The Inner-Development/Inner-Leadership and Self-Knowledge Pillar is the foundational element that underpins all of the objectives and the other pillars of the Foundation and is deeply connected to the principes of conservation (the stewardship of natural resources and the environment) and animal anti-cruelty, welfare and wellbeing.  It is about offering a developmental programme that reconnects mind, body, and spirit; recognizing the sanctity of all life and the interdependence and interrelationships between humans and our kin in the animal and plant families; and understanding that we must act for the good of the whole.

 

“To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom.”  
   – Socrates (470BC – 399BC)

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Concept of Inner-Leadership
 

We believe that by becoming aware of what is living in one’s inner world, and developing capacities of self-reflection, co-creation, complexity awareness, emotional intelligence, curiosity, gratitude, empathy and compassion to name but a few, one is better able to self-regulate, moderate the impact of one’s actions and lead from a place of strength, clarity and wisdom.  At its core, Inner Leadership thus beckons individuals to embark on a lifelong journey of self-discovery and resilience, allowing them to lead from within by aligning their actions with their internal principles and encouraging others to follow through inspiration rather than authority.  It is experiential and transcends linear progression, embracing the fragility of human existence as a catalyst for growth.   

 

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Global Context

 

 

We are not alone in this regard. It took some years for the United Nations and other global role players to acknowledge this fact when recognising that the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) across the world had been singularly unsuccessful.  A range of cognitive and emotional skills and other inner qualities that go beyond what most people normally learn in schools and higher education was needed. The result was the research and development of the Inner Development Goals (IDG’s) adopted in 2015, which identified 23 inner leadership skills and qualities that they organised under the five main themes namely: being, thinking, relating, collaborating and acting.  It is this framework together with select other approaches which have guided the engagement of The Sophia Philanthropic Foundation in Inner-Development/ Inner-Leadership and Self-Knowledge.

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