Shifting Systems Through Deep Listening
In this workshop, Otto Scharmer leads a compelling exploration of awareness-based systems change grounded in the principles of Theory U. Through vivid metaphors and layered insights, Otto highlights how true transformation requires a shift in the inner soil of human consciousness, emphasizing that systems evolve only when individuals and collectives cultivate deeper awareness. He demonstrates how listening at four progressive levels is the most underrated leadership capacity, vital for sensing emerging futures and co-creating systemic change.
Otto challenges mainstream models focused on action, efficiency, and extractive systems, making the case for a regenerative approach built on open mind, heart, and will. Real-world stories, including powerful theater-based sensing methods used in Cambodia and India, show how shifting from downloading and data-driven thinking to embodied, generative listening can unlock collective agency and transform conflict into collaboration. The session also invites reflection on personal purpose, organizational dynamics, and the role of stillness in leadership.
By the end of this workshop, participants are not only equipped with a deeper understanding of listening and presence but are also called to action to tend to the invisible dimensions of change, nurture the social soil, and recognize their role as stewards of the future. The session resonates as a deeply human reminder that true innovation begins from within.
