Leading the learning organization: portrait of four leaders

Abstract

The phrase “learning organization” has existed in the literature for several decades. Senge popularized the term in the 1990s; however, other writers have made significant contributions to this topic. The leadership literature, although vast, lacks specificity. At the intersection of these two concepts, the literature lacks a needed link that describes the specific actions that a leader can take to achieve the transformation to a learning organization. This paper examines the actions that a leader can take in order to transform an organization into a learning organization and studies four leaders of widely diverse organizations. The research indicated that leaders who were successful in implementing the learning organization concept used it as the solution to a business problem, while devoting time and attention to the transformation. The findings have widespread implications for practitioners, adult educators and for future research.

Citation

Johnson, J.R. (2002), "Leading the learning organization: portrait of four leaders", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 23 No. 5, pp. 241-249. https://doi.org/10.1108/01437730210435956