The Inner Development Goals
A self-development framework for humanity to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals gave changemakers a comprehensive plan for a sustainable world by 2030. There is a vision of what needs to happen, but progress towards this vision has so far been disappointing… because we lack the inner capacity to deal with our increasingly complex environment and challenges.
The Inner Development Goals were officially founded in 2020 by Ekskäret Foundation, The New Division and 29k Foundation together with a group of researchers, experts and practitioners in leadership development and sustainability. The IDGs are grounded in a science-based understanding of inner development, and what is needed to support a sustainable future:
Inner compass: Having a deeply felt sense of responsibility and commitment to values and purposes relating to the good of the whole.
Integrity & authenticity: A commitment and ability to act with sincerity, honesty and integrity.
Openness & learning mindset: Having a basic mindset of curiosity and a willingness to be vulnerable and embrace change and grow.
Self-awareness: Ability to be in reflective contact with own thoughts, feelings and desires; having a realistic self-image and ability to regulate oneself.
Presence: Ability to be in the here and now, without judgement and in a state of open-ended presence.
Critical thinking: Skills in critically reviewing the validity of views, evidence and plans.
Complexity awareness: Understanding of and skills in working with complex and systemic conditions and causalities.
Perspective skills: Skills in seeking, understanding and actively making use of insights from contrasting perspectives.
Sense making: Skills in seeing patterns, structuring the unknown and being able to consciously create stories.
Long-term Orientation and Visioning: Long-term orientation and ability to formulate and sustain commitment to visions relating to the larger context.
Appreciation: Relating to others and to the world with a basic sense of appreciation, gratitude and joy.
Connectedness: Having a keen sense of being connected with and/or being a part of a larger whole, such as a community, humanity or global ecosystem.
Humility: Being able to act in accordance with the needs of the situation without concern for one’s own importance.
Empathy & compassion: Ability to relate to others, oneself and nature with kindness, empathy and compassion and address related suffering
Communication skills: Ability to really listen to others, to foster genuine dialogue, to advocate own views skillfully, to manage conflicts constructively and to adapt communication to diverse groups.
Co-creation skills: Skills and motivation to build, develop and facilitate collaborative relationships with diverse stake-holders, characterised by psychological safety and genuine co-creation.
Inclusive Mindset and Intercultural Competence: Willingness and competence to embrace diversity and include people and collectives with different views and backgrounds.
Trust: Ability to show trust and to create and maintain trusting relationships.
Mobilisation skills: Skills in inspiring and mobilising others to engage in shared purposes.
Courage: Ability to stand up for values, make decisions, take decisive action and, if need be, challenge and disrupt existing structures and views.
Creativity: Ability to generate and develop original ideas, innovate and being willing to disrupt conventional patterns.
Optimism: Ability to sustain and communicate a sense of hope, positive attitude and confidence in the possibility of meaningful change.
Perseverance: Ability to sustain engagement and remain determined and patient even when efforts take a long time to bear fruit.
Ready to embark on your own journey through the Inner Development Goals?
The Humanitarian Changemaker’s Networks’ Inner Development Goals course is available for FREE on the School of Social Change.
