Presencing

We are collectively creating results nobody wants, and most change efforts address the symptoms rather than the source.

Presencing offers a different approach-one that bridges inner development with outer systems change through 7 concrete practices built for this moment.

From Otto Scharmer, MIT senior lecturer and creator of Theory U, and Katrin Kaufer, MIT researcher, cofounder of the Presencing Institute, and author of Just Money (MIT Press), this field guide draws on more than twenty years of global work with the Theory U framework, now used by thousands of organizations across climate, finance, education, and social innovation.

Inside this book:
• The Wheel of Deep Change - a framework mapping 7 societal sectors and specific leverage points where transformation takes hold
• Social Fields theory - a deeper layer of systems thinking that accounts for the quality of consciousness from which collective action emerges
• Seven step-by-step practices covering generative listening, dialogue, co-sensing, presencing, co-imagining, co-creating, and ecosystem governance
• Real-world stories of “islands of coherence”-communities already demonstrating regenerative ways of working together across the globe
• Reflection questions and dialogue prompts for individual readers, leadership teams, and classroom or workshop settings

Readers new to Theory U will find a self-contained entry point, and those already familiar will find significant new depth and updated methods.

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: Are We Sinking or Are We Going to Rise?
• Chapter 2: From Social Systems to Social Fields
• Chapter 3: The Wheel of Deep Change: Looking into the Systems Mirror
• Chapter 4: Presencing, Absencing, and Fourth-Person Knowing
• Chapter 5: Eco-system Leadership: Seven Practices for Cultivating the Social Soil
• Chapter 6: The Future Is Already Here: Three Transformations
• Chapter 7: Protect the Flame
• Personal Reflection and Dialogue Questions
• Notes
• Acknowledgments
• Index
• About the Authors

“For two decades, while so many are tragically locked in meeting polarization with more polarization, Katrin and Otto have been helping thousands of people and hundreds of communities build capacity to hold the tension of ‘either-or'-for me, the first key to meeting this extraordinary time on its own terms.”
-Peter Senge, Senior Lecuter, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and cofounder of Center for Systems Awareness

“I've experienced firsthand the profound impact of Otto and Katrin's transformative work. This book gives us the framework, methods, and tools to co-create and further evolve regenerative businesses that are working for all.”
-Eileen Fisher, fashion designer and founder of Eileen Fisher Inc.

“What we learn from Presencing is that seeding the soil of consciousness with holistic understanding elevates the highest potential of a society.”
-Pedro Tarak, cofounder of Sistema B and Regional Impact Trade Alliance (RITA)

“This masterpiece provides the blueprint for the transformational systems change needed to navigate the complexities of our modern world, beautifully written to inspire and motivate us all.”
-Carrie Hessler-Radelet, former Director, Peace Corps, and international NGO leader

“Presencing introduces practical tools and methods to confront disruption and discern our North Star-not only for us individually but also for the institutions we lead and work in and the societies we live in.”
-Dayna L. Cunningham, Pierre and Pamela Omidyar Dean, Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, Tufts University