Inner Sustainability: The Missing Key to Meaningful Transformation

We already have all the knowledge we need to tackle the climate crisis, social inequality, and the challenges facing democracy. We have the data, strategies, and solutions. And yet—transformation is too slow.

The real bottleneck is not a lack of information, but rather our capacity to evolve—as individuals, organizations, and societies. We are facing a crisis of inner sustainability—a failure to develop the emotional, social, and ethical intelligence required to navigate complexity, uncertainty, and change.

Inner sustainability is not a luxury—it’s a necessity

Yet, emotional and social competencies are still treated as “soft skills”, rather than essential foundations for thriving organizations, schools, and communities. Meanwhile, stress levels rise, burnout spreads, and collaboration suffers. The cost of not investing in human capacity is far greater than the cost of training it.

Regenerative Transformation: Moving Beyond Extractive Mindsets

Most approaches to change and leadership focus on efficiency, control, and behavioral nudging. But these methods often fail because they do not address the deeper, systemic, and human factors that shape transformation.

In a world built on extraction—of resources, energy, and human potential—we need a regenerative approach to transformation. One that does not force people into compliance but cultivates the inner capacities needed to adapt, collaborate, and lead in uncertain times. Read more about regenerative mindset here

Regenerative leadership is rooted in ethics, social intelligence, and deep empathy, fostering systems that thrive rather than extract.

The Essence of Regenerative Leadership

True leadership is not about control—it’s about cultivating transformation. Regenerative leadership is rooted in ethics, social intelligence, and deep empathy, fostering systems that thrive rather than extract.

To lead in complexity, we must develop:

Transformational skills – the ability to navigate change with vision and adaptability
Social intelligence – fostering trust, collaboration, and collective wisdom
Empathic leadership – centering care, inclusivity, and emotional depth

We cannot transform the world without transforming ourselves

That’s why I work at the intersection of living systems transformation, leadership development, and inner sustainability—helping organizations and communities shift from extractive to regenerative ways of working and being.

A Game to Cultivate Inner Sustainability

To support this shift, I created a dialogue-based game inspired by the Inner Development Goals (IDGs).

The Inner Development Goals (IDGs) provide a framework for cultivating the inner skills needed to drive meaningful change—fostering self-awareness, resilience, and collaborative leadership in a rapidly evolving world. By developing emotional intelligence, ethical leadership, and deep social connection, the IDGs empower individuals and organizations to create a more sustainable and regenerative future.

The game is a tool for reconnection, helping teams and organizations:

Move beyond resistance and into meaningful action
Strengthen the human and relational foundation for transformation
Shift from extractive to regenerative leadership and collaboration

If we want people to thrive in change, we need new tools, new conversations, and new ways of engaging with complexity.
Read more about the game here

It’s time to put care and thriving in the budget

Reading Emma Holten’s book Underskud / DEFICIT (comes in english soon) deepened my understanding of care as an economic and social foundation—not just a private responsibility. She highlights how our extractive systems undervalue the emotional and relational labor that makes society function. If we fail to prioritize care, we risk reinforcing the very crises we seek to solve. I translated her quote here: “It is difficult to measure when care disappears, but it is not difficult to feel”.

If we are serious about change, we must fund it. That means:

Allocating resources for training in emotional intelligence & inner sustainability
Providing dialogue-based tools to strengthen social cohesion and ethical leadership
Redefining success to include human well-being, not just efficiency and output
True change comes with a price—not just in funding, but in the willingness to prioritize what truly matters.

Transformation does not happen through policies and strategies alone—it happens through people, relationships, and shared meaning-making. If we want to move beyond burnout, disconnection, and stagnation, we need to create spaces for real conversation.

💬 What if.... the key to transformation wasn’t more pressure—but more connection?

How do you see the role of inner development in the transformation we need?

Let’s start the conversation!
You are always welcome to book me in my open calendar here.

From Resistance to Regeneration: Investing in Inner Sustainability for True Transformation