Embracing the Chaos: How Change Fuels Growth and Connection
“If we believe that the universe is on a relentless road to death, we can’t help but live in fear of change. In a downhill world, any change exhausts our store of valuable energy and leaves us empty, one step closer to death. Staying put or keeping our balance is a means of defense against the eroding forces of nature. We want nothing to change because only decline awaits us. Any form of present stasis is preferable to the known future of deterioration. But in venerating equilibrium, we have blinded ourselves to the processes that foster life.” [1]
In Leadership and the New Science, author Margaret J. Wheatley challenges us to let go of outdated leadership models and to find order in what may appear as chaos. She proposes that leadership in today’s world means embracing change, engaging openly with our environments, and allowing ourselves to adapt. She challenges traditional leadership and organizational management approaches by applying principles from quantum physics, chaos theory, and complexity science. Wheatley argues that organizations should embrace uncertainty and interconnectedness, viewing change as an opportunity for growth rather than a threat. From my experiences, change has offered many personal and relational growth opportunities. When I have led teams of individuals in ministry, school, or family changes, while the chaos of change seems difficult, I see how going through change with others develops deeper connectedness.
As Wheatley shows us, adapting to change is not merely a way to survive; it is a pathway to growth, resilience, and the emergence of new possibilities. The book emphasizes the need for leaders to move away from mechanistic models and rigid structures and instead foster environments of collaboration, adaptability, and relational intelligence. She emphasizes the value of collaboration and interconnectedness. Likewise, in her book Finding Our Way: Leadership for an Uncertain Time, she states, “The world has been chunked into pieces rather than recognized for its webby nature. Think of how many lines and boundaries exist: org charts, job descriptions, town boundaries, nation-states, and ethnic identities. All these neat lines obscure the natural messiness of this interconnected world.” [2] This stopped me in my tracks, thinking of all the lines and boundaries that seem to divide us rather than bring us together in many structures and systems involving people. Sadly, some of this natural messiness is probably why those lines and boundaries were created. As I plan for district professional development sessions and team meetings in recent years, a switch in the structure of our times together has incorporated working norms, agendas, and land acknowledgments to encourage safe structures for interaction and collaboration.
As I read Wheatley’s writings to leaders about change, learning, and collaboration, I thought about past leaders and innovators and the many modern conveniences that we all use from time to time. . . lightbulbs (okay, not so modern), cell phones, cars, and microwaves, just to name a few. I thought about my reactions to change. I most often find purposeful change to be an adventure, but there are times when the change involves giving up something that induces discomfort, or I don’t understand the ultimate purpose of the change. These changes are not met with the same feeling of adventure.
I am a lover of history. From history, I have learned much about the lives of people who have gone before me and paved the way for change, especially innovators like Henry Ford.
I live near Henry Ford’s first automobile plant in Detroit, Michigan. On several occasions, I have visited The Henry Ford Museum. During one visit, I even drove a Model T Ford. It was a lot of fun, but it didn’t go as fast as I wanted to make it go. Our family enjoys walking around Greenfield Village, which is located right next to the Ford Test Track and Henry Ford Museum. As I walk the village, the history engages my imagination. The village inhabitants are working the land with their hands, spinning wool, building barns together and preparing food harvested from their own fields. I picture a simpler way of life without modern conveniences. Maybe that sounds like contrary thinking . . to like change but also living like the Amish. This is coming from a worn-out doctoral student who is close to the finish line, where living in a cute treehouse in the woods for a while sounds like a dream.
This brings me all back to change. . . Imagine if Henry Ford had never embraced the uncertainty of change. What if he hadn’t led teams of scientists and engineers in learning together and exploring together? What if Ford and other leaders never embraced the uncertainty of change? What if I. . .
[1] Margaret J. Wheatley. Leadership and the New Science : Discovering Order in a Chaotic World. (San Francisco, Calif: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2006), https://research-ebsco-com.georgefox.idm.oclc.org/linkprocessor/plink?id=8a31981b-727b-3e59-8824-53c2d7868cf6, 83.
[2] Margaret J. Wheatley. Finding Our Way: Leadership for an Uncertain Time. (San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2005), https://research-ebsco-com.georgefox.idm.oclc.org/linkprocessor/plink?id=ca2d09f9-b8a1-35e4-879b-ebaaeee703de.
About the Author
Cathy Glei
Cathy Glei serves as an instructional leader and pastor with over 27 years in education and ministry. She is dedicated to discipling others as they grow in their relationship with God, others and the world. Cathy has facilitated numerous professional development sessions, trainings, and workshops in both education and ministry. Passionate about supporting others in uncovering the Creator's design within them, Cathy lives in Michigan with her husband, Steve, and their eight-year-old Springer Spaniel, Otis. Cathy is a mother of three daughters and "Gooma" (grandma) to two adorable grandsons (emphasis on adorable 😊). She enjoys listening and exchanging laughter and stories with others, hanging out with friends, both old and new, as well as being outdoors, enjoying activities such as cycling, camping, hiking, and kayaking.5 responses to “Embracing the Chaos: How Change Fuels Growth and Connection”
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Cathy, you pointed out that Wheatley shows “adapting to change is not merely a way to survive; it is a pathway to growth, resilience, and the emergence of new possibilities.” I would imagine, to go with the theme of your final paragraph, that Ford would not be talked about today, and Detroit would have had a different history in the last century, I would think. On another note, I think adaptation to the changes around us, and being willing to change, builds the sort of resiliency you mentioned. But I’m thinking that there has to be a way to measure “resiliency.” If leaders fail to change their organizational leadership practices, for example, I wonder how that affects their “resiliency,” and who has measured that in some quantifiable way. I’m thinking that would be a great NPO project.
Cathy, I love how you tied Wheatley’s ideas to both history and your own experiences. Change can definitely feel like an adventure—or a total disruption—but it’s also an opportunity for growth and connection.
Let go and let God.
Jesus take the Wheel (singing at the top of my lungs!).
What an inspirational post! It sent me down a rabbit hole of epic proportions. What if…? I want to be a leader who embraces the chaos, curiosity and collaboration required to make new discoveries, and I need to keep asking that question not in the negative (“what if this had never happened?) but in the positive (“what if we were’nt afraid? what if we tried this out? what if we listened to voices on the margins?).
Thanks for the shot in the arm.
Hi Cathy,
I love your post, which challenges me to think more deeply about change. On the one hand, we have been taught to embrace and adapt to change to survive and win. However, on the other hand, yes, you are right, there are also groups of people like the Amish; in Indonesia, there are also the Badui and some inland tribes, who have completely cut off contact with the outside world and live (even enjoy?) their lives simply, quietly and at one with nature. In your opinion, as a leader, which side should the church and Christianity step on?
Blessings.
Cathy,
Thank you for this statement, “As Wheatley shows us, adapting to change is not merely a way to survive; it is a pathway to growth, resilience, and the emergence of new possibilities”, I struggled to connect to the main theme of this book.
I love the Model T story, and I also am “a worn-out doctoral student who is close to the finish line, where living in a cute treehouse in the woods for a while sounds like a dream.”! Maybe when this is all over, we can go tree house shopping together.