The 2024 IDG summit is coming up soon. And last week I participated in a pre-summit event with Frédéric Laloux, the co-creator of THE WEEK.

He shared what drives him to do his work.

One of his drivers is a need which consistently pops up in my coaching practice:

We need to build more soulful organisations

One dimension of an organisation with soul is better communication. By better, I mean more candid communication and spaces for dialogue.

If people in your organisation struggle with one of the following challenges, you should make a serious move toward communicating better:

Dishonest communication

An example of dishonest communication can be:

“We’re here not just for the money, but for the great impact our work is making. We are all one family.”

Companies are not families, nor do most companies really make a positive impact on the planet.

The cost of dishonesty: People respond with cynicism and detachment.

Lack of communication

Especially before, during, or after a reorganisation, a lack of communication consumes a lot of energy and alienates employees. They don’t feel like valued members of an impactful team, but more like chess figures on someone else’s chess board.

The cost of a lack of communication: It gives rise to speculation and leads to massive uncertainty. Everyone fills the gaps of communication with their own stories.

Pretence amongst leaders

“The higher up I move in my organisation, the closer I get to those who talk BS all day long. I’d have to spend more time with leaders who punish anyone who speaks truth to power.”

I have heard this concern more often than I can count.

The cost of BS on the top: It keeps highly talented, emotionally intelligent and caring leaders from taking the final step up into the executive ranks of their organisation.

How leaders take the leap to more soulful organisations

Dishonest communication, withholding important information, and pretending that all is perfect when it isn’t – these are communication strategies of leaders who need to work on their courage to lead from a better place.

That requires inner work to strengthen self-leadership, because not every top leader is a greedy, dishonest, and uncaring person – though many employees think so.

Why it matters

Many top leaders are just trying to handle their inability to deal with the uncertainty and complexity they are facing, as they are shouldering huge responsibilities and have to make hard choices.

That’s where the Inner Development Goals come in. The IDGs are a systematisation of the building blocks for the inner work we need to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They are the inner dimensions required for not just facing, but for truly shaping the outer change we are tasked with creating in the world. 

Building soulful organisations is a big step towards solving the most troubling challenges of our time, because in groups, when we really belong, and have dialogue with one another, we are strong, creative, and more than ready to tackle the big stuff.