Want your leadership to create a bigger impact? It’s time to ‘go all in’ on the Inner Development Goals

We know you are all too aware of the challenges facing us right now; of what needs ‘fixing’ ‘out there’, in the world.

Maybe you even know the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) off by heart, or at least the few you’re focused on, whether it’s climate action, gender equality or clean water and sanitation.

Maybe you have an action plan and a series of strategies, KPIs and a seemingly never-ending list of things to ‘do’. And you are doing all you can. Fighting a million small fires and playing whack-a-mole every day.

So, why does it never feel like enough? We’ll tell you why.

Because even though we have a strong and shared vision of ‘what’ needs to happen, and ‘why’ it’s so important, it’s the inner capacity to deal with the sheer complexity, uncertainty and scale of the challenges before us that is *actually* our greatest developmental challenge.

*Pause for mic drop.*

*Quickly picks mic back up to explain further*.

The way we see it — we’re missing vital skills that create system change such as heading toward achieving SDGs, or any large scale systems change — We have inner development to do, capabilities to unlock and we’re not going to make it without going all ‘in’.

This is not about navel-gazing or becoming self-indulgent. It’s not about sitting in meditation for hours on end (although maybe that’s part of it for you).

Instead, it’s about harnessing what’s already within, learning inner development and growing our self-awareness muscle to improve our ability to show up and generate greater ripple effects of change.

Because change that leaves behind who we are fundamentally being will always be inadequate at best and more harmful at worst.

Faced with mounting pressures — both in our global and local worlds, we believe that the best way to bring about change on the level required is to start investing heavily in ‘who’ we are BEing.

And it starts by shifting our collective definitions of leadership, performance and development.

We need to re-write the script.

SHIFTING THE FOCUS TO ‘WHO’ WE NEED TO BE

Big change isn’t easy. It requires us to have not only enough energy and stamina to identify and reimagine the systems that are no longer working, but also the skills to make it happen — both the inner and outer, or the hard and soft.

This is because systems change requires us to reimagine new levels of success and sustainability — ones defined not by wins ‘every now and then,’ but by consistent, elevated progress built off the back of deliberate actions and upgraded ways of being.

In order to successfully lead the future we want, we cannot afford to solely focus on what happens ‘out there’. We need to also become adept at navigating complexity by giving our own internal iOS a mighty upgrade.

Because if we want to build new levels of success, our actions and ways of being must be different. We need robust rhythms and a skillset that is fit for changing worlds and shape-shifting external demands. But you’re already exhausted, so how can you give even more to make sure you are not left behind with some faulty operating systems?

While we know that the pressure to perform continues to rise, the reality is that we have held onto antiquated notions of productivity and performance for far too long — and, well, it’s got us this far. That is to say: burnt out, disillusioned, unaware, and uninspired.

The good news is — it’s not about doing even more, it’s about doing it better. Now is *the* time to expand our definitions and ourselves by entering the world of vertical development.

VERTICAL DEVELOPMENT AND PUTTING THE EGO ASIDE

Traditional leadership skill-building is remarkably horizontal, focused on learning how to do something according to a set of predetermined and linear steps. And that might have been ‘good enough’ for the problems of the past. But now, we are living in a new paradigm, one far more complex than ever before — and what’s worked before won’t get us to where we’re going.

To fill that gap, what has emerged in the area of developmental psychology is what’s called ‘vertical development’ — improving behaviours and habits, and expanding your mindset — or changing the way you think and behave.

While ‘mindset’ is a somewhat overused and poorly understood term, essentially it refers to the mental models you engage when you are thinking, as well as your sense of identity.

Accordingly, vertical development isn’t about upskilling or learning how to lead. It’s about transforming the ways a leader thinks, which then impacts both what they do and how they behave. It also opens up the space for having a very different relationship with the world, and for seeing solutions that may not have been obvious before.

The gift of vertical development ?

Being Better over Doing More

OPENING THE DOOR FOR GREATNESS

Vertical development is about becoming more adaptable, more self-aware, and more collaborative, and using those qualities to guide and influence both ourselves and others towards a shared vision for collective change.

Investing more in expanding these dimensions, rather than believing growth and performance can only come from stacking up more technical skills, presents us with more options and pathways to solve, create impact and produce results.

As such, it makes way for a worldview that is enduringly ‘ecocentric’ not egocentric, and is better equipped to think, live, breathe, and navigate large and complex systems and be adaptable in the face of constant change.

SKILFULLY NAVIGATING A VUCA WORLD

Every day, in our businesses and organisations, we are investing two precious resources — money and time — into how we can operate in an optimised way. But rarely are we thinking about who we need to be — the new habits, behaviours and ways of being we need in order to navigate the constant change, the ability to adapt, problems solve and lead through tough problems.

This is where the mindset shift needs to start.

Instead of being so focused on our external world and the actions, tasks and timelines we need to also recognise and connect with habits and thoughts and evolve from our manage and control ‘out there’, our greatest untapped asset for fulfilment is tending to our inner garden. Creating a strategy or traditional project plan is only half of the story. The rest is up to us.

By focusing on what matters most and expanding our bandwidth and vision through self-awareness, we can go all ‘in’ and ask: what am I learning about myself and what's possible that is yet to be tapped?

If we don’t start to build our reflective self-awareness muscle, we’re missing a chance we may never get again to start fresh. As conscious business leaders, we must reclaim the lost art of upgrading our own instruction manual, and regulate ourselves from the inside out, rather than the outside in.

TURNING DOWN THE NOISE

Now we’ve established the importance of going on a powerful vertical development journey, it’s time to turn our attention to ‘how’.

Because while we might have systems change in our sights, the reality for most of us is that we are spending our days in a whirlwind of constant ‘reactivity’, feeling frazzled and flitting from fighting one fire to dousing another.

We know we need to create space for transformative, creative and emergent solutions to the world’s biggest challenges, but that’s a little hard when you’re stuck in a cycle of fight/flight/freeze/fawn.

Here’s how we can do things differently. We can acknowledge that there are, and will always be, many voices ‘out there’ making demands on our time, our focus and what we ‘should’ be doing. But through a process of vertical development, we can learn how to be the solo director of our business and our lives. From now on, there can be many advisors and collaborators, but only one CEO (you).

So, how can we rise above overwhelm and BE more effective leaders in our every day, so that we may create a bigger and more sustainable impact on even bigger challenges? This is the part where we go all ‘in’ on the Inner Development Goals (IDGs).

FIVE CRITICAL DIMENSIONS FOR NEXT GEN LEADERSHIP

The future is calling out for leaders who are prepared to grow and expand themselves and put people, purpose and planet alongside profit for the prosperity of all. ‘How’ we do this is what our Founder, Elana, and her fellow co-creators are attempting to do with the IDGs.

Representing five critical dimensions and 23 science-based skills and qualities, the IDGs give us a potent way to reshape systems from the inside out. They are →

1.Being — Relationship to Self

Cultivating openness, self-awareness and an inner compass that deepens our relationship to thoughts, feelings and our bodies so we can be present, intentional and non-reactive in the face of complexity.

2. Thinking — Cognitive Skills

Ability to think critically and take in different perspectives; evaluating information and making sense of the world as an interconnected whole; seeing patterns and creating stories for the long term.

3. Relating — Caring for Others and the World

Appreciating, caring for and feeling connected to others (community, humanity, a global ecosystem) with a basic sense of appreciation, gratitude and joy, and the ability to act accordingly.

4. Collaborating — Social Skills

Ability to listen, hold space, mobilise, foster dialogue, embrace diversity, and genuinely communicate with others who may have different values, skills and competencies.

5. Acting — Enabling change

Ability to articulate and stand up for values, make decisions, take action and, if need be, challenge and disrupt existing structures and views with a sense of hope, positive attitude, patience, and confidence.

These five dimensions represent perhaps the greatest possible accelerator of positive impact, and the best chance we have of reaching the Sustainable Development Goals and creating a prosperous future for all humanity.

New to the IDGs? Read: What are the Inner Development Goals? ↗

GIVING YOU THE TOOLS TO NAVIGATE OUR COMPLEX WORLD

Are you ready to expand, contribute and create greater impact? Do you want to harness vertical development and become a next generation leader generating bigger waves? We know you do, or else you wouldn’t be here reading this far.

At foundher., our commitment is to never leave you stuck and our purpose is to equip you with tools to navigate the modern world.

While we will continue to bring you industry-leading insights on the IDGs and how to incorporate them into your everyday life and leadership, if you already know that a foundational shift in how you are BEING is what you need, then you need to check out our program PACE.

Equipping modern leaders with a framework and practical learning to create real change — this powerful program is the perfect next step on your inner development journey. Offered only three times a year, we guide a small cohort to completely redefine BEST performance through changing the definition and expanding what performance, productivity and potential can truly unlock— find out more about our upcoming intake.

Ready to create change? It’s time to bring the Inner Development Goals from the edges to the centre, and develop the next generation leadership skills that will enable us to be someone who does something about that.

To hear more from us about how powerful the IDGs and the incredible leadership transformation they can create, be sure to join our mailing list below.