Leading with presence

Let’s slow things down and listen deeply to what is here

Hi! I’m Amanda, the founder of Wabi Sabi Futures. As a university trained futurist and art therapist in training, I’m so excited to be sharing Leading with Presence with you.

When I first started studying futures and foresight, I was really struck by how important our ability to work with our attention, perception, and noticing what is emerging was for being able to work constructively with ideas about the future.

This pursuit of ways to develop our own attention and perception brought me to study arts therapy, where I’ve continued to explore presence, emergence, and attention in creative ways in relationship with other people.

This practice sits beautifully at the intersection of futures and art therapy, allowing us to deepen our qualities of presence while engaging with emergence. It is formal enough to be introduced back into your workplace, and adaptive enough to influence the way you show up and notice what is arising in all your relationships.

What this is

Leading with Presence is a really special way of coming together, tuning in to ourselves and one another, and using this sense of connection and deep listening to allow new pathways and insights to emerge. It’s an adaptation of work by Otto Scharmer and the Leading from the Emerging Future Program offered through the MIT Sloan School of Management.

This approach helps us to develop our ability to really be present with one other, and helps us to access the wisdom and experience of the group in that moment to find a way forward on an important challenge we are facing as leaders.

How we work

This practice may feel different from most of the conversations you are part of day to day. That’s because there are some core principles that guide our sessions and allow us to create a space of mutual understanding.

First and foremost, we are practicing our skills of deep listening. This is a practice of sharing what is coming up rather than jumping to solutions or providing advice. We will all feel the urge to provide a solution; use these sessions as an opportunity to notice when you feel the temptation, and practice bracketing out this impulse and staying connected with what is being shared.

Next, we meet in this space as peers. There is no hierarchy, no higher authorities or decision-makers that we are deferring to. In this practice, we take the position that leadership is a capacity that each of us have and can develop – you do not need to be in a formal position of authority to meaningfully participate. We recognise each other as leaders regardless of job titles.

Finally, we treat these sessions as a safe space. This means that the challenges and stories we share stay in the room, but we are welcome to take with us lessons and learnings that arise from them. With this understanding in place, you are welcome to share as openly as you feel comfortable doing so.

When to use this practice

When you join Leading with Presence, you’ll not only experience this practice for yourself, but also access resources that will support you in applying this practice in other parts of your life.

Some people take this format and introduce it to their teams at work to build greater trust and understanding, while supporting each other through complex challenges.

Others use this experience to shape how they show up in their relationships at home, work, and beyond to become more attentive, present, and connected with those around them.

This is such an adaptive practice, with benefits that ripple out through our lives. I look forward to sharing it with you, and seeing the way it enriches your life.