Theory U outlines the concept of authentic presencing. By moving through the “U” we connect with our essential Self, and we pay attention in a way that allows us to experience the opening of our minds, our hearts, and our wills.
This “U” journey takes us through five movements in sequence. We move down one side of the U (connecting us to the world that is outside of our institutional bubble) to the bottom of the U (connecting us to the world that emerges from within) and up the other side of the U (bringing forth the new into the world), as depicted in the figure above.
At the bottom of the U lies a threshold. That threshold can be likened to the eye of a needle. In ancient Jerusalem, a gate was called “The Needle” because it was so narrow that when a fully loaded camel reached the gate, the camel driver had to take off all the bundles so the camel could pass through. Likewise, at the bottom of the U journey lies an inner gate that requires us to drop everything that isn’t essential. This process of letting-go (of our old ego and self) and letting-come (our highest future possibility: our Self) establishes a subtle connection to a deeper source of knowing. The essence of presencing is that these two selves—our current self and our best future Self—meet at this threshold and begin to listen to 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 the future that they feel wants to emerge.
