“It takes enormous courage and enormous compassion to face reality. To say ‘I want my little contribution to make a difference. Maybe only in the lives of my colleagues, family, and community, but that's enough actually.’”

Today's episode is with author and systems thinker, Margaret Wheatley. For over four decades, she's been helping leaders show up fully in these chaotic times and find meaningful ways to serve. She’s the author of Leadership and The New Science and Who Do We Choose To Be?

I'll be honest - I find Margaret's work both inspiring and deeply confronting. Part of me appreciates her invitation to look directly at the pattern of societal collapse we're in, relieved someone's telling the truth without sugarcoating. Another part wonders if we can really predict how it'll all turn out.

We talk about facing the reality of collapse with clear eyes, redefining meaningful work and life in this context, and how coaches and leaders can move beyond individualism towards community-centered approaches.

Check out the episode page for the transcript and the full list of the resources mentioned in this episode: https://widerroots.com/10 

Key moments

• 02:33 - The power of clear-eyed leadership in chaotic times
• 09:36 - Embracing reality to find meaningful service
• 13:09 - Breaking free from "hopium" to see our authentic path
• 22:45 - Cultivating presence through mindfulness practices
• 25:42 - Embracing the warrior spirit in a changing world
• 30:39 - Redefining meaningful work and life in turbulent times
• 36:15 - Community as the answer to individualism
• 41:54 - Ancient wisdom we need at these times

Resources & Links

• MargaretWheatley.com
• Who Do We Choose To Be (book)
• Restoring Sanity (book)
• Leadership in the New Science (book)
• So Far From Home (book)
• Warriors for the Human Spirit (Margaret’s training program)
• Berkana Institute
• Pema Chodron

Follow the podcast

• WiderRoots.com - Join the newsletter for more resources on personal + systemic transformation
• @WiderRootsPod - Follow the podcast on Instagram to get a peek behind the scenes
• Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts to help others find this show
• Connect with Jeremy on his coaching website

I’d love to hear how this episode resonated with you or any suggestions for future topics/guests. You can email me at [email protected].