I’m talking with Laura about a topic that’s really close to my heart while also being a highly relevant perspective on business models. The Regenerative approach, as Laura Storm and Giles Hutchins describe it in their book Regenerative Leadership, feels to me like a mix of an integral perspective, Otto Scharmer’s Theory U, and indigenous wisdom about the natural cycles of life and nature.

Figures or consciousness?....It’s the age-old debate.....When we talk about regenerative approaches, it can sometimes seem like they don’t fit into our KPI-driven world. But I don’t think that’s true. In fact, if you change just one factor in conventional KPI calculations, you’ll often see that even from a short-term perspective, a regenerative approach holds up against almost any challenge. That factor is what I call the "Squeezer Factor."

Meaning—if you take out the unhealthy squeezing (= exploitation) from conventional KPI equations—the squeezing of people, nature, suppliers, resources, whatever—you’ll realize that so many traditional business models wouldn’t survive.

Some snippets and food for thought:

...the choice between blaming and finger-pointing… or stepping into the harder, braver space of truly addressing what’s happening. It’s so easy to slip into that place of frustration, isn’t it? The inner wounded warrior, the angry activist who feels the weight of the world and just wants to scream…but regenerative leadership is about moving beyond the wounded warrior into something deeper. A space where action is driven not by anger, but by understanding, connection, and a grounded sense of purpose & business...

...systems thinking – Understanding that everything is interconnected. Your organization doesn’t exist in isolation—its actions ripple through society, the economy, and the environment....it´s about Listening to the system – Regenerative leadership isn’t about controlling outcomes. Instead, it’s about paying attention to what the system needs and working in harmony with those dynamics...

...seasonality – Think of business and leadership like the seasons. There’s a time for growth (spring), a time for action (summer), reflection (autumn), and rest (winter). Recognizing these cycles can help organizations avoid burnout and create long-term impact....

...what do you think are one or two key logs (we use this metaphor in our conversation) we need to find today? those tipping points that, if we could identify and shift them, would unlock even greater impact?...

#BeyondKPI #RegenerativeLeadership #BusinessTransformation #BeyondSustainability #BraveConversations #InterconnectedWorld #NatureBasedSolutions