The Theory U

A practice and framework for tuning into the emerging future

The Theory U is a method written by Otto Scharmer and Katrin Kaufer for change-makers. It acknowledges the unpredictable nature of any discovery process, the importance of social fields, and the presence of an internalized systemic model. His core ideas are very much aligned with my perspective on holistic science and give guidance for sensing future opportunities.

Sensing future opportunities requires us to connect with our inner source and tap into a deeper, shared and interconnected level of our humanity. If we want to facilitate a change from an old system, it is not enough to fight the old system. We need to tune into and become aware of the future that wants to emerge by shifting the inner place from which we operate. It is a search for our inner blind spot described in the section on spirituality.

He describes this shift as a transformation from an ego-system aware- ness to an eco-system awareness. While someone with an ego-system awareness mainly cares about their own wellbeing, someone with an eco-system awareness is driven by concerns that are informed by the well-being of the whole. “Pioneering the principles and personal practices that help us to perform this shift may well be one of the most important undertakings of our time.”

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Scharmer, Otto; Kaufer, Katrin. Leading from the Emerging Future: From Ego-System to Eco-System Economies (p. 187-189). Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Santen, L. (2021). Holistic engineering and a renewed science of holism for a thriving world (Undergraduate thesis).