The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization (Book)
Peter M. Senge, Author.  New York, NY: Doubleday, 1994.

Senge defines "systems thinking"—the titled "Fifth" discipline—as a leadership team discerning all the interlocking relationships in a problem situation, and then identifying the causes (rather than the symptoms) of behavior patterns that are constraining or blocking an organization's development.

For those familiar with family systems, Senge's different context and in-depth explorations will bring useful perspective. Those new to systems thinking might start by becoming acquainted with Senge's axiom-like typologies: five Learning Disciplines, three Levels, seven Learning Disabilities, eleven Laws, and nine Archetypes. Knowing these typologies will aid grasping their use and interconnection throughout the text. Part IV offers a half-dozen systems approaches to implementing and sustaining a learning organization.

This book is written for the corporate world, but substantive parallels to faith communities can be identified. For example, congregations concerned about growth will find Senge’s second and ninth Archetypes revealing and clarifying. Ultimately, Senge's systems approach is for leadership open to the calling of building a faith community fully dedicated to the growth and development of its members.

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