. Personal Mastery. Like the first discipline, the second builds on the commitment of the organization to the individual. Personal mastery is creating and clarifying one's own vision and helping to create an organization that supports individuals in developing their personal skills. Developing personal vision is the foundation of shared vision. Individuals must feel they can create their own lives in terms of what really matters to them. Real shared vision can develop in an organization only when all the individuals feel support in their personal quest for mastery.
Few schools or districts encourage this kind of individualized growth. It is not just an issue of staff development or access to training but of encouraging people to make a difference. A school benefits from a highly skilled staff but relatively few educators try to achieve personal mastery in the skills that matter to them and that can make a real difference in their organization. After the early years of teaching, teachers often settle into a comfortable rut. They lose the excitement and commitment of the early years. Many are no longer learners but only technicians.
Some educators do achieve personal mastery, but they can become more frustrated than those who are simply putting in their time. Personal mastery is always accompanied by creative tension. The highly skilled learn to live with some dissatisfaction. Those who truly strive know that their quest will never he finished but they are vitalized by the continuing challenge. A learning organization must feed on the vitality of those who are leading the way.