W. Warner Burke: Learner, leade scholar-practitioner

Abstract

W. Warner Burke is a consummate psychologist and vital contributor to the field of organization development and change. For over 50 years he has been a thought leader and a dedicated steward of the profession. He was often the "first" in key organizational roles forging new professional territory as an architect of institutions and programs. Leadership, self-awareness, organization change, and learning agility are at the center of his academic work. Consulting to complex systems - both tightly coupled and loosely coupled, and designing learning opportunities for individuals, groups, and organizations, are at the center of his professional practice. A leader in the field, he has been recognized throughout his career with numerous honors and awards for his scholarship and practice in organization development and change. This chapter substantiates the enduring values and relationships, institutions and thoughts, enduring work, legacies, and unfinished business, of W. Warner Burke - learner, leader, and scholar-practitioner.