156 Quotes by Margaret J. Wheatley

We know from science that nothing in the universe exists as an isolated or independent entity.

[A]ll change, even very large and powerful change, begins when a few people start talking with one another about something they care about.

The things we fear most in organizations - fluctuations, disturbances, imbalances - are the primary sources of creativity.

There are many benefits to this process of listening. The first is that good listeners are created as people feel listened to. Listening is a reciprocal process - we become more attentive to others if they have attended to us.

All of us need better skills in listening, conversing, respecting one another's uniqueness, because these are essential for strong relationships.

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.

A leader is one who... Has more faith in people than they do, and . . . who holds opportunities open long enough for their competence to re-emerge.

Listening is such a simple act. It requires us to be present, and that takes practice, but we don't have to do anything else. We don't have to advise, or coach, or sound wise. We just have to be willing to sit there and listen.

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.