Book: Leadership and the New Science

I just finished listening to the book Leadership and the New Science: Discovering Order in a Chaotic World, by Margaret Wheatley, initially published in 1992.

There, she presents an early perspective on leadership that draws on insights from quantum physics, chaos theory, and biology – clearly ahead of her time.

Over the years, this book has become a bestseller with more than 300,000 copies sold and translations into seventeen languages.

In her book, Margaret Wheatley challenges the traditional mechanistic views of organisations and offers a vision of leadership that rather aligns with the natural, dynamic, and interconnected processes of life itself.

The key themes and insights circle around the interconnectedness of systems, order in chaos, self-organising systems, the power of meaning and vision, and the importance of fluidity and adaptability.

Author bio

Before we move into the book itself, it’s worthwhile celebrating the contributions of the author.

Margaret J. Wheatley, who holds a PhD from Harvard in Organizational Behaviour, is a renowned writer, speaker, and consultant in the field of leadership and organisational behaviour. With a background in systems thinking and education, she has dedicated her career to exploring how individuals and organisations can adapt to complexity and uncertainty.

Wheatley is also known for her work as a co-founder of the Berkana Institute, a global charitable organisation that supports leadership development in diverse communities. Her work inspires leaders to rethink their roles in creating more humane and sustainable systems.

When Wheatley published this book in 1992, I was still in my early 20s, studying business and management at Lund University and had never heard of anything like this. Even though I also spent two years studying sociology and economic history in parallel, I didn’t discover her work till around 2015 through Berkana Institute. Her thinking immediately resonated with me and my continuously evolving view on leadership and organisations.

Below, I have quickly summarised the highlights from this particular book – Leadership and the New Science: Discovering Order in a Chaotic World – with a bit of help from AI. Let’s take a look!

The Interconnectedness of Systems

Wheatley points out that organisations, like living systems, thrive through interconnectedness and collaboration. She highlights how the quantum perspective—where relationships and connections define the whole—can transform how leaders perceive their roles and responsibilities. Leadership, in this view, becomes a practice of developing and supporting networks and relationships rather than rigidly controlling processes.

Order in Chaos

Drawing from chaos theory, Wheatley explores the paradox of chaos and order. She illustrates how disorder can lead to creativity, innovation, and resilience. Leaders, she argues, should embrace uncertainty and complexity as opportunities to evolve and adapt, rather than as threats to stability.

Self-Organizing Systems

Wheatley introduces the concept of self-organising systems, which adapt and restructure themselves in response to their environments. Organisations, when given the freedom and trust to self-organize, can develop solutions and innovations that are both sustainable and contextually appropriate. Leaders’ roles are thus to create enabling conditions rather than enforce top-down directives.

The Power of Meaning and Vision

Inspired by biological and physical sciences, Wheatley stresses the importance of shared meaning and purpose. Just as living systems are driven by intrinsic forces, organisations thrive when aligned with a collective sense of meaning. Visionary leadership from this perspective, means helping people connect their work to a larger, purpose-driven narrative.

Fluidity and Adaptability

Wheatley critiques rigid organisational structures and advocates for adaptive, flexible systems. Her insights into the fluid nature of change urge leaders to stay open to transformation and to approach challenges with curiosity and humility.

Why This Book Matters for future-fit leaders?

In an era of rapid change and global challenges, Leadership and the New Science offers timeless wisdom for leaders seeking to navigate complexity. Wheatley’s insights remind us that leadership is not about controlling outcomes but about creating the conditions for people and systems to thrive. By aligning with the principles of nature and the new sciences, leaders can unlock unprecedented potential for transformation.

To me, the timeless quote (supposedly stated by Albert Einstein), “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used to create them”, resonates deeply with the themes of the book. Margaret Wheatley’s work underscores the importance of evolving our mental models and leadership paradigms to meet the complexities of today’s world.

By shifting away from traditional, linear thinking and embracing interconnectedness, adaptability, and the principles of living systems, leaders can move beyond outdated approaches and cultivate innovative, sustainable solutions. This transformative mindset not only addresses current challenges but also supports a new way of being that aligns with the ever-changing dynamics of our world.

Are you ready to explore it yourself? Please get in touch if you feel a pull to explore your next level of leadership.

 

About the author

Elisabet Lagerstedt

Elisabet Lagerstedt

Elisabet Lagerstedt is the founder and director of Future Navigators. As a trusted advisor, consultant, and Executive Coach, she helps business leaders navigate beyond business as usual to build Better Business and co-create a better future - through insight, strategy, innovation, and transformation. Elisabet is also the author of Better Business, Better Future (2022) and Navigera in i Framtiden (2018).