#thin

I'm not perfect. I've made mistakes. I'd do a lot of things different if I could. I'd never, ever, get involved with surrogacy again. It's so weird. ↗

— Mary Beth Whitehead

#could #different #ever #get #i

Americans, indeed, often seem to be so overwhelmed by their children that they'll do anything for them except stay married to the co-producer. ↗

— Katharine Whitehorn

#children #except #indeed #married #often

And time for reflection with colleagues is for me a lifesaver; it is not just a nice thing to do if you have the time. It is the only way you can survive. ↗

— Margaret J. Wheatley

#just #me #nice #only #reflection

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. ↗

— Margaret J. Wheatley

#advise #anything #coach #else #just

I believe that our very survival depends upon us becoming better systems thinkers. ↗

— Margaret J. Wheatley

#believe #better #depends #i #i believe

I think we have to notice that the business processes we use right now for thinking and planning and budgeting and strategy are all delivered on very tight agendas. ↗

— Margaret J. Wheatley

#budgeting #business #delivered #i #i think

Yet we act as if simple cause and effect is at work. We push to find the one simple reason things have gone wrong. We look for the one action, or the one person, that created this mess. As soon as we find someone to blame, we act as if we've solved the problem. ↗

— Margaret J. Wheatley

#action #blame #cause #created #effect

For example, I was discussing the use of email and how impersonal it can be, how people will now email someone across the room rather than go and talk to them. But I don't think this is laziness, I think it is a conscious decision people are making to save time. ↗

— Margaret J. Wheatley

#conscious #conscious decision #decision #discussing #email

I think it is quite dangerous for an organisation to think they can predict where they are going to need leadership. It needs to be something that people are willing to assume if it feels relevant, given the context of any situation. ↗

— Margaret J. Wheatley

#assume #context #dangerous #feels #given

Thinking is the place where intelligent actions begin. We pause long enough to look more carefully at a situation, to see more of its character, to think about why it's happening, to notice how it's affecting us and others. ↗

— Margaret J. Wheatley

#actions #affecting #begin #carefully #character