Leadership 3.8
leading with and from nature’s 3.8 billion years of evolutionary innovation
Leadership 3.8
A learning journey in and with nature to see, recognize and understand the deeper principles from which to lead and act for nature.
- Date: 4 – 11 October 2020
- Location: Cape Town, South Africa
- Price: €4500 (including food and accommodation)
Click here to contact us for more information
You are invited
As a leader you have the credibility, the mandate, the platform and the leadership qualities to steward your organisation and its broader ecosystem for planet-positive impact. You understand the need to move from reactive to regenerative leadership – and to do this informed by the latest science and the life principles of nature.
We invite you to be inspired by other leaders in sustainability, and by nature herself, as you explore your ecosystem, identifying where and how to activate innovation, extend impact and deepen your leadership capacity and resolve.
Join us for a week at a beautiful venue in the heart of South Africa’s precious fynbos floral kingdom and become part of an ongoing community and conversation with other generative leaders
On Leadership 3.8
‘The Leadership 3.8 programme provided a rich, inspiring and multi-modal learning environment. Fascinating and important lectures on topics such as complexity, ecology and innovation (informational learning) were interweaved with learning from one another (participatory learning) and from the incredibly beautiful natural environment around us (experiential learning). Most importantly we had time alone for reflection (self-learning). My sense is that this unique, multi-faceted learning journey emerged as a result of three important factors. 1. An incredible venue, allowing immersive learning from nature. 2. A group of curious and well-intentioned participants. 3. Exceptional design and facilitation by Bridget, Sam and Sarah’.
The program
The program focus is less on ‘why’ and much more on ‘how’ – working with your self leadership, the organisation/eco-system you inhabit and the complexities you need to navigate. It is a learning journey intended to generate hope and enable innovative action from a profoundly deeper and wider perspective.
The program will bring science, ecology, innovation, design and change leadership alive, with and through, case-studies, stories, generative dialogue, reflective time and most importantly, interaction with nature – all in the heart of the uniquely diverse and beautiful Cape floral kingdom.
Why nature
For years we have kept one eye on the CSR bottom lines, and the other on SDGs and tried to align business and organisational development with these goals. We might even have designed some of the cradle to cradle principles into our supply chains, or built aspects of agile, self organisation and holocracy into our organisational design. We talk of regenerative processes, life-friendly products, distributed systems and planet-positive enterprise – and ways to bring these into being while navigating the thin edge between chaos and order.
This thinking and innovation is informed by a renewed and deeper understanding of the structures and processes embedded in our ecological world. We are reawakening to the intrinsic value of nature and to our participation in it. Leadership 3.8 is an open-mind/heart exploration of the ‘genius of nature’ for new and profound perspectives on leadership and enterprise; an opportunity to experience and learn from strategies for sustainability tested over millenia – while deepening, expanding and aligning our leadership capacity to think, influence and act from life-oriented principles.
Our work is to help each other uncover and experience our innate connections with each other and with the systemic, self-healing powers of the web of life, so that we may be enlivened and motivated to play our part in creating a sustainable civilisation
The week
Sunday evening
Introductions – to each other and to the local eco-system as home and host for Leadership 3.8
Day One
26 Life Principles – terms and frameworks for a shared ecoliteracy
Ecological consciousness – in leadership and enterprise
The story of Earth
A walk through 3.8 billion years
Day Two
Complexity, living systems and
eco-systems
Experiencing a deeper ecology in the indigenous Cape Floral Kingdom
The story of the Anthropocene An egocentric worldview
Day Three
Planetary boundaries, Living Planet data, seeds of hope.
Observing and becoming present to the web of life
The Story of Now
Facts, figures, feelings and intuition
Day Four
Research and design based on case work: Biomimicry, planet-positive enterprise, ecological resoration. The role of technology.
An Emerging Story
Presencing the future
Day Five
From Ego to Eco – catalysing and enabling change and innovation. The generative leader.
Life-aligned enterprise –
possibilities and prototypes.
Our Future Story
Innovation inspired by the genius of life
Day Six
Internalization and activation.
Cohort insights, commitments, initiatives.
Invitations for collaboration and support.
Sunday morning
Appreciations for people and place
Take home
Clear next steps and longer term strategies to shift towards a planet-positive business operation.
Greater confidence, capacity and commitment to act from principles rooted in ecology
Ecoliteracy based on science & thought leadership in the field of planetary boundaries,
An understanding of organisations as complex living systems attuned and responsive to a larger ecology
Systemic skills, mindsets and biomimetic design frameworks to support innovation and change
Your interpretation of ‘generative leadership’ and resources and practices for leading change
Work cases of planet-centric enterprise & products, processes & systems inspired & informed by living systems & biology
Input from the diverse experience of leaders in sustainability – shared learning, innovative thinking & ideas relevant to your challenges.
A deeper sense of your wilder self – and your personal purpose and participation in the ‘web of life’
The place
At the foot of the Witkransberg in the Overberg region, on the Southern tip of Africa, and surrounded by 217 hectares of pristine Fynbos and indigenous Milkwood Forests, Bodhi Khaya Retreat is a special place to reconnect to the ancient wisdom of nature.
6 hiking trails wind through quiet forest, or stretch along the top of the hills for spectacular views of the valley and glimpses of ocean in the far distance. There are two swimming dams, one full of lilies and the other a tranquil water hole shared with swallows at the end of a hot summer’s day.
The eco-system
The Fynbos Biome is part of the Cape Floral Kingdom, one of six floral kingdoms on the planet. Some 8 700 species make up this most dense, and smallest, of the world’s floral kingdoms – more species than are found in the whole of Europe – and 70% found nowhere else on earth. The Cape Floral Kingdom is a Unesco World Heritage Site; a place of “outstanding value to humanity” and a world biodiversity hotspot.
As part of the Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy, Bodhi Khaya plays its part in protecting both the fynbos and milkwood forests as well as its many and diverse inhabitants: the cape otter, honey badger, porcupine, baboon, bushbuck and the elusive cape leopard to name but a few. A huge number of birdlife, from the various sunbirds frequenting the protea, and the Rameron Pigeon, Cape Batis, African Paradise Flycatcher and Barn Owl, as well as endemic beetles, horseflies and ants are all important players in this eco-system.
Price and practicalities
Price: €4500 for the program including accommodation, transport on the ground and food. Offsetting your C02 emission will be done in collaboration with a local ecological restoration organisation and is included in the cost of the programme Greenpop
Location: Stanford, Western Cape, South Africa
Venue: Bodhi Khaya
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Programme contributors
