ADVANCES IN THE METHODOLOGY OF PRESENCING

Letting Be as a New Presencing Gesture, Interface and Transformative Path

Authors

  • Olen Gunnlaugson Associate Professor, Université Laval Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.69470/tx331a58

Keywords:

presencing approaches, dynamic presencing, presencing, presencing awareness, embodiment, ontological, epistemological

Abstract

This article introduces letting be as a transformative third gesture of presencing within Dynamic Presencing (DP) (Gunnlaugson, 2020-2025), introducing a new ontological region within the presencing process—beyond the familiar Theory U-based sequence of letting go and letting come. As a foundational gesture, letting be grounds the presencing process by offering a space for indwelling through the Five Level-Depths of Presence (Gunnlaugson, 2025). Integrated into the DP method, this gesture initiates an apprenticeship that shifts presencing from a way of knowing into an emerging presencing-based way of being. This article explores the pivotal and multifaceted contributions of letting be in stabilizing presence, cultivating relational and ontological depth, and fostering the presencing practitioner’s capacity to embody presencing across both individual and collective contexts of practice. Through these and other contributions, letting be reorients the presencing process beyond the Theory U (TU) (Scharmer, 2007-2018) framework, opening new ontological territory within presencing with particular relevance for applied domains such as leadership and coaching, while supporting the ongoing development of presencing practice.

Author Biography

  • Olen Gunnlaugson, Associate Professor, Université Laval

    Olen Gunnlaugson, Ph.D. As an Associate Professor of Leadership and Coaching at Université Laval’s Business School in Québec, Canada, Olen specializes in transformative and wisdom-based leadership and coaching practice.

    His current research in Dynamic Presencing explores how presence- and presencing-based mastery approaches support leaders and coaches in uncovering their signature way of being and cultivating resilient forms of thriving in today’s destabilized and rapidly shifting world. Dynamic Presencing introduces a presence-sourced, presencing-guided, and field-attuned approach to leadership, coaching, and life as a whole. His latest book offers an accessible introduction to this emerging presencing approach, with two forthcoming volumes offering deeper guidance into its core practices and developmental frameworks.

    To date, Olen has authored or co-authored over 55 peer-reviewed articles and chapters and 15 edited, authored, or forthcoming books, including the recent three-volume series Advances in Presencing, which showcases interdisciplinary research and applications from the global presencing community. A passionate educator, he has received five major faculty awards for excellence in teaching in both Canada and the United States. At Université Laval and other institutions internationally, he mentors MBA and PhD candidates in pioneering research across the evolving frontiers of presencing leadership and coaching.

    He is the founding Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Presencing Leadership & Coaching, a peer-reviewed, open-access journal that bridges emerging scholarship and practice in the fields of presencing-based leadership and coaching.

    In parallel, Olen is the founder of Dynamic Presencing Coaching (DPC), a transformative coaching approach and living lineage of practice. As his principal focus of applied research, DPC integrates his teaching, coaching, and presencing-related scholarship into a unified body of work that has continued to evolve over the past five years through his engagement within global MBA classrooms and international communities of practice.

    Olen’s research, publications, and latest contributions can be found here:

    Google Scholar, ResearchGate, LinkedIn, Amazon Author page, Faculty Page

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Published

2025-06-25

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 1 (2025): Presencing Embodiment

Section

Exploratory Research

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Olen Gunnlaugson (Author)

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

ADVANCES IN THE METHODOLOGY OF PRESENCING: Letting Be as a New Presencing Gesture, Interface and Transformative Path . (2025). International Journal of Presencing Leadership & Coaching, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.69470/tx331a58