Learning Organization: Role and Characteristics of Leaders

This article discusses the concept of a learning organization and the role and characteristics of leaders in creating and sustaining it. It explores the importance of leadership competencies and the impact of emotional intelligence on the learning climate. The article also highlights how leaders can motivate, innovate, communicate, and set effective examples for their teams.

Running Head: LEARNING ORGANIZATION 0
Learning Organization

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Learning organization: role and characteristic of leaders
In every organization, growth diminishes when it reach to the level of saturation. Leaning has
no end. It is a never-ending acting. True leaders always think forward in order to face the
challenge that the organization is facing. They always explore themselves in order perform
better and set it as example for others (Jian, and Fairhurst, 2017). Self-awareness also
required by the leader in order to make the learning organization. In the first section of the
report, concept of learning organization has been discussed for better understanding.
Contemporary leadership and organizational literature also suggests that creating the learning
organization is essential to improve the organization for long-term. Learning organization
also encourage the development of some leadership competencies in each level of the
hierarchy not only at the top. In the next section of the report, competencies that are required
by the leader is being discussed.
A learning organization is that organization that effectively facilitates the leaning of all the
people and helps them in transforming. The development of learning organization emerged
due to the pressure that all modern organizations are facing in recent time for remaining
competitive. Serrat, (2017) stated that it is an organization where people regularly create
innovative ideas according to their capacity, Where the aspiration of people is set free and
where members regularly learn how to work in a team as togetherness. In this way, learning
organization ensures the proper development of leadership competencies at each level of
hierarchy. It is true that leadership is really a valuable skill that depends on the knowledge
and expertise. I have seen that it holds an essential part in the life of a person.
In recent time, it is essential to ensure the leadership in proper way for better outcomes. It is
required by the top leaders to clarify their position related the internal needs of organization
such as planning, organizing, directing, coordinating and controlling. These internal need are
required for cope with the external environmental forces properly. IN every learning
organization, leadership is committed to the essentials of learning and properly
communicating that learning is necessary for the success of organization (Higgs and
Dulewicz, 2016). The top leader always identifies the significance of providing the means,
opportunity and motive for learning. The motive that is related to the “why?”- what is the
reason or purpose of learning. Opportunity is related to the “When and where?”- These are
the spaces of learning. At last, means is related to the “what and how?”- all the methods,

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models or competencies that are required. Leaders play an leading role in sustaining and
creating all the skills that are required for facilitating the learning organization. Taking into
the example of effective leader from Nepal named B.P Koirala. Koirala was the politician of
Nepal (Pokharel and Ok Choi, 2015). The efforts of this leader are really appreciable in the
Nepal country. It has actively participated in the freedom movement and helped the country
in various organizations. Therefore, it can be stated that the leaders requires the valuable
skills in order to lead the people and achieve something great. It is also clear that leaders who
desire to become the role model for learning must invest in experimental learning and formal
education. In the entire organizations, leaders are required to be aware how they personally
can influence the learning organization. It is must for the leaders to take the introspective
look for leading and influencing others especially when nurturing the learning processes. It is
significant for the leaders to know the personality of individuals, their power, as well as
beliefs of control affect the learning in any organization. Members of organization are more
motivated to share experiences and learn when leaders of the organization encourage the
member to participate in the learning process. Therefore, leaders are required to be
democratic. In this regard, democratic leadership states that it is effective to include the
members in the decision-making process. This helps the member to feel motivated and thus
increase the productivity in organization. For achieving and sustaining the results for long
time, we all as a leader should embrace the commitment to learn for only their personal sake
but also for whole organization. The major surprises occur when there is failure to act rather
than the failure to see. Organizations have more fear in the absence of strong leadership. It is
one of the responsibility of leader to live according to the values of organization, setting of
correct tone and leading in proper manner through example. Leaders must require
strengthening and challenging the norms and pattern that has limit to learn.
It depends on the emotional intelligence of a leader to influence the ability of members for
developing the learning organization. Crossan, Byrne, Seijts, Reno, Monzani and Gandz,
(2017) stated the emotional intelligence as the mixture of social competencies and personal
competencies that includes the self-management, self-awareness, and social skills. I have
learnt that all these skills helps in assisting the leader to understand their personal abilities for
maintain the individual as well as organization relationship at each level. All these skills are
significant for the effective learning environment. Leaders who have great understanding of
the relationship management can able to maintain the learning organization. These types of
leader are able to create the positive attitude in the organization. This understanding of

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emotional intelligence and leader personality can influence the learning climate in the
organization. Effective leaders have various responsibilities. Firstly, they must consider the
forces and factors of the environment. Secondly, I think that they must know and able to
influence the internal and external forces that influence the organization. At last, they must
integrate, balance, and harmonize the two while for leading the organization towards the
productive objectives. There are various traits of an effective leadership:
Motivate the team- according to me; understanding the expectations and needs is essential for
the motivation of individual and as a team. Expectations also differ from person to person.
Therefore, it is required by the leader to influence as well as motivate the team members in
the organization for achieving success.
Innovation- as per my understanding, Innovation is a key of sustaining, and succession the
growth in organization. In complex business environment, innovation and creativity are two
major factors for coping with the competition. When individuals have the abilities and new
ideas for converting the tangible stories, it creates a path of success for the organization.
Celebrating the achievements of team- By celebrating the achievement of team, it can
motivate the team to give more. It also helps in ensuring the correct process for achieving the
goals. The successful completion of each task is treated as the stepping-stone for final
objective (Antonakis and Day, 2017).
Communication ability- Communication is that channel that helps in connecting the team and
its leader. The ability of doing non-verbal and verbal communication is the special trait in a
leader. leader should be able to express the thoughts clearly. It is required to not only strict
the communication to exchange of information but also builds the confidence and trust in
team. In order to build the learning organization, it is essential for the leader to be a good
listener (Ebrahimi Mehrabani and Azmi Mohamad, 2015).
Setting an effective example- leaders are required to set the effective example for others. If
any leader want others to set a vision, it is essential. All the team members not only hear what
they have do but also see those abilities in a leader. by setting the examples in the mind of
each person, it can effectively achieve the goals.
In the limelight of above discussion, it can be concluded that for surviving in the complex
business environment, leader is required to be expert in managing the change. For making the
learning organization, leadership is developed through experience as well as practice. The

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major role of leader is to create those conditions where the staff will learn and get all the
habits of regular learning. Those organizations who want to thrive and relevant, learn faster
and better is quite essential in order to become the learning organization.

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