Suggested Reading

by Peter Senge

In “The Fifth Discipline,” Peter Senge contends that over time the only sustainable competitive advantage is your organization’s ability to learn faster than the competition. The basic rationale for “learning organizations” is that in situations of rapid change only those that are flexible, adaptive and productive will excel. For this to happen, it is argued, organizations need to discover how to tap people’s commitment and capacity to learn at all levels. Senge describes five disciplines that must be mastered at all levels of the organization: (1) personal mastery, (2) mental models, (3) shared vision, (4) team learning, and (5) systems thinking. As Senge explains, the fifth discipline is particularly important because it involves analyzing the organization’s complex system of relationships and removing obstacles to true learning. The “Fifth Discipline” provides the insights to help transform organizations into interconnected, aligned, continuous learning systems that produce consistently positive results.