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. WheatleyRead
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Leadership has regressed to outdated models of authority due to rising uncertainty in the modern age.
In this quote, Margaret J. Wheatley highlights a concerning trend in contemporary leadership styles, suggesting that the increasing uncertainty of the 21st century has prompted many leaders to revert to traditional, authoritarian methods of control rather than fostering collaborative and adaptive approaches. This regression indicates a failure to embrace new leadership paradigms that are necessary for navigating complex and unpredictable environments.
Themes
LeadershipUncertaintyCommandControl21St CenturyChange
In practice
Example use cases
In a keynote speech about modern leadership challenges, this quote can illustrate the need for evolved management styles.
More from Margaret J. Wheatley
All quotes →Even though worker capacity and motivation are destroyed when leaders choose power over productivity, it appears that bosses would rather be in control than have the organization work well.
Margaret J. WheatleyRead
Our willingness to acknowledge that we only see half the picture creates the conditions that make us more attractive to others. The more sincerely we acknowledge our need for their different insights and perspectives, the more they will be magnetized to join us.
Margaret J. WheatleyRead
They have eliminated rigidity, both physical and psychological, in order to support more fluid processes whereby temporary teams are created to deal with specific and ever-changing needs. They have simplified roles into minimal categories; they have knocked down walls and created workplaces where people, ideas, and information circulate freely.
Margaret J. WheatleyRead
It's not differences that divide us. It's our judgments about each other that do.
Margaret J. WheatleyRead
Perseverance is a choice. It's not a simple, one-time choice, it's a daily one. There's never a final decision.
Margaret J. WheatleyRead
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