We live in a time of increasing extremism and polarization, where the distinction between fact and opinion has been lost. Instant electronic interaction has replaced thoughtful human interaction. Organizations are bloated by bureaucracy and meaningless measures. Those working for positive change are exhausted, ill and heart-sick as their good work is ignored, underfunded or attacked.
We need to acknowledge that we're lost in a world far different than we hoped for. We need new maps to navigate our brave new world. In" Leadership and the New Science," Wheatley provided encouraging maps for how to design organizations based on living systems' capacity for creativity, change and adaptation. But in the 20 years since its publication she's seen that in spite of our best efforts the world that's emerged is on a destructive trajectory that won't be reversed by our working harder, finding new methods, or forming better networks.
