Leadership development for learning organizations

While discussions of the learning organization (LO) often center on nuances of its definition and application, little attention has been given to the role that organizational leaders play in fostering goals of becoming an LO. Varied research indicates that leaders may play the single most important role in determining the success or failure of LO efforts, with trust, modeled behaviors, and positive reinforcement critical to gaining worker acceptance and support. This paper recommends that, to improve chances of success, organizations should first attend to developing learning leaders before implementing any LO efforts.