Reviewer's note
Preface to the Revised Edition

PART 1 Actions that create and change reality
01 "Give me a long enough lever.
Then I can move the Earth by myself."
02 Does your organization suffer from learning disabilities?
03 Are you a prisoner of the system or a prisoner of your own thoughts?

PART 2: Systems Thinking: The Cornerstone of a Learning Organization
04 Laws of Systems Thinking
05 Change of mindset
06 Archetypes of Nature: Identifying the Types That Control Events
07 Self-limiting growth or self-reliant growth?

PART 3: Core Disciplines for Building a Learning Organization
08 Personal Skills
09 Mental Model
10 Shared Visions
11 Team Learning

PART 4: REFLECTIONS FROM PRACTICE
introduction
12 Foundations
13 Stimulation and Motivation
14 strategies
15 New Tasks for Leaders
16 System Citizens
17 The Front Line of Pioneership

PART 5 Conclusion
18 Indivisible Whole

Appendix 1: Study Discipline
Appendix 2 System Prototype
Appendix 3 U Process

In an era where opposing currents coexist,
The world is now a "learning organization."

What is the average lifespan of a company? The surprising truth is that even the world's most renowned corporations have a lifespan of less than 40 years, roughly half the average human lifespan.
The company we are currently working for also has a 50/50 chance of disappearing during our tenure.
Why do companies fail to survive? Or, to put it another way, what are the characteristics of companies that survive for a long time?

Peter Senge, the author of this book and the founder of the learning organization theory and a pioneer in the field of management innovation, says that this phenomenon of companies disappearing is merely a 'symptom.'
This is precisely a symptom of the company's lack of 'learning ability'.
You can never change the dominant management system without changing the dominant education system.
In that process, 'knowledge' in a profound sense is required, but apart from the gathering of excellent individuals, there is no learning at all at the organizational level.
However, the author adds that it is no coincidence that most organizations are poor at learning.


The world today is a place where conflicting elements and forces coexist in a dramatic way.
Complexity is increasing day by day, and the business environment is also changing daily.
However, we are still not free from the traditional, modern, dominant management system that relies solely on evaluation and control-oriented management and pursues only superficial, short-term problem-solving.
Yet, it is also true that technological advancements have created a more interconnected world, making it easier for us to understand each other than ever before.
In short, we live in an age where both danger and possibility coexist.


The only key to survival and prosperity is
It depends on the organization's 'ability to learn'

In a society like this, existing ways of thinking and operating no longer apply.
As an alternative to creating a "learning organization" capable of constantly adapting to changing realities, the author proposes five "disciplines."
The term discipline used here should be understood in a broader sense than the one we normally use, meaning 'a set of theories and techniques that must be learned and mastered in order to be put into practice.'
These five are 'systems thinking,' 'personal mastery,' 'mental models,' 'building a shared vision,' and 'team learning.' These five must influence each other and develop harmoniously.
Among them, the core discipline that the author devotes the most space to and emphasizes as the combination of all learning disciplines is 'systems thinking'.
The core of systems thinking is extremely simple.
It means looking at the whole, not just the parts, and taking the position of an active participant, not a passive reacter.
In short, systems thinking is a useful way of thinking for adopting an attitude of actively creating the future rather than passively reacting to reality. Without this, the five learning disciplines cannot be integrated or put into practice.

This book became a bestseller with over a million copies sold since its first edition was published in 1990, and brought about a huge learning organization craze around the world.
[The Learning Organization] is a revised and expanded complete translation, 15 years after the first edition was published. It is a newly composed edition with a significant addition of real-world examples based on what the author has seen, heard, and experienced firsthand in various fields of society, including businesses, schools, and local communities.
Because it contains specific examples of "learning organizations" that have been implemented and practiced in various ways by numerous organizations around the world, including Unilever, VISA, Intel, the World Bank, Nike, and HP, for many years, domestic readers who were satisfied with "theory" can also hear vivid voices from the "field."
The expert's precise and meticulous review reflects the current trends of the times, the reader-friendly and clear translation is considerate, and above all, the author's profound insight and extensive research will serve as strong support for our journey to change the assumptions and practices deeply rooted in our hearts.
This book is ideal for learners, especially those interested in group learning techniques and practices, as well as managers who want to learn specific practices, techniques, and training methods useful for building learning organizations.
It will also be a good read for parents who want to understand the truth that children become adults' teachers, and ultimately, it will also be useful for ordinary citizens who want to understand why modern organizations are not "such good" learners and what it takes to build learning communities.
Furthermore, the latter part, which explains the "system citizenship" that we must possess as humans existing within a larger system beyond organizations and companies, will provide great inspiration for observing and understanding the true systems that influence us in our lives and, in turn, influence us. This will also awaken our own potential to create the future.


The days when having one learning member was enough are over.
It is not enough to simply follow the orders of the 'great strategist'.
Organizations that are ahead are those that find ways to leverage the learning capacity of all their members and elicit their commitment.
This book argues that in an age of uncertainty, the key to our survival and prosperity lies solely in an organization's ability to learn.
At the same time, it asks what true 'transformation' is required of individuals, businesses, and society.