Pillars of the Five Disciplines

The Sixth Discipline
Henry Egidius, Consultant, Sweden
In my experience (from many workplaces), I have drawn the conclusion that the most important discipline of them all, the sixth discipline, is a particular set of personal qualities of leaders in an organization, difficult to catch with a description but evident for those who are observant enough to notice them.
A leading person (in a learning organization) must have something extra which is not included in principles and strategies: the personal intuition, cleverness and decisiveness, something which coordinates, integrates, creates.
We can see how a firm will deteriorate if it suddenly gets a leader who is too exuberant, narcissistic and unwilling to listen to others. This is of course in accordance with Peter Senge's theory.
But I should like to add that it makes a big difference if the leader has a 6. certain personal charisma. Not easy to describe, but obvious to those who have experience of different personalities in their work and private life.

Five Disciplines
rajeesh, HR Consultant, India
Very practical tool. I have really struggled with personal mastery and shift in peoples mental models.

The Sixth Discipline
F.H.J. Janssen, Consultant, Netherlands
@Henry Egidius : The sixth discipline, as you call it, are the disciplines one to five all together.
If you master the 5 principles, you will have a particular set of personal qualities and you will be a leader.
To become so, many people need a significant 'mind shift' and a new understanding of importance. There's a lot to do...

The Fifth Discipline (The Learning Organisation)
Paul von Zeuner, Consultant, South Africa
I have used "the learning organisation"with some success. Things really start to happen when the "team" really starts to work as a learning team.
There is the role of the individual leader, but a well functioning learning team will find that they consist of a group of leaders each with his/her own area of strength.
To get there the level of engagement should be very high with a public window that leaves only a small facade and blind spot.
Remember also the often quoted "Be the change you want to see in the world" by M.K. Gandhi.

Five Disciplines
Henry Egidius, Consultant, Sweden
@F.H.J. Janssen: Hope so, thank you. But it is not my experience in real settings.