Margaret Wheatley
Margaret Wheatley writes, teaches, and speaks about how we might organize and accomplish our work in chaotic times.
She is co-founder and President emerita of The Berkana Institute, a charitable global leadership foundation.
She has her doctorate from Harvard University, and a Masters in Media Ecology from New York University. Since 1973, she has worked on all continents and in many cultures and with most types of organizations.
Wheatley is author of four books, including "Leadership and the New Science" (published in twenty languages) and "Leadership for an Uncertain Time".
may 8th / Leadership in Uncertainty and Chaos: Lessons from the New Science
Most descriptions of effective leadership arise from a distorted view of human nature, based on St. Augustine’s view that humans are born bad and must be carefully controlled if they are to achieve their higher natures. In this worldview, leaders have to do all the work: set the vision; design how work gets done; motivate and manage people to perform their assigned roles and responsibilities. In times of fluctuations and chaos, this leadership doesn’t work—it simply creates more problems. The new science of complexity and quantum reality describes a Universe of constant creativity, adaptability and change. Drawing from the new science, this lecture will describe the type of leadership needed to cope with relentless change, leadership that knows how to evoke people’s inherent creativity, generosity and desire to contribute.
D I S C U S S A N T S
Gianluca Bocchi, is a philosopher, historian of ideas and anthropologist. He is currently a tenured Professor of the Philosophy of science at the University of Bergamo, where he teaches the course Outlines of Global History at the Graduate School of Anthropology and Epistemology of Complexity. In addition to his work as a researcher and educator he is also active as a publicist, lecturer and consultant.
Alessandro Cravera is an entrepreneurial economist who works as a consultant specialising in business competitiveness. He is a partner in the company Newton Management Innovation and teaches Corporate Strategy at the Business School of Il Sole 24 Ore. Since 2007 he has been writing the column “Back to Basics” for L’Impresa. His latest book is Competere nella Complessità (ETAS 2008).