Who Do We Choose To Be?, by Margaret Wheatley

Wer wollen wir sein?
von Margaret Wheatley.

Die Mächtigen verteidigen immer den Status quo, weil er die Quelle ihrer Macht und ihrer Privilegien ist. Jede Veränderung, die anderen zugute kommt, würde ihre Position zerstören. Und ihre Position ist alles, was sie verteidigen wollen.

Als lebenslanger Aktivist, der sich darauf konzentrierte, die Führung in großen Systemen zu verändern, als Berater in diesen großen Systemen, als Ratgeber und Freund habe ich schon vor Jahren erkannt, dass große Veränderungen nicht möglich waren. Die Verantwortlichen übernahmen die Kontrolle, überreagierten auf Krisen, anstatt systemisch zu denken und behandelten die Menschen als "Einheiten" und nicht als Menschen. Aber ich traf und arbeitete auch mit außergewöhnlichen Führungspersönlichkeiten, die Inseln der Vernunft schufen, wo noch gute Arbeit geleistet wurde und wo die Menschen inmitten von chaotischen Zuständen, heftiger Opposition, herzzerreißenden Niederlagen, mangelnder Unterstützung, Isolation, Einsamkeit und Verleumdung immer noch gesunde Beziehungen hatten. Ich war bei ihnen unter Bedingungen, die die meisten anderen Führungskräfte dazu veranlasst haben, aufzugeben und wegzugehen, aber sie machten trotzdem weiter. [...]

Vor einigen Jahren habe ich angesichts der unumkehrbaren globalen Probleme und der Dezentralisierung der Führungsstrukturen begonnen, jede Führungspersönlichkeit, der ich begegnet bin, mit diesen Fragen herauszufordern: Welche Person entscheiden Sie sich diesmal zu sein? Sind Sie bereit, jegliche Macht und jeden Einfluss zu nutzen, um Inseln der Vernunft zu erschaffen, die unsere besten menschlichen Qualitäten hervorrufen und nutzen, um zu erschaffen, zu produzieren und auszuharren?

Jetzt frage ich dich.

Kernfragen zum Nachdenken: Was hältst du von der Vorstellung, dass große Veränderungen nicht möglich sind? Kannst du eine persönliche Geschichte von außergewöhnlicher Führung erzählen, die dazu beigetragen hat, eine Insel der Vernunft zu schaffen? Was hilft dir, deine Insel der Vernunft zu erschaffen?

Excerpted from Margaret Wheatley's book Who do we choose to be?

Seed Questions for Reflection

How do you relate to the notion that large-scale change is not possible? Can you share a personal story of extraordinary leadership that helped create an island of sanity? What helps you commit to creating your island of sanity?

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Add Your Reflection

10 Past Reflections

Janet Bartram-Thomasas

Jan 13, 2020

I relish the direction M.Wheatley is going - that of championing, nurturing and celebrating the human spirit. Technology, powerful and impressive though it is, has taken away our focus from the 'human' and put in its place the idealization of technology. (As I have experienced the medical world in most places, it has suffered from this too...When everything is reduced to 'charts' and computer-read questions, we have lost the kernel which is central to being human. And how can we talk about 'healing' without revering the kernel.) So many other areas of society suffer from a similar reliance on The Technical Fix. Margaret Wheatley has set us, her readers, off in a more rewarding path and I thank her for this from the bottom of my heart (which you can't measure on a computer!!( - :)

Alice Bolt

Sep 13, 2019

HP Printer not activated Error Code 20Is caused by the failure to properly configure the HP printer on your system. This error typically shows when trying to print a document, image or spreadsheet on your computer, and then you decide to print that document with your HP printer. “Printer not activated – Error code 20”

neela

May 8, 2018

I think change is happening every minute on a minute scale which is a part of the large scale. Because it is so slow and small that one can not see it in front of one's eyes immediately but can see it over time.
I believe When I choose to be my authentic self and act as per my inner voice I can not but create an island of "sanity" (I am also questioning what is "sanity")

Jeffrey Farrar Dean May 9, 2018

I would awake in the Morning and choose to be a Black Cat that lives forever.

Joao Perre Viana

May 7, 2018

A powerful question...a question to repeat in morning before starting the day...everyday!
If we don´t answer for ourselves, someone will and it might not be the answer we are looking for.

me too! May 10, 2018

YES!

david doane

May 5, 2018

I don't agree with Ms. Wheatley that large-scale change is not possible. Anything is possible, including large-scale change, and there have been many examples of large-scale change throughout history. I've been with a few extraordinary people who were leaders by the power of their personhood and wisdom and created islands of sanity. The group of us that were part of such an island were raised to a higher level of personal and interpersonal functioning by the presence of the leader, and it was a joy to be part of the experience. What helps me commit to creating my own island of sanity is knowing it is possible, knowing I have the wisdom to do it whether it is an island of just me or of a group of people, and knowing that the primary ingredient is to be myself.

me May 6, 2018

So true! (When I stand before God one day, it will be just me and He. I choose to be in Him ... The One of Eternal Power.)
Be true to yourself!

Jagdish P Dave

May 3, 2018

There are leaders who create islands of insanity and there are leaders who create islands of sanity. I have witnessed both kinds of leaders. When leaders relate to people as human beings and not as units, they create change in the society. They deeply care for them and bring about large changes.We are blessed to have such leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa and Maria Montessori to name a few. Such leaders choose a path of serving people with courage, patience and perseverance. I participated in Free India movement under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. He initiated the path of non-violence against the mighty British empire He chose the path of changing the hearts of the rulers. He worked tirelessly for the wellness of all people of India, especially the poor farmers, laborers and untouchables.He inspired many leaders in many lcountries to follow the path of non-violence against social injustice and exploitation. I a... View full comment

rahul

May 3, 2018

A brilliant and powerful question to pose, not just to leaders. I experienced this through two conflicts that arose: one with a conventionally powerful person, and the other with a tenant in one of my rental properties who occurs for me as a problematic and nasty personality. The powerful person occurs to me as everything Margaret Wheatley describes above, which is very much in contrast with the publicly projected persona. And yet in dealing with my nasty tenant, I found all sorts of horrible and mean thoughts about her occurring in my mind. Suddenly I realized the tremendous gift that I was receiving from having this difficult tenant: she was showing me my flaws and lack of integrity. I too project a public persona of being kind, generous, and easy-going but the thoughts in my head were downright mean, selfish, and manipulative / controlling. Oh how much I need to grow! How much I am just like that powerful person who is generatin... View full comment