The role of Leadership in learning organization

The Role of Leadership

Senge emphasized the role of the leader in the creation of this learning organization.

Leader as Designer: Senge likens this to be the designer of a ship rather than its captain.

● Creating a common vision with shared values and purpose.

● Determining the “policies, strategies, and structures that translate guiding ideas into business decisions.”

● Creating effective learning processes which will allow for continuous improvement of the policies, strategies, and structures.

Leader as Teacher: The leader here is seen as a coach that works with the mental models present in the organization. He must understand the (usually tacit) concepts of reality and restructure these views “to see beyond the superficial conditions and events [and] into the underlying causes of the problems.”

Leader as Steward: This is the vaguest of the three and refers largely to the attitude of the leader. He emphasizes the importance of a leader that feels he is part of something greater; whose desire is first and foremost not to lead, but to serve this greater purpose of building better organizations and reshaping the way businesses operate.

Source: Knowledge Management System and Practices, A Theoretical and Practical Guide for Knowledge Management in Your Organization,
(Emil Hajric 2018)