Embracing IDGs: How leading companies have internalised the framework
Globally, the Inner Development Goals (IDGs) have engaged individuals and organisations in over 100 countries, including leaders from businesses, the public sector, civil society, and global institutions like the UN and OECD. Its adoption rate is growing, given its alignment with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is also increasingly recognised as a framework for fostering the personal and collective skills necessary to drive sustainable change.
The IDGs are categorised into five dimensions:
Being – Cultivating self-awareness, presence, and inner grounding.
Thinking – Encouraging critical thinking, systems thinking, and a long-term perspective.
Relating – Building empathy, compassion, and constructive communication.
Collaborating – Fostering trust, shared purpose, and inclusiveness.
Acting – Developing courage, resilience, and the ability to mobilize change.
We’ve seen several notable companies such as Google and Ericsson integrating the IDG framework into their organisational strategies, aligning their leadership and employee development with broader sustainability objectives:
Google: With a focus on fostering a culture that enhances leadership and workplace well-being, Google’s initiatives (via its Global Workplace Programs) are centred on cultivating essential inner competencies among employees to support resilience and innovation.
Ericsson: With the aim of enhancing leadership effectiveness and drive cultural transformation across its global operations, Ericsson enhanced their talent management and leadership programs by aligning employee growth with the IDG framework’s dimensions (such as being, relating, and collaborating).
These examples show how forward-looking firms are adopting the IDGs to support sustainable growth, enhance employee well-being, and develop leadership capabilities crucial for addressing today’s complex challenges.
How is your organisation integrating the IDGs to foster sustainable change?
