Using Nature to Nurture Innovation

Nature has spent billions of years perfecting strategy, and those lessons can help leaders think more clearly about innovation. Rich Horwath sits down with Ines Garcia, author of Nature’s Blueprint for Business, in this episode of Strategic Minds Podcast to explore how ecosystem principles can strengthen the way organizations work and grow.

She shows why leaders must stay attuned and responsive to their environment, just as ecosystems do when they face tension and change. Ideas like ecotones and “bending without breaking” highlight how the space between teams can spark the most innovation.

Listeners gain a new lens for strategy and instead of adding complexity, tap into natural patterns that have been refined over billions of years. The result is smarter innovation, stronger collaboration, and environments where people and ideas can truly flourish.

🔑 Key Quotes:

“Biomimicry is, Jenin-Bernion says, innovation inspired by nature.”

“The opportunity for where things meet is an opportunity, a space to create, to collect materials and exchange nutrients.”

“We often use value stream mapping to look at within the organizational boundaries, ideally across your value chain, how can you reduce waste of time, right?”

“If after an injury or stress, then have the ability to learn from that into what you’re becoming rather than going back. Even staying still is going backwards.”

“I think that we should quiet our cleverness and observe the natural patterns that govern us.”

“I would encourage leaders to breathe in and look outside.”

“We are in this time of moving from competitive advantage to collaborative advantage.”

“Ninety percent of the materials that we use in our products are wasted. Imagine if you keep them within your value chain or don’t even put them there to start. What a savings of energy, transport, effort, materials cost.”

🏆 Winsight:

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “Nature has made up her mind that what cannot defend itself shall not be defended.” It’s a powerful reminder for leaders: advantage isn’t something we claim, it's something we build. Organizations thrive when they invest in capabilities that genuinely strengthen their position.

As you assess your business, ask whether you’re developing the skills, knowledge, and systems that create a defensible moat. Are you sharpening differentiation or simply maintaining activity? Strategic advantage requires intention, not inertia.

If we’re not actively creating the capabilities that separate us from the competition, we limit our ability to shape the position we want in the market. The question for leaders becomes simple: Are we building what we need to defend, and deserve, our future advantage?

🔗 Links:

Connect with Ines Garcia:

Ines Garcia's website

Nature’s Blueprint for Business (Book)

Ines Garcia on LinkedIn

🚀 Resources from Rich Horwath, Host of Strategic Minds:

🌐 Strategic Thinking Institute Website 👤 Rich Horwath on LinkedIn 🎥 Rich Horwath on YouTube 🐦 Rich Horwath on X 📸 Rich Horwath on Instagram 📘 STRATEGIC Book 🧠 Strategic Fitness System 📬 Free Strategic Thinker Newsletter 🧪 Strategic Quotient (SQ) Assessment 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts 🎧 Listen on Spotify