In his groundbreaking book, Theory U: Leading from the Future as It Emerges, Otto Scharmer invites us to see the world in new ways and in so doing discover a revolutionary approach to learning and leadership.

Theory U is a framework for learning, leading, and innovating systems change.  It is an awareness-based method for changing systems and blends systems thinking, innovation and leading change from the viewpoint of an evolving human consciousness. Much of our ways of working including our core values, are guided by Scharmer's Theory U model. 

We have learnt through our range of interventions and wider systems working that there is a need for system change and system shift. A way to do this, requires being in a place of inner change where we go through a process of ‘presencing’ to challenge the visible and external structures of systems.

We engage with everyone, but particularly work with the ‘unusual suspects’, those whose voices are often at the margins or go unheard. The usual suspects are those with the voices that always get heard, the people and groups who are known by and connected to the wider ‘system’ that holds power. The usual suspects might find community events easy to get to and they might have the skills and confidence to get their views across.

With the unusual suspects we need to be prepared to look in the margins and hold open questions about what else we as leaders might need to hold, or do, or understand in order to be present to views outside of those that we might not be familiar with. Otto Scharmer describes this process as 'Opening the Field'.