2 BU I L D I N G T H E L E A R N I N G O RGA N I Z AT I O N occurring outside the organization or the organization dies" (p. 11). The new organization that emerges will need to possess greater knowledge, flexibility, speed, power, and learning ability so as to better confront the shifting needs of a new environment, more demanding customers, and smarter knowledge workers. The successes are obvious. Organizations that learn faster will be able to adapt more quickly and thereby achieve significant strategic advantages in the global world of business. The new learning organization is able to harness the collective genius of its people at the individual, group, and system levels. This capability, combined with improved organizational status, technology, knowledge management, and people empowerment, will enable organiza- tions to leave the competition in the dust. Let us now examine the major winds of change that have compelled organizations to either learn or face extinction, forces that have altered the economic environment and the workplace as well as workers and customers. The eight most significant forces that have changed the business world and necessitate company-wide learning in the twenty-first century are: