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Margaret Wheatley  

Leadership Futurist, Organizational Development Expert, Author

Margaret Wheatley, a leadership futurist and organizational development expert, has been active in many roles globally since 1966, including speaker, teacher, community worker, consultant, and advisor. Drawing on a wealth of experience, Wheatley has an enduring belief that leaders must invoke people's inherent generosity, creativity, and community spirit. She holds a doctorate from Harvard University's program in Administration, Planning, and Social Policy, focusing on organizational behavior and change.

Since 1973, Wheatley has engaged with a diverse range of organizations and communities, from the U.S. Army to the Girl Scouts, and has worked with leaders in nearly every continent. This extensive involvement has honed her ability to identify common behavioral patterns that transcend cultural and institutional boundaries, equipping her with insights into evolving leadership dynamics. Wheatley's commitment to practical leadership continued as she devoted her efforts from 2014 to training seasoned leaders to navigate complex challenges with presence, discernment, and compassion.

In addition to her consulting and speaking roles, Wheatley has held academic positions at Cambridge College and The Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University. She is also the co-founder and President of The Berkana Institute, which since its inception in 1991 has pioneered innovative organizational forms inspired by living systems’ theories. The Institute has facilitated community empowerment globally and currently focuses on nurturing "Warriors for the Human Spirit," leaders who cultivate resilience and wisdom in their practices. Wheatley’s ongoing service since 2009 on the National Advisory Board of the National Parks System underscores her commitment to fostering a culture of adaptation and innovation across over 400 national parks. Her influential work has been recognized by multiple awards, including a commendation from The American Society for Training and Development in 2002 and her election to the Leonardo Da Vinci Society for the Study of Thinking in 2005.

Wheatley is a prolific author, having published nine award-winning books, with her latest, "Who Do We Choose To Be: Facing Reality| Claiming Leadership| Restoring Sanity," released in June 2017. Her publications, which now total over ten books and nearly 100 articles, invite readers to explore transformative ways of thinking and leading, drawing from a rich tapestry of disciplines including new science, history, and various spiritual traditions.

Speech Topics


Thinking Well About Complex Problems

The Essential Needs of Organizations Today: Trust, Responsibility, and Direction

Are We Learning From Experience? Reclaiming Time to Think

Developing Leadership Capacity in Chaotic Conditions

Leadership in Times of Relentless Change and Crisis

Renewable Leadership: How to Respond Well to Crisis after Crisis Leadership and the New Science A Simpler Way

Turning To One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Future

Finding Our Way: Leadership for an Uncertain Time

News


So Far from Home Quotes by Margaret J. Wheatley
1 quote from So Far from Home: Lost and Found in Our Brave New World: ' Sociologist James Evan reviewed citations in more than thirty-four million article...

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