Peter M. Senge

Peter M. Senge is one of the world’s most influential and iconic management thinkers. He has been recognized for being among the first to introduce the concept of organizational learning and has authored several groundbreaking books on organizational learning, management, and leadership.

Senge was born in 1947, in Stanford, California. He earned a BS in mechanical engineering from Stanford in 1969 and a PhD in management from MIT in 1974. Afterward, he earned a Fulbright Fellowship to study in Japan, which began his life-long passion for researching the dynamics of learning and organizational behavior.

In the 1980’s, Senge co-founded the Center for Organizational Learning (COL) at MIT. It was through this academic research center that Senge developed the concept of organizational learning. This idea theorized that organizations could build teams and work processes that “learn”—or continually improve and become more efficient by continuously adapting to the changing environment—the same way the natural environment had been doing for millions of years.

Senge’s work on organizational learning was first published in a seminal book, The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization. In this book, Senge argues that organizations must develop core competencies and use problem-solving models to become “learning organizations” that are constantly learning from their missteps and successes. Ultimately, The Fifth Discipline influenced the thinking of millions of business people worldwide and made Senge a household name for scholars and business people alike.

Subsequently, Senge produced several additional books including the bestselling The Dance of Change, which explores how innovations can be brought about in a large, hierarchical organization. He has also written several articles and book chapters on topics related to organizational learning, innovation, and leadership.

Aside from writing, Senge is known for his dynamic public speaking engagements where he is often asked to provide keynote lectures and workshops. He is also regularly featured on radio and television programs and interviewed by leading newspapers. Senge’s work has been honored with numerous prestigious awards, including the New Concepts in Work-Life Award from the Department of Employment (U.K.), the Award For Contribution To The Management Of Change from The Institute of Employment Studies (U.K.), and the Bower Award for Business Leadership from the Franklin Institute.

Senge has advised senior leaders at some of the world's most successful companies, including Honda, Microsoft, Motorola, and Hewlett Packard. His legacy lives on in the work of numerous companies, most notably in knowledge and learning-based firms such as Coca-Cola and IBM. His works continue to be required and recommended readings in universities and business schools around the world and his influence and vision are as strong today as it ever was.

Peter M. Senge is an influential business thinker, educator and leader. His landmark books on organizational learning, management, and leadership have shaped how businesses operate today and enabled countless individuals to make significant contributions to the business and academic worlds. By striving to create “learning organizations” where teams and work processes can constantly continue to learn, adapt, and improve, Senge has shown us how to be successful in a rapidly changing and uncertain world.