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Dunbar, S.B., & Winston, K. (2015).  An occupational perspective on leadership:

Theoretical and practical dimensions (2nd Ed). Thorofare, NJ: SLACK, Inc.

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Change management and theory U leadership. 

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Change management and theory U leadership. 

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This essay abstracts a critical aspect of leadership-that of leading organizational change-and applies it to key tenets of Otto Scharmer's Theory U Leadership. The foray is based on the premise that there is an essential symbiosis between change management and Theory U Leadership. This change has to be inclusive, collaborative, and sustainable in order to have optimal impact in the ecosystem and in the global arena.

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Five Movement Processes to Follow the U 

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Five Movement Processes to Follow the U 

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1.  Co-initiating:

The ability to listen to other individuals and follow one's own life passions.

2. Co-sensing:

The ability to understand an individual's own fullest potential, while using an open heart and an open mind.

3. Presencing:

This is located at the bottom of the U.

The ability to provide oneself the opportunity to reflect and allow one's knowledge and understanding to emerge.

4. Co-creating:

The exploration of the potential action an individual can take in the future.

A trial and error process allows the individual to sort their options.

5. Co-evolving:

The participation and growth experiences that include the sensing, understanding and realization of optimal plans that support and enhance a leader in different contexts.

The inverted view at the top of the image below describes destruction rather than creation.

Destruction is the result of a closed will, heart, and mind that results in fear, hate and prejudice.

(Dunbar, & Winston, 2015).

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"How do we learn from the future as it emerges?"

The theory was co-developed by Otto Scharmer in 2007 by expanding upon concepts from the U-procedure, which was initially introduced by Glasl and Lemson in 1968.

Theory U has been used to prepare and support individuals, teams, and organizations to make organizational or social changes by improving unproductive or unfulfilling beliefs and patterns of behavior (Gibbs, 2013) .

The journey of having productive patterns of behavior is represented by a U-shape, moving down the left of the U, reaching the bottom, and continuing up the right side of the U.

This theory stresses the importance of having an open mind, heart and an open will to presence (Dunbar, & Winston, 2015).

Open Mind: An individual identifies that his or her personal assumptions may be taken for granted and new knowledge may help to enlighten a perspective.

An individual will have to open one's mind to new ideas and not be obstructed by negative thoughts and emotions.

Once these obstructions are removed, change will be able to effectively occur.

Open Heart: To have an open heart requires a process of deep attention to understand a part of a particular issue and take responsibility for one's personal feelings and thoughts.

Open Will: The determination to make the change necessary in order to have a better organization.

Once the individual begins to move up the right side of the U shape, reintegration and acceptance of new, and innovative ideas occur.

From this point onwards new ideas can be used in practice.

Theory U begins with a blind spot (Dunbar, & Winston, 2015; "The essentials of theory u," n.d.).

Blind Spot: the place from which our intentions and attention originate.

The idea behind the blind spot is that we can see what we do (results), we can see how we do it (process), but we are not aware of the who: the inner place or the source from which we operate.

The question for leaders is: How is our blind spot expressed in our leadership?

What individuals pay attention to, what they notice, and what they act on is a function on their inner self.

Scharmer (2007) wrote, “Leadership is the capacity to shift the inner place from which we operate, so that the primary job of leadership is to help people discover the power of seeing and seeing together."

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Gibbs, G. K. (2013, July). Scharmer's theory U and administrative Leadership: Seeking Leader and Developing Candidates. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 3(14), 66-69. Retrieved from http://www.ijhssnet.com/journals/Vol_3_No_14_Special_Issue_July_2013/8.pdf

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Lantu, D. C., Ginting, H., Permana, M. Y., & Ramdlany, D. M. (2018). Evaluating the effectiveness of the use of Scharmer’s theory-u model in action-learning-based leadership development program. International Journal of Economics and Management Engineering, 12(5), 660-663. doi:10.1999/1307-6892/10009277

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Leading Blog: A Leadership Blog: The essentials of theory u. (n.d.). Retrieved September 6, 2018, from https://www.leadershipnow.com/leadingblog/2018/04/the_essentials_of_theory_u.html

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Pillay, K. (2014). Learning, the whole, and theory U: Reflections on creating a space for deep learning. Problems and Perspective in Management, 12(4), 340-346. Retrieved from https://businessperspectives.org/images/pdf/applications/publishing/templates/article/assets/6154/PPM_2014_04_spec.issue_Pillay.pdf

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Presencing Institute - Theory u: leading from the future as it emerges. (n.d.). Retrieved September 6, 2018, from https://www.presencing.org/#/aboutus/theory-u

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Scharmer, C. O. (2007). Addressing the blind spot of our time: Executive summary. In Theory U. Retrieved from http://www.ottoscharmer.com/sites/default/files/Theory_U_ENG_Exec_Summary.compressed.pdf

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Evaluating the effectiveness of the use of Scharmer’s theory-u model in action-learning-based leadership development program 

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Evaluating the effectiveness of the use of Scharmer’s theory-u model in action-learning-based leadership development program 

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Lantue, Ginting, Permana and Ramdlany (2018) explored the effectiveness of a training program modeled from Scharmer’s (2007) Theory U model among top-performing employees of a bank in Indonesia. Participants were rated on 14 leadership competencies both before and after the 10-week intervention. The researchers found that 12 out of 14 competencies were not statistically significant following the training grounded on Theory U. In conclusion, the training was ineffective to increase leadership competencies.

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The YouTube video above is an example of a real life person using Theory U to take control of his life and future while determining and starting his dream career in business.

The following is an explanation of how he used the steps of Theory U.

1. Holding the Space - Brandon observed his current life and that of his parents.
1.1 Listening to what life calls you to do - Brandon's decisions were influenced by his parents. He was interested in a career in the medical field because his father was a pharmacist. He was influenced by his mother's money-saving behaviors, so he placed a high value on money.
1.5 Suspending - He put his prior beliefs aside for the time being.
2. Observing - He realized that big life decisions should be made by him alone and not by others around him.
2.1 Factual listening - He looked at his current class schedule and decided to dive deeper to see where his true interests lie.
2.5 Redirecting - He job shadowed many places and redirected his attention to see what career he was leaning towards.
3 Sensing - He felt like he was leaning towards a career in business.
3.1 Listen from within/ Emotional connection - Brandon realized he was not passionate about his medical job shadowing, but enjoyed his business job shadow experiences.
4. Presencing - He then weighed his future options.
4.1 Letting come - He searched for ways to set himself up for success in the business world.
5. Crystallizing - He then shifted his identity and fully committed to his new passion, business. He changed his lifestyle to better complete his goal.
6. Prototyping - His attention, thoughts, and work were directed towards his goal. He got accepted to the Wisconsin school of business.
7. Performing - He currently works as an intern at a business. He loves his new job.

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Sohmen, Victor S,PhD., EdD. (2016). Change management and theory U leadership. International Journal of Global Business, 9(2), 102-110. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.gvsu.edu/docview/1861771744?accountid=39473

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Learning, the whole and Theory U: Reflections on creating a space for deep learning. 

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Learning, the whole and Theory U: Reflections on creating a space for deep learning. 

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Pillay (2014) describes the use of Otto Scharmer's Theory U within a youth leadership development program for adults in rural South Africa.  This program spanned over the course of two days in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal,  where 12 young adults, along with the youth coordinator were taught to apply to concepts of the Theory U through a training process.  While this article does not discuss the direct results of the leadership program, Pillay discusses the implications that the use of this theory has on the future of leadership development, as well as an educational model.

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Theory U: Leading from the Future as It Emerges

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Theory U: Leading from the Future as It Emerges

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Scharmer, C. O., & Senge, P. (2016). Theory U: Leading from the Future as It Emerges. Oakland: Berrett-Koehler.

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Simple Explanation of Theory U

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Theory U TED Talks

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Theory U - Learning from the future as it emerges | Otto Scharmer | TEDxTUHH

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Scharmer's theory u and administrative leadership: seeking leaders and developing candidates 

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Scharmer's theory u and administrative leadership: seeking leaders and developing candidates 

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Gibbs (2013) discusses that at St. Bonaventure University, more specifically the educational leadership programs, candidates are selected based on traits that are believed to help an individual lead and become an effective administrator. Gibbs (2013) explains that while there is no single way to correctly identify traits of potential candidates, Theory U is utilized as a framework on which to select and develop their leadership candidates.

In this piece, it is further suggested that the traits suggested by Theory U, utilizing the heart, mind and open will, are traits that separate organizations from exemplary, high performance organizations, particularly those in top leadership positions, such as superintendents of schools, or the head of administration within large organizations (Gibbs, 2013). In order to identify the traits described through Theory U, the university's interview process includes a discussion of past decision-making strategies, environments, and cultures involved, as well as an opportunity to demonstrate non-linear thinking and intuition through questioning techniques and an opportunity for discussion (Gibbs, 2013).

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Seven Theory U Leadership Capacities: The journey through the U develops seven essential leadership capacities 

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Seven Theory U Leadership Capacities: The journey through the U develops seven essential leadership capacities 

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1. Holding the Space of Listening:

The foundation of the U is having the ability to listen to others, to oneself, and to notice what emerges from the collective group. This requires the creation of open space where other individuals are able to contribute to the whole.

2. Observing:

The ability to suspend the voice of judgement is the key to moving from projection to focused observation.

3. Sensing:

The preparation for the experience at the bottom of the U requires an open mind, open heart, and open will. This process of opening is active "sensing."

4. Presencing:

The capacity to connect to the deepest sources of oneself.

5. Crystallizing:

When an individual beings to envision the future that seeks to emerge from a deep connection to the source.

6. Prototyping:

Exploring the future and learning by doing. This will require the integration of thinking, feeling, and will in the context of practical application.

7. Co-Evolving:

Maintaining a connection to the source while embedding new practices, processes, and infrastructures.

("Theory u: leading from the future," n.d.)

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Theory U focuses on enabling leaders to create a vision that adapts to the various contexts in which individuals live and work.  Theory U focuses on three main features: having an open mind, an open heart, and an open will.  These three features enable one to identify areas of need and make the necessary changes to improve these conditions, which in turns helps to hold leaders accountable for the success of the society or organization they work within. Further defining the theoretical process of Theory U are 5 movement processes, known as: co-initiating, co-sensing, co-presencing, co-creating, and co-evolving.  These 5 steps guide the leader through the process of identifying a contextual barrier, formulating a plan for change, and implementing the change to enhance the current context.

By the nature of the job, occupational therapists are naturally placed in situations where one must identify the needs of an individual and delineate how they can best meet these needs to increase one’s quality of life.  Therapists who implement a Theory U style of leadership are guided to not only assess and meet the needs of the client, but to work closely with the client to create an overall more successful context for the client.

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1. Holding the Space:
Rocky listened to what Life Called him to Do. - He listened to his father by stating, "Yeah – My ol' man, who was never the sharpest, told me – I weren't born with much brain, so I better use my body."

2.  Observing: Attend with Your Mind Wide Open - Rocky had to forget about where he came from and all the problems he had in his life and focus on his dream and future.

3.  Sensing: Connect with Your Heart - Rocky had fighting in his heart. This is the premise of the entire series of movies. He loved fighting and was known for putting all his heart and effort into the sport of boxing.

4.  Presencing: Rocky connected to the deepest source of his self and will by getting a job as a collector for Tony Gazzo. This was a good bridge between what he wanted to do, what he was good at doing, and what was available to him at the time.

5.  Crystallizing: Access the Power of Intention - Rocky found a trainer, Mickey Goldmill, who helped him learn how to fight correctly and trained him how to become a professional boxer.

6.  Prototyping: Integrating Head, Heart, and Hand - Rocky trained incredibly long and hard, awaiting the day he would get to fight a real opponent.

7.  Performing: Rocky fought the famous and unbeaten boxer, Apollo Creed, and almost won. It was the first time an opponent lasted the full 15 rounds against Apollo.

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Theory U was introduced by Otto Scharmer in 2007 as an intentional method for individuals, teams, and organizations to meet challenges and establish productive patterns of behavior to create organizational or social change (Scharmer, 2007). Scharmer used the shape of a "U" to describe the journey taken to achieve the desired outcome, and the movement processes involve five steps: co-initiating, co-sensing, presencing, co-creating, and co-evolving. Seven leadership capacities are identified, which include concepts of maintaining an open mind, open heart, and open will. The theory emphasizes explicit consciousness, which is necessary for transformation to occur, and the concepts have been utilized by individuals and organizations to reach effective solutions and train exceptional leaders. Limited research has been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of Theory U in leadership development. However, it has been used around the world as a framework to guide program development, change management, conflict resolution, and to evaluate leadership competencies (Gibbs, 2013; Scharmer, 2007).