Context

The resources provided in this assessment cover both change renewal and chaos. Even though we fear change and long for the comfort of equilibrium, this closed and insulated stance means choosing to wear down and decay. When allowed to grow and evolve, living systems integrate diverse information through open feedback loops. Through self-referencing of values, traditions, aspirations, competency, and culture, systems recreate themselves in similar shapes, or what Wheatley (2006), calls fractals. A leader’s role is to invite disturbance, to create dangerously, because disturbance leads to dis-equilibrium and, therefore, growth and resilience.

Reference

Wheatley, M. J. (2006). Leadership and the new science: Discovering order in a chaotic world. San Francisco, CA: Berrett–Koehler.

Questions to Consider

To deepen your understanding, you are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of the business community.

• Disruptive Information: Tell a story about a time in your life where you encountered disruptive information that resulted in innovation or growth. Describe the tension between ignoring, insulating, and avoiding this new information and how it gave way to opening, embracing, and integrating this disturbance. What was the role of self-referencing, remembering who you are and your values, aspirations, and gifts, to the eventual innovation or growth? Why is this an important capability for leaders, and why are you a better leader as a result of this experience?
• Adaptation: Think of a technology that was once cutting edge but later ceased to exist. Why did it die? Was it insulated? Did it die because it presented a closed posture to new or disturbing information? Also, tell a story of a technology that has survived due to the creativity of one or two individuals who adapted to their environment and who had the freedom to be flexible and adapt to a new reality. What role did a leader have in both of these situations? How would you write a self-organizing story for the self-destructed technology? What would a growth scenario look like for the technology that became obsolete? Visualize the leadership behavior that would encourage this renewal phenomenon.
• Discovery: Surprise is the only route to discovery. Given the new science, the New Business Realities, and the Thinking Habits, consider how a leader might include others in a journey of discovery that encourages empowerment, independence, and diversity while assuring alignment to values and mission.

Resources

Suggested Resources

The following optional resources are provided to support you in completing the assessment or to provide a helpful context. For additional resources, refer to the Research Resources and Supplemental Resources in the left navigation menu of your courseroom.

Library Resources

The following e-books or articles from the Capella University Library are linked directly in this course:

• Wheatley, M. J. (2006). Leadership and the new science: Discovering order in a chaotic world (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler.
  • Chapters 5, 6, 7, 8, and the Epilogue are particularly applicable.

Internet Resources

Access the following resources by clicking the links provided. Please note that URLs change frequently. Permissions for the following links have been either granted or deemed appropriate for educational use at the time of course publication.

• The Berkana Institute. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.berkana.org/
• Margaret J. Wheatley. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.margaretwheatley.com/

Assessment Instructions

Imagine it is your job to write a leader guidebook for new supervisors in your current organization or an organization with which you are familiar, based on the new science realities. Your guide should include the following:

• Descriptions of effective best practices and day-to-day behaviors that leaders should follow for planning, measuring, motivating people, managing change and information, designing jobs, and encouraging relationships.
• Descriptions of ineffective practices that leaders should avoid in order to be successful.
• Explanation of the importance and implications of these new science guidelines to the success of the enterprise.
• Examples and explanations for the positions you take.

Additional Requirements

• Length: Your leader guidebook should be double-spaced and long enough to meet the expectations of the assessment and scoring guide criteria.
• Font and size: Use a standard font—either Times New Roman or Arial. The font size must be 12 point.
• Margins: The paper margins should be 1 inch on each side.
• Components: Include a title page, table of contents, and reference page.
• Formatting: APA format is required for all aspects of your guidebook, including citations and references. Your writing should be well organized and clear. Writing structure, spelling, and grammar should be correct as well.