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Creating a Great Pumpkin Face

Creating a Great Pumpkin Face

I have many favorite autumn activities like visiting an apple orchard, maneuvering a corn maze, driving around looking at the changing leaves, and carving pumpkins. This fall, I found myself reflecting on a deeper parallel between pumpkin carving and cohesive leadership. I realized the process of carving a pumpkin mirrors the practices of a learning organization.

Drawing inspiration from Peter Senge’s five key characteristics of a learning organization, I saw that carving jack-o-lanterns can be applied to becoming a jack of many trades and offer valuable lessons on adaptability, experimentation, stewardship, and more.

Learning organizations promise an environment where employees can challenge the status quo. They are safe spaces where the goal is to learn, not just produce results. They are often incubators where creative solutions are encouraged to develop and grow. A cohesive leader ensures that individuals are included, participate in meaningful work, and collaborate within an arena of need and trust.

American systems scientist Peter Senge, designated as the strategist of the century by the Journal of Business Strategy, tells us a learning organization is necessary to initiate change. A former lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management and founding chair of the Society for Organizational Learning, Dr. Senge is best known for his book The Fifth Discipline, which first introduced the concept of a learning organization.

Peter Senge’s five key practices provide leaders a framework. Learning organizations—ones that seek to reshape how they exist in the marketplace—must be generative, adaptive, and willing to experiment. Diversity is another necessity; employees cannot be distracted by external biases that will restrict information. You never want what you see on the outside to distract you from what’s on the inside. Lastly, organizations must be good stewards of organizational resources; they must think like a designer and a teacher.

While carving pumpkins this fall season, watch how the elements listed below play out, and how they can be applied to organizations striving to foster a culture of learning.

Here’s how each of Senge’s principles come to life while pumpkin carving:

  1. Generative. Learning organizations thrive on a constant hunger for knowledge. Senge calls this a generative state, where individuals and teams remain eager to learn and investigate. Much like carving a pumpkin for the first time, the process starts with curiosity. What will this blank canvas become? How will I solve the challenges I encounter along the way? Generative organizations, like a child's imagination, constantly seek new knowledge. They stay relevant by learning, exploring, and remaining curious about how they can improve. Similarly, leaders must create an environment where asking questions and challenging the status quo are encouraged.
  2. Adaptive. No two pumpkins are alike, and sometimes, you end up with a “funky” one that seems impossible to carve. You have to be able and willing to adapt. Instead of resisting change, adaptable organizations embrace it. When we adapt, we open the door to innovation and future potential. Change and challenge aren’t obstacles, but opportunities to grow and expand. Much like Senge’s concept of adaptive organizations, it’s important to let go of fear and reshape our approach when faced with the unexpected.
  3. Experimental. After years of carving jack-o-lanterns, you might think there’s only one way to do it, but true learning organizations thrive on experimentation. As Senge emphasizes, learning organizations aren’t afraid to make mistakes along the way. The process might get messy, but that’s where the magic happens. This year, I encourage you to experiment with a more elaborate jack-o-lantern design. It doesn't have to be perfect, but experimenting is fun and opens up new ideas for future carvings. Similarly, organizations must be willing to try new things, even when success isn’t guaranteed. After all, without experimentation, innovation can’t happen.
  4. Diversity of thought. Senge highlights the importance of diversity, not just in the traditional sense, but in diversity of thought. If you've ever carved pumpkins with a child, you were probably as amazed as I was by the creative ideas they come up with. Children aren't bound by limitations, and their open-mindedness allowed them to create something unique. In a learning organization, diversity of thought leads to fresh ideas and innovative solutions. It’s important to encourage contributions from everyone, without allowing external biases to limit what we hear and learn. The freedom to think differently drives progress and opens up new possibilities.
  5. Stewardship. Finally, stewardship is about being a good caretaker of resources, whether those resources are people, materials, or knowledge. In pumpkin carving, it’s easy to throw away the seeds and pulp, but as any experienced carver knows, those seeds can be toasted into a delicious treat. In organizations, stewardship means valuing and investing in your most important resource: your people. Create an environment where individuals can thrive and teach others to do the same. By nurturing relationships and building trust, leaders create lasting impact.

The Pumpkin Carving Effect

At its core, a learning organization fosters growth, innovation, and adaptability. Just like carving a pumpkin requires creativity and flexibility, building a learning organization involves experimenting, adapting, and thinking outside the box. The process might get messy, but the results are always worth it.

By returning to a child-like sense of openness and curiosity, we allow ourselves to embrace new information, overcome challenges, and grow in ways we didn’t expect. Whether in life or in business, the principles of a learning organization—generative learning, adaptability, experimentation, diversity, and stewardship—provide a framework for success.

So the next time you carve a pumpkin, think about how these lessons apply to your own organization. Are you fostering a culture of learning and growth? Do you create opportunities of inclusiveness? Is the work meaningful? Will individuals focus on needs of and trust in others? Are you willing to get a little messy in the pursuit of innovation? If the answer is yes, you’re already on your way to building a cohesive learning organization.

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