Leadership and the New Science: A Book Review

Leadership and the New Science by Margaret Wheatley describes how new science can be used to change how people perceive management. Instead of using abstract or situational examples, it uses real science as a parallel to management. The underlying theme is to evoke change by abolishing hierarchical order and allow the free flow of thoughts. Through a comparative analysis between natural science and organizational structure, we can see how we can improve management techniques. As scientific processes develop or change, we need to adapt out management philosophy as well. We can learn a great deal about management just by understanding how the universe operates.

Margaret Wheatley explains management, in a unique fashion, by how changes in science reasoning affect how management should be implemented today. At the heart ofLeadership and the New Science is change. Without change or the willingness to change, an organization is doomed. Change can be defined as a disturbance which revolutionizes the way we think, act, lead, and manage. Managers need to have the guts to abandon their interpretations of not only what does work, but also what does work. This is exemplified by chaos theory. Without an organization dislodging itself from order, no change can be made. One term regularly used in the book is reductionism. Theories and paradigms that use reductionism (Newtonian Organizations) break down everything into understandable parts. The author disagrees with reductionism's place in organizations. In effect, she says it scales down everything to much that it avoids the unpredictability and complexity of understanding grand theories and principles. This narrow-mindedness results in a lack of will and understanding for organizations to change. It is essential that companies adapt to their environment in order to be competitive. Without change and with a strictly micromanaged focus, companies have already doomed themselves. Organizations need to have the flexibility to allow ideas and information to freely flow at all levels. I think allowing all workers the freedom to become an intricate member of the team is important to sustain the company's viability and longevity.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Leadership and the New Science byMargaret Wheatley. More than anything, the book demonstrated the author's complex understandings and critical thinking skills. Most importantly, she presented key concepts of management that point out the inefficiencies in today's society. Her well-developed ideas and concepts have enlightened the way in which I view management and have forced me to critically think about how management should be operated.

One of her explanations revolved around the Laws of Thermodynamics as they relate to equilibrium. It seems unfitting to just have a chaotic world or just a simple, reduced world, so it is only natural to think that there must be some sort of equilibrium. As the author explains, this intuition is wrong. I was very surprised. According to the text, Classic thermodynamics is only applicable to the business model of a dead machine and does not account for the living. For instance, living organism seek to maintain their viability in the environment by throwing the system off balance, so that they can survive, grow, and adapt. For this reason, equilibrium is not a practical solution. We must view firms not as dead machines, but living organisms. Wheatley says that disequilibrium can promote growth in an organization and help develop a strong competitive advantage from other rivals. Companies that understand this concept will not only be able to survive, but thrive, in times of unpredictability. At the same time, most of the other companies will be unprepared, so you will have the competitive advantage.

I agree somewhat with the author's philosophy. I believe it is important for competitors to be innovative and find a way to separate themselves from their rivals. On the other hand, I have a difficult time believing that the business atmosphere is completely chaotic and unpredictable. Just by human nature, people have certain needs and values that must be fulfilled. In turn, these needs and values affect the business arena. It seems like Wheatley's philosophy is not sustainable. One such need is order. The author's entropic universe does not seem to resemble any thread of order. I do not think it is possible to have a completely chaotic management style without holding onto some common ground. I believe there is an appropriate time and place for "chaotic" behavior such as in times of unpredictability. Making radical changes in a time of serenity and predictability does not seem like a wise decision. The manner in which she describes this business atmosphere is somewhat misleading. From this respect, the narrator is making connections from science to business where it is difficult to tell if there is one.

In summary, the overall concept of Leadership and the New Science is that management needs to get rid of the traditional hierarchical way of thinking and adopt chaos theory to incorporate change and establish a new kind of order in today's world. Even though the book goes into great detail about particular theories, some stood out more than others. Management is described in an unfamiliar and unintuitive manner, but with practically sound applications of science, the author's ideas and paradigm make sense. I am glad that I have had the opportunity to read this book. In some respects, it has been more pertinent and informational to our textbook. I hope that I can apply these knowledge and understandings in the future.

This is a must-read story that I would recommend to anyone. However, it uses many scientific terms which can sometimes convolute some of the analogies. I would recommend that readers have a basic science understanding before the reading this book. Even though I am not scientifically-inclined, I have learned the important managerial messages from Leadership and the New Science. By far and large, this book can be used as a management learning tool not only in the United States but globally as well. All in all, Leadership and the New Science by Margaret Wheatley provides useful and practical information that every organization should take the time to read. By understanding new scientific methodology, we can apply our knowledge and understanding to improve management practice.