Inviting the gap

I just returned from the Leading Profound Innovation program in Toronto, where Otto Scharmer, Arawana Hayashi, and Jim Marsden led us through a three-day U-Process. During one session, we were looking at one of Otto's slides and I found myself focusing on the way the U logo is broken at the bottom, with the left and right strokes separated by a gap. I began to notice how everything we did during our three days was setting up the conditions for inviting that gap, and for staying with it while moving into action, or even conversation about action.

At the end of our time together we had a check-out circle, with everyone standing and spontaneously offering words of appreciation, reflection...whatever came up. That circle was powerful. Everyone looked softened, glowing, eyes shining. People's words were authentic, courageous. I felt tremendous energy in my body, in the circle, and in the space in the middle. I thought, we don't even know what will come out of this, but It will reverberate for a long time. Otto also commented that the effects of presencing don't follow linear cause and effect--you have to pay attention to notice the new that has been invited, sometimes at the periphery of your attention. On my flight home insights were pouring onto my notebook pages. I have since heard others say that they've had sudden clarity, or moments of new synchronicity and invitation.

When we talk about authenticity we are also pointing towards the gap. Meditation is a way of setting up the gap, and also creative process, circle, aikido... It is a side effect, a spontaneous showing-up rather something to manufacture, so we tend not to talk about it or focus on it. But without talking about it, it can be difficult to recognize and justify the practices that support it in our lives and our workplaces. Increasingly, I sense that those practices are critically important as a way of sustaining us in our leadership and also accelerating positive transformation at every level.

So outside of a program context, how do we invite the gap (or presencing or nowness or basic humanness or profound authenticity)? What are the practices and conditions that support it, both personally and collectively?