Otto Scharmer – Changing Systems
In this episode, Wendy speaks with action researcher, changemaker, and thought leader Otto Scharmer. Otto is a world leader in systems change, and his work across disciplines highlights how awareness and the quality of our relationships are critical for the change we need today. This conversation covers many topics, including: regenerative farming, social change movements, and the "social soil"; inspiration from Francisco Varela; presencing and the role of awareness in systems change; three divides that contribute to our current crises; the untold story of regeneration and renewal; action learning and action research; trends towards goodwill and lack of agency; institutions vs. individuals; the blind spot of the mindfulness movement; speaking and listening across ideologies; non-doing, action vs. reaction; the need for holding spaces and building trust; leading by letting go and letting come; releasing old ways of thinking (ego) and shifting to more integrated mindsets (eco); sensing and engaging with future possibilities; fourth-person awareness; the influence of Mind & Life on his career trajectory; and resources for learning consciousness-based transformation. Full show notes and resources