Want to learn the ideas in Theory U better than ever? Read the world’s #1 book summary of Theory U by C. Otto Scharmer here.
Read a brief 1-Page Summary or watch video summaries curated by our expert team. Note: this book guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher or author, and we always encourage you to purchase and read the full book.
Video Summaries of Theory U
We’ve scoured the Internet for the very best videos on Theory U, from high-quality videos summaries to interviews or commentary by C. Otto Scharmer.
1-Page Summary of Theory U
Overview
We’re currently facing many challenges in society, such as overpopulation and political conflicts. Leaders need to learn from the future by looking at emerging trends and technologies.
Leaders need to learn from the future as it emerges. To do this, they must go through a U-process (descend into their creative source and then come back up with ideas).
In Theory U, the author will help you understand how to connect with your future self and learn from it rather than making mistakes in the past.
In addition, you will learn how to tap into your blind spot, which is the source of creativity. You will also see how to make healthcare more efficient and friendly by using the U-process.
Big Idea #1: Society is experiencing three revolutionary shifts that present it with great challenges.
Although the economy is doing well, there are still a lot of poor people in the world. Agriculture is also booming but it’s unsustainable.
These trends are happening because of three major shifts. First, there’s the technological and economic shift in a globalized economy where we’re all adopting similar policies like downsizing governments and privatizing state-owned industries. This creates an opportunity for us to make our economies more equitable to everyone, including future generations. Second, there’s the international relation shift as powerful institutions like the United Nations emerge that challenge us to evolve our political institutions so that everyone can participate directly without supranational institutions overriding them. Finally, there is a cultural and spiritual shift as non-governmental organizations have emerged globally with societal transformations like “the civil rights movement of the 1960s” and “the peace and human rights movements of the 1980s.” People also increasingly want spiritual topics in their lives such as personal mastery or flow.
This means that we have to see people as they are, not who they were or what other people want them to be.
Because of shifts in the current business environment, many leaders and decision-makers feel lost and powerless.
Big Idea #2: To be effective leaders, we must access our “blind spot” – the source of our creativity.
Leaders today face a lot of challenges. To overcome them, we can look at how artists deal with those same issues. First, there’s the thing that results from their creative process – this is the what. Next, there’s the process by which they create it – this is the how. Finally, there’s when they stand in front of an empty canvas and get inspired to begin creating – this is the why.
Leaders can be divided into three categories: those who focus on outcomes, those who focus on how leaders lead and those who focus on the source of their leadership. The last one is usually overlooked because it’s a blind spot.
To be an effective leader, you must learn from the future as it emerges. To do this, you have to understand that everyone has two selves: one connected to the past and one connected to their aspirations for the future.
The author experienced this divide when he was young and his family’s farmhouse burned down. He lost everything, including his past self. But then he realized that there is another self that you can create through your actions: the future self.
You can learn from both your past and future selves. For example, you can avoid mistakes that have been made in the past, but you can also make decisions based on what you want to be in the future.
