From the Balcony to the Dance Floor
James “Dennis” Warman
Leadership in the 21st Century
LED 603
May 29, 2015
Instructor: Dr. Ellen Kaye

I really desire to put into practice what I have learned from Leadership in the 21st Century college course. I have a deep desire for my organization to become a true learning organization.
The irony to my desire is that my organization is involved in education of children kindergarten through twelfth grade. I have set up learning environments in my organization, but not based on the art and practice of learning organizations. The trainings were designed to meet an immediate need based on a lack of knowledge or experience. Currently, we have five different levels of training based on time on the job or position. Peter Senge, in an obscure little sentence in his book, says, “ To be a true teacher, you must be a learner first” (Senge, 1990. 2006, p. 332). He adds that the teacher’s passion for learning inspires their students. He further insists that managers, which I will translate to organizational leaders, must commit to be practitioners, not just “advocates” or preachers. My goal therefore is to use the theory from Peter Senge and apply it to my organization. The challenge is to take the theory and put into practice. Senge’s five key disciplines are mental models, shared vision, team learning, personal mastery, and systems thinking. Senge believes that the five disciplines converge to create new waves of experimentation and advancement, and hopefully, “learning organizations.” A learning organization is not one where the members of an organization just takes in information, but where team members continually expand their capacities and create desired results. This work will become my template to create a learning organization.
Today I conducted a training where the information was important to learn and apply practically. My goal was to get out the information. Now if my goal was to further expand my organization as a learning organization as Senge explains, “Learning organizations are organizations where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is

set free, and where people are continually learning to see the whole together” (Senge 1990, 2006,
p.3), then I would have had a more comprehensive approach to the training. With this experience, I realize that I have to break through my “Mental Model” of training for training sake. Senge describes this hold on me through, “The discipline of mental models starts with turning the mirror inward; learning to unearth our internal pictures of the world, to bring them to the surface and hold them rigorously to scrutiny. It also includes the ability to carry on
‘learningful’ conversations that balance inquiry and advocacy, where people expose their own thinking effectively and make that thinking open to the influence of others” (Senge 1990, 2006
p.9).
To accomplish this goal I will begin to break apart my mental model of training to transform into a “Community of Practice,” (Wenger) as Senge espouses, through dialogue.
Essential to Senge’s team learning discipline is dialogue. Inspired by physicist, David Bohm’s concept of dialogue “where a group becomes open to the flow of a larger intelligence, and thought is approached largely as collective phenomenon” (Senge 1990, 2006 p. 10). Senge believes that the ability to dialogue with other members would develop such a collection of intelligence, which is greater than the sum of the brainpower of each individual member. This is where I take my team to visit the “Balcony” to gain a global view and see from another perspective. Here, members of my team will suspend their assumptions collectively and in a collegial manner dialogue to explore the mental model. Through a balance of dialogue and discussion new views will emerge and a course of action laid. Seeking as another goal of participating in a continuous cycle of improvement, I would layer on reflection. Senge offers, “If dialogue articulates a unique vision of team learning, reflection and inquiry skills may prove essential to realizing that vision” (Senge 1990, 2006, p.231).

At this point and having this experience, I believe we are poised to build a shared vision.
According to Peter Senge, “When there is a genuine vision, people excel and learn, not because they are told to, but because they want to” (Senge 1990, 2006 p.9). Through dialogue, the vision grows clearer and enthusiasm for its benefits grow. In developing a shared vision, the goal is to create a sense of mission, a sense of commonality, an identity and a sense of purpose. I desire and will seek to build our organization into an extraordinary entity that radiates excitement. The process for this is what is fleeting, breaking down not just my mental models, but others as well.
The time spent on the Balcony may take time, and returning to the dance floor from time to time may be necessary. However, the value of spending the time in the balcony will, in my opinion, transcend the organization to create that idea of a learning organization. Therefore, the process is to ascend to the balcony with the entire team, facilitate dialogue, through Bohm’s guidance, define our reason for existing and come away with a shared vision.
Developing as a team that embraces the concept of “Team Learning” is the next goal.
Senge believes team members will grow more rapidly as a team than could have otherwise.
Achieving this objective has its challenges. I have highly gifted members on my team, yet we are far from “Team Learning.” I will facilitate team learning through balcony experiences, using open space techniques, and learn as we go. As we learn together, grow together and master dialogue, move into discussion and come to decisions. Venturing out to the dance floor, we can evaluate if the theory is resulting in practice. I love the thought of esoteric rhetoric, exploring our mores and philosophies, however, the practical side of me does not want for the processes to be seen as a waste of time. I want the team to make music, as Senge uses a Jazz band for an illustration, that plays as one” (Senge, p. 218).

This brings me to encouraging and empowering my team members to embrace “Personal
Mastery.” “Personal mastery is the discipline of continually clarifying and deepening our personal vision, of focusing our energies, of developing patience, and of seeing reality objectively” (Senge 1990, 2006, p.7). I see this as the concept of being a lifelong learner. I conclude that we are only limited by our capacity to learn. This will require encouragement, empowering, continuing education, sending team members to conferences, workshops and teaching. I will create an environment that builds team members job skills, but also their life skills. This will involve goal setting, career path options, and giving team members greater levels of responsibilities. The motivation for personal mastery will stem from my own path of being a lifelong learner.
Senge, in my opinion, connects this puzzle together through “Systems Thinking.” He says, “ I call systems thinking the fifth discipline because it is the conceptual cornerstone that underlies all five learning disciplines” (Senge, 1990, 2006, p. 69). Senge explains further that this is a shift of the mind, seeing the parts to seeing the whole. I see this as a return to the balcony. From this perspective we can see the interrelationships. This allows us the opportunity to restructure how we think. We can see the dynamics of complexity, the causes of breakdowns and delays, and, hopefully, the path to recovery. Senge encourages us to use systems diagrams or maps as means or vehicle to understanding (Senge, 1990,2006, p. 75). These tools, mostly called circles, help us to “follow the story.” Applying systems thinking will enable me to identify and act upon the system’s “leverage points’ that when we return to the dance floor, we have created the changes or enacted the interventions that cause substantial changes. This is advantage of seeing from a balcony view, but with a practical dance floor effect. Though systems thinking is becoming more widely known it is generally a newer way of thinking how to solve

problems or frame issues. “Seeing into the future starts with knowing how to interpret signs that are present today but go unrecognized by those without a systems perspective” (Senge, 1990,
2006, p.343).
My organization and my leadership abilities are challenged with the responsibility to shape the future of our organization. Together, as a learning organization, we must procure the knowledge to make sound, informed decisions. I seek to be that visionary leader that establishes strategies, and systems based on seeing where we currently are and create the shared vision from the balcony that empowers us to succeed. I will risk breaking down my mental models for the betterment of the organization and continue to inspire through personal mastery as I seek to become the best at getting better. Finally, as we embrace team learning and become that learning organization, we can descend the stairs from the balcony. I can hear the music playing and calling us to the dance floor.

References:
Senge, P. M. (1990, 2006). The fifth discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization. New York: Doubleday/Currency.
Wenger, Etienne, Communities of Practice. http://www.learning-theories.com/communities-ofpractice-lave-and-wenger.html