Upgrading our systems thinking to ECO-SYSTEMS THINKING.
And what it means for the human animal
I believe that most of us, now, can agree that we need to live differently on our planet. There are some obvious exceptions of course. But our relationship with the environment that sustains us is in urgent need of a rewrite; we simply cannot unconditionally maintain the operating systems that we have put into place since the industrial revolution.
So, with this in the foreground, what comes to mind when you hear the word “ecosystem”?
An environmental issue perhaps? Or something to do with forestry, or nature conservation. But what if I suggest that an ecosystem thinking is far broader than this. That it is about inter-connections.
Our relationships.
Our sense of well-being.
Of re-aligning, maintaining and defending the cardinal values of our lifeways. Therefore of something of great relevance to all of our socio-industrial activities and economies. Of Leadership. And, ultimately, perhaps, of peace and survival.
The foundation of nature inspired leadership lies in the discovery of the principles of ecology, why they are relevant in our modern world, and what they personally mean to us. And then, once this re-connection emerges, perhaps the most challenging part of the process begins: how to integrate this re-alignment into our lives. How to pay them forward. Its a confronting circle to square indeed!
For its one thing to be deeply moved and profoundly impacted by nature and the spirit of the wild. But its entirely another to live the inspiration once we return home or to the office. In other words, back into the space of systems thinking. This process, and how to gently allow the wilderness experience in, to settle deep within us, is the space in which Lead Wild operates.
If the opening paragraph resonates with you, then perhaps its time to normalise the concept of ecology and add the word ‘eco’ into the phrase ‘systems thinking’. ECO-SYSTEMS THINKING.
While it makes sense and may resonate deeply, at the same time it is a little confronting: does it mean my quality of life will be compromised? Do I need to live with less? What about my status? Because if so, count me out! Let others do it first right?
A clue to understand this situation is simple; it lies in the concept and identity of ‘I’. That ‘I’ am an isolated centre of awareness. That the operating system must benefit ‘ME’. That ‘MY’ sense of well-being should not be compromised.
Perhaps it is because we have been brought up believing that we are separated from nature. We have inherited this belief, and unless we upgrade our systems thinking, we will heir the same to future generations.
We speak of leadership in terms of processes, or formulae, defined to maximise our profits and our comfort levels. How to extract more for less. And then to turn a blind eye to the consequences of this systems thinking. Consequences that are, and will continue to be carried by the planet.
Eco-systems thinking shifts the ‘I’ to ‘WE’.
Therefore it could be suggested that sustainable leadership transformation is not about technological advancement or industrialised thinking. Perhaps its not even about ‘thinking’ at all. Perhaps its about feeling. Its about upgrading our understanding of natural ecosystems; to recognise that nature and our environment is not a recreational space, or an opportunity for profit. It is something far more valuable than this; in it lies the both the origin and the destiny of the human soul.
For once you let the forest in, a light comes on in the dark. Once you let the river (or the mountain, the desert, the ocean, the jungle, the coral reef or the savannah) in, and allow it to settle within the deepest part of your soul, within the secret space where your cardinal values are shaken, then and only then perhaps can we realise that nature is not a thing apart. It is not an ‘it.’ There is a living unity and heritage with her, and you are merely an extension of the forest, the river or the the desert. The ‘I’ ceases to exist.
This recognition is alive and well in many indigenous peoples around the world. Islands of communities who have maintained eco-system thinking as the fabric of their society and generational prosperity. The traditional elders of the baYei people of the Okavango Delta in Botswana where I live, are one such example. Their living heritage is indelibly connected to the Okavango River. The river that provided their ancestors with food, sustenance, water, medicine and traditions. When speaking of the river, they speak of her in terms of Living Heritage. Of floods and droughts. The speak of the waters that not only provided a physical well-being and a home, but it in terms of something infinitely greater; a sense of belonging. A sense of togetherness, peace and culture. Of complete respect. In other words, their culture would not exist without the river.
Today, some elders, the wise ancestors of the future, say: “the river has not changed the way it gives. We have changed the way we take”.
A lamentful hint of what is at stake perhaps.
This for me, is an example of what I refer to as ‘ecological humility.’ A process of recognising our own self not as the centre of awareness, but rather as part of a bigger picture. A picture of thinking/doing/living with ecologically intelligent patterns and principles as our operating system. An upgrade to associate for instance, the industrial implications of ROI differently. Not in terms of a Return on Investment, but rather in terms of a RETURN ON INTER-BEING.
Could it be said that this ecological humility may be a necessary concept to embrace in order to write the necessary upgrade programs?
Let’s take a step back for a moment.
What is, in actual fact, the big deal about ecology? And what do I mean by “we are an extension of nature”?
All vibrant life depends on healthy relationships and inter-connections. And in nature, the laws of ecology and conditions of existence are the operating system. Complex webs and intricate networks of diversity and inter-being manage the flow of energy between organisms. This in relationship with and dependance on the non-living elements, such as water, rocks or air.
Nature, through these profound networks, could be said to be our Great Operating System. And she maintains a tight ship. She regulates the system operations carefully, and casts a stern eye in the direction of life forms that disrupt balances.
The intention of an eco-system is simple: To produce energy flow (ECO-PROFIT) to benefit all living and non-living components. Its an inclusive process in all senses of the term. However, this can only exist of the energy flows in circular form, whereby all eco-profit and decomposition of animal and plant life benefits the source; ultimately the soil.
Ecosystems are held in a state of dynamic equilibrium, and are constantly fine-tuning their limiting factors, such as population control, growth patterns, predation, disease and other controls. So in other words, there is a vibrant and non-negotiable pattern of checks and balances. And no individual component is immune to this. Should one component of an eco-system step out of balance, the entire system, in terms of sustainable performance, is at risk.
I believe its fair to say that the human being is the antagonist in this conversation. And there is a worldwide litany of damaged ecosystems as a result of his systems thinking and doing.
At this point, I would like to make a direct connection between us, the human animal, and any essential natural network.
For starters, may I suggest that everything about our existence is an eco-system. As we evolved from them. Our origins are in the landscape relationships around us and we owe our existence to them.
Our story, as a species and leading up to our present lifeways and consciousness is rooted in nature, and what we absorbed from the air, water and soil. Thinking in terms of eco-systems is vitally important for us, it has been a part of our intuitive process since that day our species was born.
So, basically, as counter-intuitive as it may sound, we need to rewild ourselves in order to navigate into the future.
Its all in the soil. Or rather, the soul-soil.
The most vibrant, diverse and complicated ecosystem on earth is the soil. One handful of forest soil can contain up to 10 billion living organisms and kilometers of microscopic fungi. The soil is our grand-mothering provider of all our necessary ingredients.
Regardless of your choice of fuel supply, whether you choose to consume plants, animals that consume plants, or even perhaps animals that consume animals that consume plants, you are dependant on the soil foundation for your baseline. In fact, to further announce this relevance, all living creatures (including us), are completely reliant on 6-inches of topsoil! Technology, engineering, finance and AI, all of our our modern day conveniences put together cannot at the end of the day, reproduce topsoil. Only ecology can.
This is Ecological humility.
If we were to lose our soil biome, we would lose it all: plant-life, oxygen production, water cycles, atmosphere regulation and climate co-ordination.
Perhaps this is where I could drop the most salient point of this story.
That ecosystem function sustains all life, quality of life, and economy.
For the decimation of topsoil around the world is deeply alarming. And an environmental concern in one corner of the globe is deeply relevant for us all, regardless of how far away we live or how sheltered we are from the direct implications. Due to the ecological law of inter-connection, the implications of distant ecosystem damage will, at some point, in some form, be felt on your doorstep. For at the end of the day, environmental issues hold no passport, nor do they have any national allegiances. All ecosystem patterns resonate through the the Great Ecosystem; our single closed life support system.
Its called Earth.
Hope? Yes of course! There is definitely hope.
The answer lies in ecosystem renewal. And it is possible.
The very patterns of ecological intelligence and renewal make it very possible. For a start, under normal environmental conditions, ecosystems do not die or collapse. They disrupt. Then they adapt. Take a forest fire for example. While some plants and animals may be destroyed, the forest as a system, will learn how to adapt to future fires, and therefore recover more resiliently the next time than before. Nature operates in an oscillating curve of disruption, adaption and renewal at all times. The only flat line in nature is a heart that has ceased beating.
I had the fortune of meeting renewed ecologist John D Liu whilst in The Netherlands in June this year. And I discovered a great deal about ecosystem resilience. In 1995, a case study in the Loess Plateau of China where an area the size of Belgium has totally lost its topsoil. It was completely decimated. An ambitious restoration project was launched and with the buy-in of local communities, the area restored itself in 25 years. The benefit to these local communities in terms of quality of life was/is astronomical. Biodiversity and ecological stability returned to the region. The program is now running in multiple regions around the world. The story, I believe, is a groundbreaking success and motivation.
The case study and scaled progress proves that eco-systems are living, breathing and functionally intelligent networks. And if under natural conditions they can renew themselves through processes of adaption and succession. In fact, it often requires disturbance or disruption to happen. In instances where man has decimated the ecosystem entirely, restoration through wise intervention is also possible.
Perhaps this is what is happening to mankind and our relationship with Earth. That we are, on a grand scale admittedly, disrupting our life support systems. The hope lies, not where you may think. Not in our intellect. But in our ecological intelligence to apply our science and technology to the problems at hand.
The solution is no longer about science, but its about what science now needs to know.
We have the ability, knowledge, communication capacity and finance to scale solutions to disrupt ecosystem disruption, and enter an era of renewal. What is missing, perhaps, is patient, joint, un-nationalistic willpower.
Could ecological humility be the gateway to this?
The intention of our work at Lead Wild, by facilitating deep dives into nature inspired leadership, is to accept our vulnerability, and invite this process in.
Inspired by the words of John D Liu, it would be great to leave you with the following:
Until we make the connection between the ecology and ourselves, we will never transform our leadership principles.
Until we recognise that the well-being of nature cannot be separated from the well-being of our own selves.
And until we stop valuing the product we consume ahead of the ecosystem that produces it,
We will never see eco-systems thinking as entirely necessary.
This is what LEAD WILD is about.
I believe that most of us, now, can agree that we need to live differently on our planet. There are some obvious exceptions of course. But our relationship with the environment that sustains us is in urgent need of a rewrite; we simply cannot unconditionally maintain the operating systems that we have put into place since the industrial revolution.
So, with this in the foreground, what comes to mind when you hear the word “ecosystem”?
An environmental issue perhaps? Or something to do with forestry, or nature conservation. But what if I suggest that an ecosystem thinking is far broader than this. That it is about inter-connections.
Our relationships.
Our sense of well-being.
Of re-aligning, maintaining and defending the cardinal values of our lifeways. Therefore of something of great relevance to all of our socio-industrial activities and economies. Of Leadership. And, ultimately, perhaps, of peace and survival.
The foundation of nature inspired leadership lies in the discovery of the principles of ecology, why they are relevant in our modern world, and what they personally mean to us. And then, once this re-connection emerges, perhaps the most challenging part of the process begins: how to integrate this re-alignment into our lives. How to pay them forward. Its a confronting circle to square indeed!
For its one thing to be deeply moved and profoundly impacted by nature and the spirit of the wild. But its entirely another to live the inspiration once we return home or to the office. In other words, back into the space of systems thinking. This process, and how to gently allow the wilderness experience in, to settle deep within us, is the space in which Lead Wild operates.
If the opening paragraph resonates with you, then perhaps its time to normalise the concept of ecology and add the word ‘eco’ into the phrase ‘systems thinking’. ECO-SYSTEMS THINKING.
While it makes sense and may resonate deeply, at the same time it is a little confronting: does it mean my quality of life will be compromised? Do I need to live with less? What about my status? Because if so, count me out! Let others do it first right?
A clue to understand this situation is simple; it lies in the concept and identity of ‘I’. That ‘I’ am an isolated centre of awareness. That the operating system must benefit ‘ME’. That ‘MY’ sense of well-being should not be compromised.
Perhaps it is because we have been brought up believing that we are separated from nature. We have inherited this belief, and unless we upgrade our systems thinking, we will heir the same to future generations.
We speak of leadership in terms of processes, or formulae, defined to maximise our profits and our comfort levels. How to extract more for less. And then to turn a blind eye to the consequences of this systems thinking. Consequences that are, and will continue to be carried by the planet.
Eco-systems thinking shifts the ‘I’ to ‘WE’.
Therefore it could be suggested that sustainable leadership transformation is not about technological advancement or industrialised thinking. Perhaps its not even about ‘thinking’ at all. Perhaps its about feeling. Its about upgrading our understanding of natural ecosystems; to recognise that nature and our environment is not a recreational space, or an opportunity for profit. It is something far more valuable than this; in it lies the both the origin and the destiny of the human soul.
For once you let the forest in, a light comes on in the dark. Once you let the river (or the mountain, the desert, the ocean, the jungle, the coral reef or the savannah) in, and allow it to settle within the deepest part of your soul, within the secret space where your cardinal values are shaken, then and only then perhaps can we realise that nature is not a thing apart. It is not an ‘it.’ There is a living unity and heritage with her, and you are merely an extension of the forest, the river or the the desert. The ‘I’ ceases to exist.
This recognition is alive and well in many indigenous peoples around the world. Islands of communities who have maintained eco-system thinking as the fabric of their society and generational prosperity. The traditional elders of the baYei people of the Okavango Delta in Botswana where I live, are one such example. Their living heritage is indelibly connected to the Okavango River. The river that provided their ancestors with food, sustenance, water, medicine and traditions. When speaking of the river, they speak of her in terms of Living Heritage. Of floods and droughts. The speak of the waters that not only provided a physical well-being and a home, but it in terms of something infinitely greater; a sense of belonging. A sense of togetherness, peace and culture. Of complete respect. In other words, their culture would not exist without the river.
Today, some elders, the wise ancestors of the future, say: “the river has not changed the way it gives. We have changed the way we take”.
A lamentful hint of what is at stake perhaps.
This for me, is an example of what I refer to as ‘ecological humility.’ A process of recognising our own self not as the centre of awareness, but rather as part of a bigger picture. A picture of thinking/doing/living with ecologically intelligent patterns and principles as our operating system. An upgrade to associate for instance, the industrial implications of ROI differently. Not in terms of a Return on Investment, but rather in terms of a RETURN ON INTER-BEING.
Could it be said that this ecological humility may be a necessary concept to embrace in order to write the necessary upgrade programs?
Let’s take a step back for a moment.
What is, in actual fact, the big deal about ecology? And what do I mean by “we are an extension of nature”?
All vibrant life depends on healthy relationships and inter-connections. And in nature, the laws of ecology and conditions of existence are the operating system. Complex webs and intricate networks of diversity and inter-being manage the flow of energy between organisms. This in relationship with and dependance on the non-living elements, such as water, rocks or air.
Nature, through these profound networks, could be said to be our Great Operating System. And she maintains a tight ship. She regulates the system operations carefully, and casts a stern eye in the direction of life forms that disrupt balances.
The intention of an eco-system is simple: To produce energy flow (ECO-PROFIT) to benefit all living and non-living components. Its an inclusive process in all senses of the term. However, this can only exist of the energy flows in circular form, whereby all eco-profit and decomposition of animal and plant life benefits the source; ultimately the soil.
Ecosystems are held in a state of dynamic equilibrium, and are constantly fine-tuning their limiting factors, such as population control, growth patterns, predation, disease and other controls. So in other words, there is a vibrant and non-negotiable pattern of checks and balances. And no individual component is immune to this. Should one component of an eco-system step out of balance, the entire system, in terms of sustainable performance, is at risk.
I believe its fair to say that the human being is the antagonist in this conversation. And there is a worldwide litany of damaged ecosystems as a result of his systems thinking and doing.
At this point, I would like to make a direct connection between us, the human animal, and any essential natural network.
For starters, may I suggest that everything about our existence is an eco-system. As we evolved from them. Our origins are in the landscape relationships around us and we owe our existence to them.
Our story, as a species and leading up to our present lifeways and consciousness is rooted in nature, and what we absorbed from the air, water and soil. Thinking in terms of eco-systems is vitally important for us, it has been a part of our intuitive process since that day our species was born.
So, basically, as counter-intuitive as it may sound, we need to rewild ourselves in order to navigate into the future.
Its all in the soil. Or rather, the soul-soil.
The most vibrant, diverse and complicated ecosystem on earth is the soil. One handful of forest soil can contain up to 10 billion living organisms and kilometers of microscopic fungi. The soil is our grand-mothering provider of all our necessary ingredients.
Regardless of your choice of fuel supply, whether you choose to consume plants, animals that consume plants, or even perhaps animals that consume animals that consume plants, you are dependant on the soil foundation for your baseline. In fact, to further announce this relevance, all living creatures (including us), are completely reliant on 6-inches of topsoil! Technology, engineering, finance and AI, all of our our modern day conveniences put together cannot at the end of the day, reproduce topsoil. Only ecology can.
This is Ecological humility.
If we were to lose our soil biome, we would lose it all: plant-life, oxygen production, water cycles, atmosphere regulation and climate co-ordination.
Perhaps this is where I could drop the most salient point of this story.
That ecosystem function sustains all life, quality of life, and economy.
For the decimation of topsoil around the world is deeply alarming. And an environmental concern in one corner of the globe is deeply relevant for us all, regardless of how far away we live or how sheltered we are from the direct implications. Due to the ecological law of inter-connection, the implications of distant ecosystem damage will, at some point, in some form, be felt on your doorstep. For at the end of the day, environmental issues hold no passport, nor do they have any national allegiances. All ecosystem patterns resonate through the the Great Ecosystem; our single closed life support system.
Its called Earth.
Hope? Yes of course! There is definitely hope.
The answer lies in ecosystem renewal. And it is possible.
The very patterns of ecological intelligence and renewal make it very possible. For a start, under normal environmental conditions, ecosystems do not die or collapse. They disrupt. Then they adapt. Take a forest fire for example. While some plants and animals may be destroyed, the forest as a system, will learn how to adapt to future fires, and therefore recover more resiliently the next time than before. Nature operates in an oscillating curve of disruption, adaption and renewal at all times. The only flat line in nature is a heart that has ceased beating.
I had the fortune of meeting renewed ecologist John D Liu whilst in The Netherlands in June this year. And I discovered a great deal about ecosystem resilience. In 1995, a case study in the Loess Plateau of China where an area the size of Belgium has totally lost its topsoil. It was completely decimated. An ambitious restoration project was launched and with the buy-in of local communities, the area restored itself in 25 years. The benefit to these local communities in terms of quality of life was/is astronomical. Biodiversity and ecological stability returned to the region. The program is now running in multiple regions around the world. The story, I believe, is a groundbreaking success and motivation.
The case study and scaled progress proves that eco-systems are living, breathing and functionally intelligent networks. And if under natural conditions they can renew themselves through processes of adaption and succession. In fact, it often requires disturbance or disruption to happen. In instances where man has decimated the ecosystem entirely, restoration through wise intervention is also possible.
Perhaps this is what is happening to mankind and our relationship with Earth. That we are, on a grand scale admittedly, disrupting our life support systems. The hope lies, not where you may think. Not in our intellect. But in our ecological intelligence to apply our science and technology to the problems at hand.
The solution is no longer about science, but its about what science now needs to know.
We have the ability, knowledge, communication capacity and finance to scale solutions to disrupt ecosystem disruption, and enter an era of renewal. What is missing, perhaps, is patient, joint, un-nationalistic willpower.
Could ecological humility be the gateway to this?
The intention of our work at Lead Wild, by facilitating deep dives into nature inspired leadership, is to accept our vulnerability, and invite this process in.
Inspired by the words of John D Liu, it would be great to leave you with the following:
Until we make the connection between the ecology and ourselves, we will never transform our leadership principles.
Until we recognise that the well-being of nature cannot be separated from the well-being of our own selves.
And until we stop valuing the product we consume ahead of the ecosystem that produces it,
We will never see eco-systems thinking as entirely necessary.
This is what LEAD WILD is about.