Theory U: Applying Leadership and Change Management Strategies

This essay provides an overview of Theory U, a change management methodology developed by Otto Scharmer. It explores the core elements of Theory U, including sensing, presencing, and realizing, and how they contribute to breaking unproductive patterns and fostering innovation. The essay also outlines the seven issues central to Theory U, such as suspending judgment, redirecting focus, and letting go of old goals. It highlights the practical application of Theory U in leadership development programs, emphasizing its role in helping individuals sense and seize future opportunities. The effect of Theory U is learning how to sense and seize future openings and how to associate with one’s inner path towards a professional life with the goal of becoming an effective leader in future.

Theory U
Student’s name
Institutional Affiliation(s)

Theory U is a method of change management that is used to advance or improve
uncreative patterns of behavior. The theory was developed by Otto Scharmer with the aim of
helping civil servants, politicians and business managers break through past fruitless patterns and
trends of behavior that stop these people or groups from commiserating with their customer’s
perceptions and in most cases lock them into unsuccessful outlines of decision-making. The
theory has three main elements that are Sensing, Presencing and Realising.
“The essence of Presencing is that these two selves-our current self and
our best future Self-meet at the bottom of the U and begin to listen and resonate
with each other. Once a group crosses this threshold, nothing remains the same.
Individual members and the group as a whole begin to operate with a heightened
level of energy and sense of future possibility. Often they then begin to function as
an intentional vehicle for an emerging future.” (Potter, 2015).
Source: http://topgrademba.com/2017/02/18/theory-u-process-behind-profound-innovation/

Scharmer also deliberates seven issues that form the basis of Theory U as explained below
(Sohn, 2017)
(i) Suspending. The ability to suspend one's Voice of Judgment and to take care of the
current circumstance.
(ii) Redirecting. The ability to move your consideration from a protest the source from which
that question is sanctioned and appearing minute by minute.
(iii) Letting Go. The ability to relinquish your old self and your old characters and
goals to make an open space for your rising or bona fide Self to show.
(iv)Letting Come. The ability to take shape and imagine the future that you need to make
while remaining associated with the wellspring of your motivation.
(v) Crystalising. Imagining the future that tries to rise out of a profound association with the
source.
(vi)Prototyping. To make microcosms that enable us to investigate the future by doing.
Models work as runways for what's to come.
(vii) Institutionalising: Explore the future by accomplishing something little, rapid, and
unconstrained; this will rapidly create input from all the key partners and enables you to
advance and emphasize your thought.

Reflection
Theory U can be implemented in programs that target leadership as their main agenda.
For instance, I have been in a forum where we were to explore ways and methods of enhancing
our leadership presence through activities that enable an individual to be focused and calm when
faced with various situation in a work environment.
From the experiences gathered in such a forum, one can learn that Theory U focusses on
sensing and realizing future opportunities that emerge both at a personal level and collectively as
an organization.
The effect of Theory U is learning how to sense and seize future openings and how to
associate with one’s inner path towards a professional life with the goal of becoming an effective
leader in future.

References
10/13 - Otto Scharmer: Theory U -- Leading from the Future as It Emerges. (2013). Integral
Leadership Review, 13(4), 132-143.
Potter, C. (2015). Leadership development: an applied comparison of Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle and
Scharmer’s Theory U. Industrial & Commercial Training, 47(6), 336-342. doi:10.1108/ICT-03-
2015-0024
Sohn, J. (2017, February 18). Theory U the process behind profound innovation. Retrieved March 5,
2018, from http://topgrademba.com/2017/02/18/theory-u-process-behind-profound-innovation/
Ullrich, Z. (2014). Spirituality in diaconia: A reinterpretation of diaconal professionalism within the
framework of Theory U. Scandinavian Journal For Leadership & Theology, Vol 01, Iss 01
(2014), (01)