Fetzer creates its future from the future, by painting vividpictures of new possibilities and managing its business "backward"from those pictures rather than forward from a present that's tiedinexorably to the past.
Chapter 6: There Is a Way to Make an Idea's Time Come
Fetzer Vineyards has taken public stands on sustainablewinegrowing, vineyard development, and zero waste. These standshave already begun changing the context for the California wineindustry, by expanding people's understanding of what'spossible.
Afterword: Grapes Into Wine
Making great wine is hard work--even when you've beendoing it for decades. At the same time, growing premium wine grapeswithout synthetic chemicals is a choice that the entire industrycould easily make.
Fetzer History and Future Development.
A Fetzer Vineyards Time Line Follow the company'sprogress from a small family operation to one of America's largestpremium wine producers.
Fetzer Environmental Record Fetzer's efforts on behalf ofthe environment have been recognized locally, statewide,nationally, and internationally.
The Future of Fetzer: A Vision of 2005 How Fetzer hascreated the future from the future.
Resources.
Index.
List of Illustrations.
