Praise for Theory U
“Scharmer’s Theory U model of how to open our mind, emotions, and will to moments of discovery and mutual understanding is profound and much needed.”
–Edgar Schein, Sloan Fellows Professor of Management Emeritus, MIT Sloan School of Management, and author of Helping “Pushes the envelope of current leadership wisdom and invites you to explore the strongest leadership tool there is: yourself.”
–Ralf Schneider, Head of Global Talent Management, PricewaterhouseCoopers “The impact of the Theory U method on our organization is remarkable, but even more important is the amazing personal growth many leaders have experienced. Scharmer’s work has allowed them to experience a new approach to the world.”
–Marcia Marsh, Chief Operating Officer, World Wildlife Fund “Though many agree with Einstein’s observation that `problems cannot be resolved at the level of consciousness that created them’ the key question remains how to realize such a shift. Theory U offers a unique integral perspective combined with a practical approach to addressing the megaissues facing our world today.”
–Jack Jacometti, Vice President, Global GTL Development, Shell International Gas Limited “This book is an inspiration. It gives definition to the mystery of the creative process.”
–Eileen Fisher, President and Chief Creative Officer, Eileen Fisher Inc.
From the Back Cover
Access the deepest source of inspiration and vision
We live in a time of massive institutional failure, one that requires a new consciousness and a new collective leadership capacity. In this groundbreaking book, Otto Scharmer invites us to see the world in new ways and in so doing discover a revolutionary approach to leadership.
What we pay attention to and how we pay attention is key to what we create. What prevents us from attending to situations more effectively is that we aren’t fully aware of and in touch with the inner place from which attention and intention originate. This is what Scharmer calls our blind spot. By moving through Scharmer’s U process, we consciously access the blind spot and learn to connect to our authentic Self–the deepest source of knowledge and inspiration–in the realm of “presencing,” a term coined by Scharmer that combines the concepts of presence and sensing. Based on ten years of research and action learning and interviews with over 150 practitioners and thought leaders, Theory U offers a rich diversity of compelling stories and examples and includes dozens of exercises and practices that allow leaders, and entire organizations, to shift awareness, connect with the best future possibility, and gain the ability to realize it.
About the Author
C. Otto Scharmer is a senior lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the founding chair of the Presencing Institute. He is faculty chair of MIT’s IDEAS program; visiting professor at Tsinghua University, Beijing; and a cofounder of the Global Wellbeing and Gross National Happiness Lab, which links innovators from Bhutan, India, China, Brazil, Europe, and the United States to prototype profound innovations in government, business, education, and civil society. He is the coauthor of Leading from the Emerging Future and Presence.
Foreword author Peter Senge is a senior lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is also founding chair of the Society for Organizational Learning North America and the coauthor of the bestselling book, The Fifth Discipline.
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