1. Presencing: Leading from the Future As It Emerges 17th Annual Pegasus Conference November 5, 2007, Seattle C. Otto Scharmer MIT Presencing Institute
Text
What I would like to do is to share some work in progress.
Three streams of experience

2. The Blind Spot of Leadership
“The success of an intervention depends on the interior condition of the intervenor.”
The Blind Spot of Leadership
William O’Brien, former CEO of the Hanover Insurance Company

3. The Blind Spot of Leadership
Results:
What
Completed Painting
Process:
How
Process of Painting
Source:
Who
Blind Spot: Inner place from that we operate
Blank Canvas
© 2007 C.O. Scharmer

4. Attending from the patterns of the past
Reconfirming what we know
Stuck in your own prison
Listening 1:
Downloading
I-in-me
Attending from your open mind
Seeing new/disconfirming data
Understanding technical complexity
Listening 2:
Factual
I-in-it
Listening 3:
Empathic
Attending from your open heart
Seeing through the eyes of another
Understanding social complexity
I-in-you
Attending from Source (open will)
Seeing from emerging futures
Understanding emerging complextiy
Listening 4:
Generative
I-in-now

5. Two Sources of Learning, Two Learning Cycles
A. Learning by reflecting on the experiences of the past
act - observe - reflect - plan - act
B. Learning from the future as it emerges (presencing)
© 2005 C.O. Scharmer
© 2007 C.O. Scharmer

6. The U Process of Presencing in A Nutshell

7. Brian Arthur, Santa Fe Institute
On the Core Process of Profound Innovation

8. Allow the inner knowing to emerge
Downloading
Observe,
observe,
observe
Act in an
instant
Retreat and reflect:
Allow the inner knowing to emerge

9. Downloading patterns of the past
Access
Your...
Downloading patterns of the past
suspending
Open
Mind
Seeing with fresh eyes
Open
Heart
redirecting
Sensing from the field
© 2004 C.O. Scharmer

11. VOJ Open Mind Open Heart VOC Open Will VOF Performing: Access
Your...
Performing:
achieve results through practices, infrastructures
Downloading patterns of the past
suspending
Open
Mind
embodying
VOJ
Seeing with fresh eyes
Prototyping: co-create strategic microcosms
Open
Heart
redirecting
enacting
VOC
Sensing from the field
Crystallizing vision and intention
Open
Will
VOF
letting-go
letting-come
Presencing connecting to Source
Who is my Self? What is my Work?
© 2007 C.O. Scharmer

12. Places and practices of observation Places & practices of prototyping
Access
Your...
Performing:
achieve results through practices, infrastructures
Downloading patterns of the past
suspending
Open
Mind
embodying
VOJ
Seeing with fresh eyes
Prototyping: co-create strategic microcosms
Open
Heart
redirecting
enacting
VOC
Sensing from the field
Crystallizing vision and intention
Open
Will
VOF
letting-go
letting-come
Presencing connecting to Source
Places and practices of observation
Places & practices of prototyping
Who is my Self? What is my Work?
Places and practices of stillness
© 2004 C.O. Scharmer

13. Field Structure of Attention Meso: Macro: Mundo:
Micro:
THINKING /LISTENING
Field Structure of Attention
Meso:
CONVERSING /LANGUAGING
Macro:
ORGANIZING /STRUCTURING
Mundo:
Mechanism of COORDINATING
Field 1:
Operating from the old me-world
Listening 1:
Downloading
habits of thought
Downloading:
Talking nice, politeness
rule-reenacting
Centralized:
Machine bureaucracy
Hierarchy:
Central plan
Listening 2:
Factual, object-focused
Field 2:
Operating from the
current it-world
Debate:
Talking tough
rule-revealing
Decentralized:
divisionalized
Market:
competition
Field 3:
Operating from the current you-world
Listening 3:
Empathic
listening
Dialogue
inquiry
rule-reflecting
Networked
relational
Dialogue:
(mutual adjustment)
Listening 4:
Generative
listening
Field 4:
Operating from the highest future possiblity that Is
wanting to emerge
Presencing:
Collective creativity, flow
rule-generating
Ecosystem Ba
Collective Presence:
Seeing from the emerging Whole
© 2007 C.O. Scharmer

14. 1. Co-initiating: uncover common intent stop and listen to others and to what life calls you to do
5. Co-evolving: embody the new in ecosystems that facilitate seeing and acting from the whole
VOJ
2. Co-sensing: observe, observe, observe go to the places of most potential and listen with your mind and heart wide open
4. Co-creating: prototype the new in living examples to explore the future by doing
VOC
VOF
3. Presencing: connect to the source of inspiration and will go to the place of silence and allow the inner knowing to emerge
© 2007 C.O. Scharmer

15. Open Mind Open Heart Open Will
1. Holding the Space: Listen to What Life Calls You to Do
7. Performing:
Play the “Macro Violin”
suspending
embodying
Open
Mind
2. Observing: Attend with Your Wide Open Mind
6. Prototyping: Integrate Head, Heart, Hand
Open
Heart
deep dive
5. Crystallizing: Access the Power of Intention
enacting
3. Sensing: Connect with Your Heart
Open
Will
letting-go
letting-come
4. Presencing: Connect to the Deepest Source of Your Self and Will
Who is my Self? What is my Work?
© 2007 C.O. Scharmer

16. Resources and Literature:
Scharmer, C. Otto (2007). Theory U: Leading from the Emerging Future As It Emerges. The Social Technology of Presencing), Cambridge, MA: SoL Press.
Senge, P., C. O. Scharmer, J. Jaworski, and B. S. Flowers. (2004). Presence: Human Purpose and the Field of the Future, Cambridge, MA: SoL Press.
Scharmer, C.O. (2001). Self-transcending knowledge: Sensing and Organizing Around Emerging Opportunities. In: Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 5, no. 2: 137– 150.