Otto Scharmer

Otto Scharmer is a Senior Lecturer in the MIT Sloan School of Management and co-founder of the Presencing Institute. He chairs the MIT IDEAS program for cross-sector innovation and introduced the concept of 'presencing'—learning from the emerging future—in his bestselling books Theory U and Presence (the latter coauthored with Peter Senge and others). His most recent book, The Essentials of Theory U, summarizes the core principles and applications of awareness-based systems change. In 2015, he co-founded the MITx u.lab and in 2020 the GAIA journey (Global Activation of Intention and Action), both of which promote a worldwide ecosystem of transformational change. Most recently, he and United Nations colleagues cohosted the Global Dialogues on Transforming Systems. With his colleagues, he co-created the Action Learning Lab for change makers across UN agencies, as well as a set of SDG Leadership Labs that build capacity for leading transformational change. Otto earned a PhD in economics from Witten/Herdecke University in Germany. He is a member of the UN Learning Advisory Council for the 2030 Agenda, the World Future Council, and the Club of Rome’s High-Level 21st Century Transformational Economics Commission. He has won the Jamieson Prize for Teaching Excellence at MIT and the European Leonardo Corporate Learning Award. In 2021, he received the Elevating Humanity Award from the Organizational Development Network.

Otto Scharmer is a Senior Lecturer at MIT and founder of the Presencing Institute. His research focuses on transforming consciousness, society, and the self, with an emphasis on leading from the future as it emerges. His work explores how individuals and organizations can shift from ego-system to eco-system economies through practices like presencing and self-transcending knowledge. Scharmer's publications, such as 'Theory U' and 'Presence,' highlight the importance of sensing emerging opportunities and fostering profound change in people, organizations, and society. His research bridges theory and practice, offering frameworks for leadership and organizational transformation in an evolving world.