The Natural Leader Blog

An introduction to nature-based leadership

21st February 2024

Nature-based leadership is an approach to leadership that is rooted in nature. In a world increasingly characterized by complexity and uncertainty, the principles of nature offer invaluable insights into effective leadership. Nature-based leadership is a philosophy that draws inspiration from the natural world and works with innate intelligences to guide individuals, teams and organizations towards success.


Nature-based leadership If this is the first time that you are reading about nature-based leadership, welcome to a regenerative, connected, more – well natural – way to thinking about leadership. It is one which we believe to be the only future of leadership.

Let us explain more.

How does nature-based leadership differ to what we believe leadership to be now?

There are several ways. The most significant is the philosophy that individuals, teams, organisations and business do not operate as separate entities but are all part of a connected, living system.

This goes way beyond social and corporate responsibility or having an effective ‘sustainability’ department.  It means that the more traditional way of seeing business is hugely outdated. Where we once saw businesses as separate, isolated entities, where the role of leaders was to keep them ‘well-oiled’ and ‘well-run’ by replacing the parts (or people) that weren’t working. Where at all costs, the single purpose was profit, natural-leadership looks at purpose of the business, to give more back and examines ‘ the cost’ of profit to the natural environment.


Here are the six principles of nature-based leadership


At the natural leader there are six principles of nature-based leadership

  1. The planet is our single and ultimate stakeholder
  2. Nature holds many of the solutions
  3. Leadership is a living system
  4. Leaders are guardians
  5. Every change in that living system begins with exceptional human connection and communication
  6. The role of the natural-leader is to enable others to drive sustainable change

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Linking leadership to nature