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. 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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the importance of flexibility and collaboration in modern work environments.
Margaret J. Wheatley highlights how organizations have evolved by eliminating rigid structures that hinder adaptability. By fostering a culture that supports temporary, fluid teams, organizations are better equipped to respond to dynamic needs. This creates an environment where roles are simplified, and communication between people and ideas is enhanced, leading to greater innovation and efficiency.
Themes
FlexibilityAdaptabilityCollaborationTeamworkInnovation
In practice
Example use cases
In a business meeting discussing the restructuring of teams.
More from Margaret J. Wheatley
All quotes →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.
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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.
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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.
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It's not differences that divide us. It's our judgments about each other that do.
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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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