Margaret J. Wheatley Quotes

A collection of quotes by Margaret J. Wheatley.

Margaret J. Wheatley is a renowned author, speaker, and management consultant, best known for her work in the field of organizational development and leadership. Born in 1944, she earned her Ph.D. in administration, planning, and social policy from Harvard University. Wheatley has dedicated her career to exploring and promoting alternative approaches to leadership and change in complex systems.

Throughout her life, Wheatley has held various roles, including being the co-founder and president of The Berkana Institute, an organization that supports emerging leaders and facilitates change in organizations and communities worldwide. She has also served as a faculty member at various renowned institutions, such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Brigham Young University, and the University of Utah.

Wheatley is a prolific writer and has authored several influential books, including "Leadership and the New Science," "Finding Our Way: Leadership for an Uncertain Time," and "Turning to One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Future." Her writings emphasize the importance of collaboration, decentralized decision-making, and harnessing the power of relationships in fostering positive change.

Margaret J. Wheatley continues to inspire and influence leaders across various fields and is regarded as a key figure in promoting innovative and compassionate leadership approaches. With her unique perspectives and insights, she has made significant contributions to the study of organizations, systems thinking, and human behavior.

Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more

Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful.

Margaret J. Wheatley

I'm sad to report that in the past few years, ever since unc

I'm sad to report that in the past few years, ever since uncertainty became our insistent 21st century companion, leadership has taken a great leap backwards to the familiar territory of command and control.

Margaret J. Wheatley

Whatever life we have experienced, if we can tell our story

Whatever life we have experienced, if we can tell our story to someone who listens, we find it easier to deal with our circumstances.

Margaret J. Wheatley

Life Circumstances

The nature of the global business environment guarantees tha

The nature of the global business environment guarantees that no matter how hard we work to create a stable and healthy organisation, our organisation will continue to experience dramatic changes far beyond our control.

Margaret J. Wheatley

We experience problem-solving sessions as war zones, we view

We experience problem-solving sessions as war zones, we view competing ideas as enemies, and we use problems as weapons to blame and defeat opposition forces. No wonder we can't come up with real lasting solutions!

Margaret J. Wheatley

I think we have to notice that the business processes we use

I think we have to notice that the business processes we use right now for thinking and planning and budgeting and strategy are all delivered on very tight agendas.

Margaret J. Wheatley

These days, our senses are bombarded with aggression. We are

These days, our senses are bombarded with aggression. We are constantly confronted with global images of unending, escalating war and violence.

Margaret J. Wheatley

I think it is quite dangerous for an organisation to think t

I think it is quite dangerous for an organisation to think they can predict where they are going to need leadership. It needs to be something that people are willing to assume if it feels relevant, given the context of any situation.

Margaret J. Wheatley

I believe that the capacity that any organisation needs is f

I believe that the capacity that any organisation needs is for leadership to appear anywhere it is needed, when it is needed.

Margaret J. Wheatley

Probably the most visible example of unintended consequences

Probably the most visible example of unintended consequences, is what happens every time humans try to change the natural ecology of a place.

Margaret J. Wheatley

The things we fear most in organizations -- fluctuations, di

The things we fear most in organizations -- fluctuations, disturbances, imbalances -- are the primary sources of creativity.

Margaret J. Wheatley

Hopelessness has surprised me with patience.

Hopelessness has surprised me with patience.

Margaret J. Wheatley

Determination, energy, and courage appear spontaneously when

Determination, energy, and courage appear spontaneously when we care deeply about something. We take risks that are unimaginable in any other context.

Margaret J. Wheatley

When leaders take back power, when they act as heroes and sa

When leaders take back power, when they act as heroes and saviors, they end up exhausted, overwhelmed, and deeply stressed.

Margaret J. Wheatley

A human being has been given an intellect to make choices, a

A human being has been given an intellect to make choices, and we know there are other food sources that do not require the killing of a creature that would protest being killed.

Mary Tyler Moore

Most people associate command and control leadership with th

Most people associate command and control leadership with the military.

Margaret J. Wheatley

Successful organizations, including the Military, have learn

Successful organizations, including the Military, have learned that the higher the risk, the more necessary it is to engage everyone's commitment and intelligence.

Margaret J. Wheatley

When we can lay down our fear and anger and choose responses

When we can lay down our fear and anger and choose responses other than aggression, we create the conditions for bringing out the best in us humans.

Margaret J. Wheatley

In our daily life, we encounter people who are angry, deceit

In our daily life, we encounter people who are angry, deceitful, intent only on satisfying their own needs. There is so much anger, distrust, greed, and pettiness that we are losing our capacity to work well together.

Margaret J. Wheatley

Too many problem-solving sessions become battlegrounds where

Too many problem-solving sessions become battlegrounds where decisions are made based on power rather than intelligence.

Margaret J. Wheatley