Otto Scharmer

"The power of attention is the

real superpower of our age.

Attention, aligned with intention,

can make mountains move."


VIDEOS

Keynotes and Conversations with Otto Scharmer

Articles and Blog Posts

Johan Galtung: Peace with Peaceful Means

Remembering Johan Galtung: Pioneer of Peace Research and Visionary Mediator. Explore the life and legacy of Professor Johan Galtung, who passed away at 93 in Oslo. His theories on structural violence, positive peace, and the transformative power of non-violent resistance have profoundly influenced scholars and peace activists worldwide. A tribute to his enduring impact on peace research and the global community.

2023 In Eight Points: Meditating On Our Planetary Moment

2023 In Eight Points: Meditating On Our Current Planetary Moment

Explore Otto Scharmer's insightful analysis in his latest article, '2023 In Eight Points: Meditating On Our Planetary Moment'. Otto delves into the profound shifts and challenges of the past year, offering a deep reflection on the intersections of ecological, social, and technological transformations.

Philanthropy 4.0: What Form of Giving Enables Transformative Change?

Otto Scharmer's 'Philanthropy 4.0' delves into the evolution of philanthropy in response to increasing societal complexities. The article explores innovative philanthropic strategies, from trust-based funding to systemic transformation, aiming for sustainable and inclusive change amid global challenges like climate crisis and social divisions.

JASC Commentary from the Field: Tribute to Ed Schein
In Memory of Ed Schein: From Accessing Your Ignorance to Accessing Your Love

Edgar H. Schein, Sloan Fellow professor of management emeritus at MIT, passed away on January 26, 2023, at the age of 94. Ed had an enormous impact on organizational development (OD), on Theory U, and on Otto Scharmer's life. Schein is one of the most important founding fathers of OD. In this piece Otto Scharmer outlines the most important principles Ed embodied in his work that have shaped his own. The piece ends with a call for collective action on addressing the challenges facing our planet in Ed’s own words.

Transforming Our Economies from Ego To Eco

As part of the Earth4All project, collaborators have submitted deep-dive papers to delve further into the issues and solutions needed to transform our economic system and provide an equitable future for all on a finite planet. This paper explores how to transform the 21st-century economic system to become more just and sustainable. Otto Scharmer argues for the need to create a learning infrastructure to make this transformation possible.

Vertical Literacy: Reimagining the 21st-Century University

In a world where climate strikes and social movements are capturing the collective imagination, the question of how educational institutions can foster meaningful change has become increasingly urgent. Otto Scharmer delves into the evolving responsibilities of universities, exploring how they can move beyond being mere knowledge factories to become catalysts for transformative societal shifts. By examining the limitations of our current educational paradigms, he offers a groundbreaking perspective on bridging the 'knowing-doing' gap that hampers global progress.

An Apple Shows Just How Broken Our Food System Is

The food we consume has a hidden story, one that Otto Scharmer reveals has dire implications for both our health and our planet. Delving into a new study on the environmental and health costs of conventionally grown apples, Scharmer exposes the true price we pay for our modern agricultural practices. From pesticide use to monocultures, this blog post invites us to reconsider the larger systems that our daily food choices perpetuate, raising urgent questions about sustainability, health, and the real costs lurking behind what we eat.

Transforming Capitalism: 7 Acupuncture Points

In today's rapidly evolving world, there is a pressing need to address the disconnect between existing economic models and the real-world challenges they claim to solve. The concept of transforming capitalism isn't just a theoretical idea; it has become a necessary undertaking to address the social, ecological, and spiritual divides widening in our society. This blog post explores the landscape of economic transformation, identifying key leverage points that could radically update our current systems and shift our focus from a self-centered "ego-system" to a life-centered "eco-system."

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