Republic of the Philippines

Central Philippines State University

Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental

Graduate School Office

BOOK REVIEW
(LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOR IN AN
EDUCATIONAL SETTING)

SUBMITTED BY:
LELIBETH P. JAVIER

SUBMITTED TO:
PATRICIO H. ESTOYA JR., Ph.D., DPA

VISION MISSION GOAL

CPSU as center of excellence Provide quality research,
attuned to global diversity. instruction, production and
extension programs responsive to
the local and global challenges
and demands.
CPSU as a functional higher learning
institution leading in local and global
development through instruction, research,
extension and production with an effective
and efficient frontline services.
 Republic of the Philippines
Central Philippines State University
Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental

Graduate School Office

Title of the Book: Leadership and the New Science: Discovering Order in a Chaotic World

Author: Margaret J. Wheatley

About the Author:

Margaret J. Wheatley has worked globally in many different roles: a speaker, teacher,
community worker, consultant, advisor, formal leader. From these deep and varied experiences,
she has developed the unshakable conviction that leaders must learn how to evoke people’s
inherent generosity, creativity, and need for community. As this world tears us apart, sane
leadership on behalf of the human spirit is the only way forward.

She is a best-selling author of nine books, from the classic Leadership and the New
Science in 1992 to her newest book (June 2017) Who Do We Choose To Be? Facing Reality,
Claiming Leadership, Restoring Sanity.

Summary:

In this book Leadership and the New Science, it describes the world we live is in a time
of chaos, rich in potential for new possibilities. A new world is being born. We need new ideas,
new ways of seeing, and new relationships to help us now. New science–the new discoveries in
biology, chaos theory, and quantum physics that are changing our understanding of how the
world works–offers this guidance. It describes a world where chaos is natural, where order exists
“for free.” It displays the intricate webs of cooperation that connect us. It assures us that life
seeks order, but uses messes to get there.

Leadership and the New Science is the bestselling guide to applying the new science to
organizations and management. The book describes how the new science radically alters our
understanding of the world, and how it can teach us to live and work well together in these
chaotic times. It will teach us how to move with greater certainty and easier grace into the new
forms of organizations and communities that are taking shape. You will learn that:

* Relationships are what matters–even at the subatomic level

* Life is a vast web of interconnections where cooperation and participation are required
* Chaos and change are the only route to transformation

This book presented examples of how non-linear networks and self-organizing systems
are flourishing in the modern world, and in the midst of turbulence, we create work and lives rich
in meaning.

VISION MISSION GOAL

CPSU as center of excellence Provide quality research,
attuned to global diversity. instruction, production and
extension programs responsive to
the local and global challenges
and demands.
CPSU as a functional higher learning
institution leading in local and global
development through instruction, research,
extension and production with an effective
and efficient frontline services.
 Republic of the Philippines
Central Philippines State University
Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental

Graduate School Office

Reflection:
As a science teacher, I find it interesting to read leadership connected to a new science.
The author focuses on certain discoveries in this field that can be applied to organizations. First,
she notes that in quantum physics, relationships of particles in the subatomic level is key: “…no
particle can be drawn independent from others. It is the relationship created between two or
more elements. Systems influence individuals, and individuals call forth systems.

The Causal Model of Organizational Performance and Change echoes this concept. In
this model, 12 variables were identified as crucial factors to organizational performance and
change, namely: 1) external environment, 2) mission and strategy, 3) leadership, 4)
organizational culture, 5) structure, 6) management practices, 7) systems, policies and
procedures, 8) work unit climate, 9) task and individual skills, 10) motivation, 11) individual
needs and values and 12) individual and organizational performance. Each of the factors is
linked to one or more other factors. Drawing from “organizations as open systems” theory, the
model proposes that any change in any of the factors would cause a change in the other factors as
well (Burke & Litwin, 1992).
Like the relationships of subatomic particles which can be gleaned only from a high-
powered microscope, some factors within the organization are oftentimes hidden and must be
discerned by an observant change agent.
In the Philippine setting, relationships are very relevant since Filipino cultural values
place a high importance on relationships. This is both a boon and bane to change initiatives in the
Philippines. For example, the interconnectedness of the military, big business and government
officials during martial weakened the democratic institutions in the country. On the other hand,
the strengthening of collaboration among the public and private sectors and civil society can be
the key to restoring good governance in the country.  

VISION MISSION GOAL

CPSU as center of excellence Provide quality research,
attuned to global diversity. instruction, production and
extension programs responsive to
the local and global challenges
and demands.
CPSU as a functional higher learning
institution leading in local and global
development through instruction, research,
extension and production with an effective
and efficient frontline services.