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Margaret J. Wheatley, suggests that leaders must know what legacy they wish to leave behind, but before they can do that they need to know whose shoulders they stand on.

There is no such thing as a self-made person, we must confront the myth of progress by acknowledging our interdependence and whose shoulders we stand on.

For Wheatley, "My personal aspiration for legacy simplifies with age. I want to leave behind strong shoulders. Shoulders strong enough for some to stand on to carry them forward into whatever awaits. After a lifetime of yearning to change things on a large scale, this simple aspiration now feels more than enough" (285).

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Wheatley, argues that in the face of the reality of our world, we are not called to save it, but to create islands of sanity through effective leadership as:

"Warriors for the Human Spirit."

Defined as: "Highly specialized group of people who are devoted to selfless service, who train with discipline and diligence to develop their skills, and who band together as a community. . . to support our best human capacities for generosity, compassion, altruism, curiosity, creativity and caring" (255).

https://margaretwheatley.com/

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Co-Founder and President of the Berkana Institute

https://berkana.org/home/

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Cambridge College, Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA

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Cambridge College, Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA

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Cambridge College, Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA

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Graduate Management Faculty

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BYU Marriott School of Business, Campus Drive, Provo, UT

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BYU Marriott School of Business, Campus Drive, Provo, UT

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BYU Marriott School of Business, Campus Drive, Provo, UT

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Graduate Management Faculty

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Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, United States of America

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Wheatley, "Faces Reality" by using dual lenses to examine the state of the world and the place of leaders in it. 

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Lens 1: Historical

Patterns of Collapse of Complex Organizations - Sir John Glubb and Joseph A. Tainter

Lens 2: Science of Living Systems

1. Everything has a beginning a middle and an end

2. Living Systems Change in Order to Preserve Themselves

3. It's Better to Learn Than Be Dead

4. Order for Free

5. What You See is All You Get

6. Nothing Living Lives Alone

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Wheatley, Margaret J. "The Decline of Civilizations in Ten Generations"   Who Do We Choose to Be, pages 34-36. 

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Lens #1: Historical - Patterns of Collapse of Complex Organizations - Sir John Glubb - 1897-1986  

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Lens #1: Historical - Patterns of Collapse of Complex Organizations - Sir John Glubb - 1897-1986  

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The Decline of Civilizations in Ten Generations

There are many great texts on the pattern of collapse. I chose to feature the work of Sir John Glubb because, in reading his work, I was continually stunned with his descriptions of the specific human behaviors our species always exhibits through the rise and fall of civilizations. I still am likely to gasp as I read his descriptions and share them with others.

Glubb studied thirteen empires in the Middle East, Asia, and Europe (where he had served as a military commander), from Assyria in 859 BCE to modern Britain in 1950. The pattern of the decline and fall of these superpowers was startlingly clear. It didn't matter where they were or what technology they had or how they exercised power. They all declined in the same stages and it always took ten generations, about 250 years. The logic of this is very clear: Each generation matures in better socioeconomic circumstances created by the preceding generation; thus, there is always a march to increasing materialism. In every generation, youth will have higher expectations for comfort than their parents. Improved material conditions create attitudinal changes that insist on still more material changes; and, predictably, because of its wealth and erosion of morality, the civilization declines into decadence.

Here are Glubb's six ages as delineated in The Fate of Empires. For more detail, see the appendix. I hope you'll explore them — they are fascinating, troubling, and convincing. As you read these brief descriptions, keep in mind that they describe all human civilizations, even though they read like an accurate tale of our time. This was published in 1976.

1. The Age of Pioneers. Fearless, courageous, and without constraint, invaders surprise the dominant civilization with their attacks. Strong virtues of shared purpose, honor, and a strict moral code bind them.

2. The Age of Conquest. Using more sophisticated and disciplined military actions (learned from the civilization they are conquering), they take control. Often there is a strong religious imperative to their conquest — they are doing their God's work.

3. The Age of Commerce. With a strong military to protect the frontiers, explorers embark on a search for wealth creation, seeking new enterprises as far as they can reach. Values of glory and honor give way to values of profit and personal wealth. The rich build palaces, railroads, hotels, communications networks, depending on the cultural context.

4. The Age of Affluence. Service ethics disappear and selfishness takes over. Education shifts from learning to obtaining qualifications for high-paying jobs. The young and ambitious seek wealth, not honor or service.

5. The Age of Intellect. The arts and knowledge flourish in the midst of decline. Intellectuals are prevalent and engage in incessant talking as a substitute for action. The belief takes hold that problems can be solved by mental cleverness rather than selfless service and courage. Natural sciences advance but do not prevent decline. Civil conflict increases even as the empire is under dire threat. Instead of banding together to preserve the nation, internal political factions seek to destroy one another.

6. The Age of Decadence. Wealth and power have led to petty and negative behaviors, including narcissism, consumerism, materialism, nihilism, fanaticism, and high levels of frivolity. A celebrity culture worships athletes, actors, and singers. The masses are distracted by entertainment and sporting events, abandon moral restraint, shirk duties, and insist on entitlements. The leaders believe they are impervious and will govern forever. This age also develops the welfare state as imperial leaders generously build universities and hospitals, give grants to university students, support the young and the poor, and extend citizenship to everyone. When they run out of money, all this benevolence disappears and these institutions shut their doors.

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1. Everything Has a Beginning a Middle and an End

The Arrow of Time

"The observable Universe and everything in it moves in one direction: from birth to death, from hot to cold, from creative energy to useless energy, from order to disorder. Everything comes from what preceded it. Nothing is reversible" (28).

2. Living Systems Change in Order to Preserve Themselves

"Whenever you detect a change in a person, community, organization, or nation, observe how their old identity is referred to, sometimes many times over, even though they now appear quite changed... You will always find identity as the reference for change. It cannot be otherwise (65).

3. It's Better to Learn Than Be Dead

"What distinguishes living systems from machines is their ability to learn. They resist the arrow of time and the Universe's movement to increasing disorder by using their cognition to adapt. They stay alert to what's going on in their internal and external environments and respond intelligently. A healthy living system is a good learner and can thrive even though its environment is moving toward increasing disorder. But to do so it must be actively engaged and aware" (29).

4. Order for Free

"Living systems are self-organizing; they exchange information with their environment and use that information to adapt to changed conditions. Information is filtered through their identity, determining what's relevant and what's not. All of life possesses the essential freedom to decide what to pay attention to and how to respond to what they just noticed. Without the filter of identity there can be no sense making and no living system. With a clear identity, the system develops, adapts and creates new capacities" (142).

5. What You See is All You Get - The Power of Perception and The Necessity of Noticing

"As a living system decides what to notice from the unlimited stimuli in its environment, it shapes the environment into its own little world. 'It brings forth a world' through what it chooses to notice. It doesn't matter what exists beyond the perceptual filters of the organism. By its choices, it determines what's relevant and what's not. Everything else disappears" (175).

6. Nothing Living Lives Alone - Debunking the myth of going it alone by acknowledge the need to belong.

"Collaboration is the process that creates an ecosystem; greed destroys it" (213).

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Viewing the world through these two lenses. Wheatley, doesn't offer a very positive picture of the world. Glubb's description of the age of decadence on the brink of collapse is all too real in our western world.

Wheatley confronts the myth of progress and does not paint our world in a positive light.

She critiques human hubris and dependence on technology and its dehumanizing affects.

By analyzing the negative impact of technology and the internet in the "Post-truth" era.

The internet's perpetuation of hate, and fake news, and severe skepticism about our dependence on AI. . . The digital era has erased the intelligence era.

She critiques the arrogance of science and the despiritualizing affects of reductionism and denial of any mysterious ways of knowing.

To combat this bleak picture she suggests sane leadership is possible by citing examples of:

learning organizations like the military

faith communities like the Women Religious in the USA

individuals, monks, and saints and spiritual leaders around the globe

non-profits like: Neighborhoodcenters inc. Houston, Tx., and her own non-profit, Berkana

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How do we create "islands of sanity" in the face of chaos and collapse?

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How do we create "islands of sanity" in the face of chaos and collapse?

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Wheatley, argues the answer lies in our leadership.

Spiritual Warriors always arise during collapse...

"They are armed with only two weapons: compassion and insight. They are peaceful warriors vowing to never use aggression or fear to accomplish their ends" (252).

We need Warrior Leaders who are:

1. more human humans

2. learners

3. aware and engaged with their environment

4. self-aware

5. open to a diversity of perspectives

6. knowledgeable

7. humble

8. discerning

9. secure in their identity

10. dependent on community

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After Action Review (132).

1. What just happened?

2. Why do you think it happened?

3. What can we learn from this?

4. How will we apply these learnings?

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Formal advisor for leadership programs.

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Formal advisor for leadership programs.

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Formal advisor for leadership programs.

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Formal advisor for leadership programs.

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Leadership Initiatives

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Leadership Initiatives

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Leadership Initiatives

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Leadership Initiatives

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Leadership Initiatives

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Leadership Initiatives

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Leadership Initiatives

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Leadership Initiatives

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Leadership Initiatives

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Formal Advisor for Leadership Initiatives