By Sanchia Jacobs (Chief Sustainability Officer, Beca Group)
In a world that urgently needs collective action, the Inner Development Goals help us build the human capacity to show up bravely, wisely and compassionately. Leadership for change begins within, but this isn’t just an internal conversation – it’s leadership in action.
At Beca we have a very clear vision of ‘Creative people together transforming our world’, and a purpose to Make Everyday Better. Our vision and purpose resonate deeply with our people, who are indeed our shareholders, because the words are more than a statement plastered on the wall in an office meeting room. They are statements of intent and ambition that drive our people to deliver real world solutions to an increasingly complex set of challenges.
As we look to grow resilience and navigate that complex environment, our executive knows that we also need to evolve our leadership approach. So, last week our Executive Leadership Group took the time to participate in a workshop on the Inner Development Goals (IDGs) – a globally recognised framework that cultivates the skills and mindsets needed for sustainable change, emphasising personal growth as the foundation for solving global challenges. The framework complements the Sustainable Development Goals, growing the inner capacity in emotional intelligence and systemic awareness to lead, collaborate and adapt effectively to achieve progress on the SDGs themselves.
As sustainability challenges grow more complex, our ability to cultivate skills like openness, empathy and systemic thinking becomes pivotal – the very qualities the IDGs aim to nurture. The IDGs help to accelerate transformation from within, and our decision to run this workshop stemmed from a deep commitment to evolve not just our strategies, but our own leadership mindset.
Our Group CEO, Amelia Linzey and I had both attended SBC-run IDG workshops over the last few months and found that the material really resonated, so we thought we would test it out with the rest of our executive. The session led by Gary Shaw, NZ’s first IDG Ambassador and Robin Smith, a Somatic Embodiment Coach, bought us closer together as a team, and created space for reflection, connection and meaningful conversation around how we lead, collaborate, and influence positive change. It’s part of an ongoing journey to ensure our leadership is fit for purpose in shaping a regenerative future. Each of us took away different tips, tricks and reflections that we will apply to our leadership practice, but we all shared a renewed commitment to how we continue to grow as a team as well.
A personal takeaway for me was the concept of Presence as one of the 23 IDG skills, and one that sits under the Being dimension. It is a good reminder to be fully in the ‘here and now’. So often we rush from one thing to another, and we bring the energy of that last (or next) interaction into the room. So, for me, the opportunity to reflect on how I grow my awareness of my thoughts, emotions and body language is an important part of how I show up for myself, my work and the people around me. Creating space to be in the moment is what will lead to clarity, empathy and really sound decision-making.
The Beca Group is grateful to the Sustainable Business Council for their support as New Zealand’s IDG business hub, and for championing deeper dialogue around the human side of sustainable change.
Based on our experience I can see firsthand how practical the IDG framework can be and would encourage other leadership teams to engage with it too – especially those grappling with the human complexities of system change. It enabled the kind of inner work that can transform how teams relate to challenges, to one another, and to the wider impact they seek to have. You learn a little more about yourself, and with that you are empowered.
