Quote

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

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Margaret J. Wheatley
Age: 83
Born: 1941
Born: January 1
Business Theorist
Writer
Place
Ecology
Happens
Conservation
Change
Consequences
Humans
Visible
Trying
Consequence
Every
Example
Time
Probably
Natural
Unintended

More quotes by Margaret J. Wheatley

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Passion mutates into procedures, into rules and roles. Instead of purpose, we focus on policies. Instead of being free to create, we impose constraints that squeeze the life out of us.
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Aggression is the most common behavior used by many organizations, a nearly invisible medium that influences all decisions and actions.
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For eons, humans have struggled to find less destructive ways of living together.
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Life doesn't move in straight lines, and neither does a good conversation.
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Disorder can play a critical role in giving birth to new, higher forms of order.
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To make a system stronger, we need to make stronger relationships.
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The things we fear most in organizations - fluctuations, disturbances, imbalances - are the primary sources of creativity.
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Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful.
Margaret J. Wheatley
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I think a major act of leadership right now, call it a radical act, is to create the places and processes so people can actually learn together, using our experiences
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Power is the capacity to generate relationships.
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Space is the basic ingredient of the universe there is more of it than anything else.
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we can't be creative if we refuse to be confused. Change always starts with confusion cherished interpretations must dissolve to make way for what's new. Great ideas and inventions miraculously appear in the space of not knowing.
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Let's just keep asking ourselves this question: 'Is what I'm about to do strengthening the web of connections, or is it weakening it?'
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Without aggression, it becomes possible to think well, to be curious about differences, and to enjoy each other's company.
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Many of us have created lives that give very little support for experimentation. We believe that answers already exist out there, independent of us. What if we invested more time and attention to our own experimentation? We could focus our efforts on discovering solutions that work uniquely for us.
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For me, this is a familiar image - people in the organization ready and willing to do good work, wanting to contribute their ideas, ready to take responsibility, and leaders holding them back, insisting that they wait for decisions or instructions
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In this new world, you and I make it up as we go along, not because we lack expertise or planning skills, but because that is the nature of reality. Reality changes shape and meaning because of our activity. And it is constantly new. We are required to be there, as active participants. It can't happen without us and nobody can do it for us.
Margaret J. Wheatley
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When error holds so much power, play disappears. Creativity ceases.
Margaret J. Wheatley
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I've found that I can only change how I act if I stay aware of my beliefs and assumptions. Thoughts always reveal themselves in behavior.
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The future cannot be determined. It can only be experienced as it occurring. Life doesn't know what it will be until it notices what it has become.
Margaret J. Wheatley