Leading from the Highest Future Possibility II

This week’s theme is a continuation of Otto Scharmer's Theory U. Last week, we described the premise of the book. This week, we go deeper into understanding, as leaders, how to learn and act from the future as it emerges. This is an important skill as we move from the Ideation Phase into the Implementation Phase. The key to this work is to learn to, “catch social reality creation in flight” (Chapter 20). As a situation emerges, it happens across four different systems-levels (micro, macro, meso, and mundo) or thinking, languaging, structuring, and global governance. If we can learn to watch for these different systems-level reactions as we implement our efforts, we can change our work mid-course to best achieve our outcomes.   

Scharmer also talks about different types of conversations we have and the different frames from which we speak. This relates to the idea of agile thinking. These conversation types include: downloading, debate, dialogue, and presencing. We can speak from different perspectives: what they want to hear, what I think, seeing myself as part of the whole, or as someone who is moving through the whole. All of this happens within a range of systems. As we move forward in our LAPH year, we also move towards more awareness and closer to the ability to operate in a generative system where we can all speak from our authentic selves.   

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