I talk to many people looking to “enhance their presence” – more specifically, they’re looking for *the* executive presence that some want. An aspirational presence that radiates calm, inspires confidence, and projects intelligence among other things.

In Otto Scharmer’s work on “Theory U”, a core principle is the idea of “presencing”. It’s the act of connecting deeply to your highest future possibility.

What does that mean in real life? For a leader?

When a leader is building self-awareness, presencing means letting go of preconceived notions, of habitual thinking, of the well worn path. It means being present to not just what is here and now (in your face, in your mind), but what could emerge if you choose to look at something with fresh eyes, letting a new awareness guide you.

In the U model, you can think of the path a leader takes as a literal “U” – starting high on one side, the peak of “knowing”, and traversing down into the U, eventually reaching the bottom.

How do you get to the bottom of the U as a leader?

1 // Suspend judgement. Hold it back so that other possibilities can be brought to life from someone else. Judgement cuts off perception before you get a chance to learn anything new.

2 // Surrender your ego. Try to notice when your ego feels twinged because of feeling sure about “knowing” something. The more you practice surrendering your ego, the less it shows up.

3 // Find a reflective practice. Breathing work, journaling, walks, early morning thinking time. Find something that helps you reflect on any filters or biases that have been showing up lately. “Energy follows attention.”

These moves can help you get to the bottom of the U, and when you’re committed to practicing them, you can rise up the other side of the U with clarity, new insights, and action towards a more authentic purpose – anchored on YOU.

What will people notice when you’re in the bottom of the U? You’ve slowed down, you listen more intently, and start from a place of empathy.

How could that benefit those around you? I’d love your thoughts – send me a note! ✨

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Here are a few resources worth checking out…

1 // Giving feedback is usually never a single conversation, and it doesn’t have to be perfect. (5 min read)

2 // Focus on the gain of the bronze. (5 min read)

3 // There are 3 types of conversations that Supercommunicators know about. (13 min video)