What if the key to regeneration and accordingly assuming regenerative leadership lies not only in protecting nature, but foremost in remembering that we are nature? This idea is central to our chapter, “Relating: Connecting as Nature – an IDG practice towards relational, collective leadership grounded in ecocentrism” (Anaïs Sägesser & Ruth Förster, 2025). It appears in the latest book on the Inner Development Goals (IDG) framework.
Background: The Inner Development Goals
The IDGs came from the need for inner skills and competencies to face complex global challenges linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Scientists, practitioners, and organizations collaborated to create the IDGs framework, which includes five dimensions and 23 competencies. These empower individuals and groups to drive meaningful change and support systemic sustainability through emotional, cognitive, and interpersonal growth. The initiative began with the idea that socio-technical solutions alone can’t achieve sustainable progress. Cultivating inner skills is crucial for lasting global well-being. The five systemic dimensions identified by the IDGs are:
- Being (relationship to self)
- Thinking (cognitive skills)
- Relating (caring for others and the world)
- Collaborating (social skills)
- Acting (driving change)
Defining the Shift: From Anthropocentrism to Ecocentrism
For too long, our societies have operated under an anthropocentric mindset, seeing humans as separate from the rest of nature. This separation has not only fuelled multiple socio-ecological including economic crises, but has also limited our sense of kinship, empathy, and responsibility. Ecocentrism, putting the well-being and functioning of complex ecosystems at the forefront, challenges this paradigm.
We focus on the IDG dimension of “relating,” which includes caring for the biosphere. So far there were no practices linked explicitly to the IDGs on how to develop not only interpersonal compassion, but also interspecies ones for more-than humans. This is based on a living sense that we are embedded in, and have a role in the greater whole of nature.
Through our chapter we invite everyone to expand our capacity for relating. This means connecting not just with other people, but the entire living world. Central to our chapter is the notion of “intraconnectedness”: recognizing that we are both a part of the whole, and the whole is always a part of us.. Embracing this ecocentric view asks for regeneration, not just sustainability. It supports ecosystem restoration and promotes justice for all generations and species.
Fostering Connection: Pathways and Practices
Research shows that nature connectedness is critical for human well-being. There is a broad body of literature which supports that connecting with nature in different ways, from pure exposure to active engagement, has benefits for humankind and also for nature. We want to highlight the following:
Our evolution: Nature has been our co-evolutionary space for millennia, shaping our relationships and contributing to the development of our sense of self, individuation, and autonomy.
Our basic needs: Nature connection fulfills our innate human need for connection, weaving us into the fabric of existence. The awareness and feeling of nature connectionI empowers us to care for what we feel connected to, transforming it from an object to an integral part of a larger system, intricately interconnected with ourselves.
Our well-being: Extensive research demonstrates that nature connection reduces stress, nervousness, and anxiety disorders. It enhances psychological health, including memory function, improves mood, and boosts creativity.
Our knowing: Immersion in nature offers us a resonance room, resonating with our innermost being. It allows us to access various ways of knowing while being in connection with nature or experiencing ourselves as nature.
Our embodied being: As neurobiological research shows, body and mind are not separate entities but deeply interconnected.
Our connection with other humans: As part of our well-being, connection as and with nature fosters pro-social behaviours, encouraging increased engagement with others and elevating commitment to sustainability and regeneration.
In conclusion, ample evidence (see references in the original book chapter) shows that connecting with nature, and experiencing ourselves as part of it, is fundamental to being human. Recognising our place within thriving ecosystems is crucial for humanity’s flourishing, especially since nature connectedness is linked to pro-environmental behaviour. By engaging as nature, we consciously reconnect with our co-evolutionary relationship with the Earth. From this perspective, nature-based interventions and practices emerge as powerful strategies, offering great promise in empowering both individuals and communities to take wise action towards regenerative transformation within complex ecosystems.
Transformative Learning and Ecocentric Leadership
We emphasize transformative learning. Creating “safe enough spaces” allows people to enter new and sometimes confusing experiences. With sensory awareness and emotional engagement, these experiences spark new perspectives. This shift transforms views from “I am in nature” to “I am nature.” This understanding lays the groundwork for regenerative leadership, nurturing both human and more-than-human systems.
Connecting as nature meets deep psychological needs: it reduces stress, improves mood and creativity, and fosters prosocial, sustainable behaviours. When we care for what we feel part of, the impulse to act wisely for the collective good follows naturally.
Our Invitation: Practicing Intraconnectedness
We have developed practical, accessible exercises (detailed in the book chapter) so that anyone can cultivate these new habits of seeing and being. Next time you are outside, pause and tune in with all your senses. Feel the life around you. Inhale deeply, listen attentively, and notice that you, too, are part of this living network.
Toward Regenerative Cultures and Leadership
By expanding the IDGs’ “relating” dimension to embrace the entire Earth community, we believe we can shift collectively from mere sustainability to genuine regeneration. This means not only halting exploitation but also restoring and healing damaged ecosystems. Such a transformation is essential for the flourishing of all life, including humanity.
Remember: we are not just in nature; we are nature. This shift unlocks new possibilities for empowered leadership, collective flourishing, and a regenerative world. Join us on this journey at scaling4good.
If you want to read more: Find more in the full book chapter here