In this episode, we return to the updated Inner Development Goals (IDG), and reflect on what has changed, why it matters and how IDG is now even more relevant for leaders that want to develop resilient leadership.

Why IDG matters

Today leaders are not primarily challenged by 'technical problems' where clear solutions exist. Instead they face adaptive challenges in an increasingly complex, interconnected, and fast-moving world.

IDG answers: What inner capacities do leaders need in order to lead resilient, human-centered organisations in this complex environment?

5 dimensions of IDG

BEING – Cultivating Our Inner Life

At the core is Being, highlighting that leadership starts with who we are. The revised wording emphasizes development as an ongoing practice. Skills such as inner compass, self-awareness, and presence may sound obvious, but require continuous reflection. Without them, leadership easily stays on the surface.

THINKING – Understanding Our Complex World

Thinking is no longer framed as cognitive skill alone, but as understanding complexity. The shift towards systems thinking reflects today’s reality: leaders face adaptive challenges. Leadership becomes less about control and more about sense-making and framing the right questions so collective intelligence can emerge.

RELATING – Caring for Others and the World

This dimension reflects a fundamentally different image of leadership: not dominance or certainty, but care, humanity, and relational maturity. Alongside empathy, humility, and compassion, forgiveness has been added as a key skill.

COLLABORATING – Building Trust and Working Together

The collaborating dimension has been reframed to place trust at its centre. Trust is no longer treated as a skill in itself, but as an outcome of behaviors such as relationship-building, inclusion, communication, and co-creation.

ACTING – Leading and Enabling Change

The final dimension focuses on enabling action, not driving it. Skills like courage, hope & optimism, and resilience point to leadership as creating conditions where people can act.

A living guide for leaders

The IDG is not a finished model, like leadership itself, it continues to evolve. Used as a self-assessment or reflection tool, it helps leaders identify strengths, development areas, and how leadership can be shared across an organization.

Working with Second Crack and IDG

We increasingly use IDG in our work. Its strength lies in its simplicity, shared language, and ability to quickly open deep, meaningful conversations about leadership behavior and culture. Please get in touch if you want to explore how we and IDG can support your organisation.

Previous episodes

• From 2022, a 6-part in-depth look at IDG. Link to part 1: https://podcast.secondcrackleadership.com/1659493/episodes/10816920
• Link to episode on Systems Thinking with Dr. Paul Lawrence: https://podcast.secondcrackleadership.com/1659493/episodes/12056252
• Find more information related to IDG at innerdevelopmentgoals.org

About Second Crack
More information about us and our work is available on our website: secondcrackleadership.com. Contact us now to explore how we can support your leadership development in a company-wide initiative or with individual executive coaching: hello@secondcrackleadership.com.

Connect with us on LinkedIn:
Martin Aldergård
Gerrit Pelzer

In this episode, we explore forgiveness as an essential yet often overlooked capacity in leadership. Inspired by the updated Inner Development Goals 2.0, which now include forgiveness, we ask what it really means to forgive in a corporate context — and why it might be one of the strongest acts a leader can take.
We look at how resentment and hurts drain energy, how unresolved conflicts hold teams back, and how forgiveness can help rebuild trust and release energy for growth and collaboration. And we challenge the idea that forgiveness is a sign of weakness — and rather requires strength, self-awareness, and courage.

Key insights

• Forgiveness is not weakness.
  It takes strength and courage to face what happened, to let go of anger, and to move forward.
• Forgiveness and accountability can coexist.
  You can forgive someone and still hold them accountable — forgiveness doesn’t mean there are no consequences.
• Healing relationships frees up energy.
  Letting go of grudges restores focus and vitality — for individuals, teams, and the whole organization.
• Forgiveness can help make change successful.
  Acknowledging past disappointments, frustrations and hurts is essential before a team can truly move forward.

Reflection questions

• What makes you feel hurt, what makes you angry, and what creates negative feelings?
• If you are in the process of forgiving, reflect on what might this be teaching you? And even if you are still feeling hurt, how might you use this pain as a positive force for growth?
• Where might you still be holding a grudge — maybe over many years — and is it time to forgive? And who do you need to forgive?
• Is there anybody who you might have hurt? And isn't it time to actively approach that person and reach out?
• As a leader, how can you be more observant of your team’s emotions and the impact of your own behavior?
• How can forgiveness become a force for learning and growth in your team?

Introduction to The Inner Development Goals (IDG)

Our episode introducing the IDG: https://podcast.secondcrackleadership.com/1659493/episodes/10816920

More information related to the IDG at innerdevelopmentgoals.org

About Second Crack
More information about us and our work is available on our website: secondcrackleadership.com. Contact us now to explore how we can support your leadership development in a company-wide initiative or with individual executive coaching: hello@secondcrackleadership.com.

Connect with us on LinkedIn:
Martin Aldergård
Gerrit Pelzer

In this episode we explore what it means to lead with authenticity, courage, compassion and wisdom when the pressure is on. Our guest, Martin Farrell, author of Good Leaders in Turbulent Times, shares insights from six decades working for and with civil society organizations including the Red Cross and Save the Children.

Through the metaphor of coffee roasting—the “second crack” that releases a bean’s full flavor—Martin reminds us that it’s often the heat of turbulence that helps leaders grow, if they have the courage to face it.

Highlights

• The heat transforms: Growth happens in challenge, not comfort. Leaders evolve by facing turbulence, not avoiding it.
• Authenticity matters: Good leadership begins with self-awareness and alignment between inner and outer worlds.
• Avoidance fuels crisis: Many problems stem from ignoring early signals. Awareness and reflection are the antidotes.
• Listen to learn: Deep listening and “thinking partners” help leaders see what they can’t see alone.
• From ego to eco: Real wisdom comes from seeing oneself as part of a larger whole—organization, community, planet.
• Three enduring qualities: Compassion, courage, and wisdom form the foundation for leading well in uncertain times.

Reflection questions

• When I’m going through turbulent times as a leader, what are the signals I might be missing — or perhaps don’t want to see? How can I stay more open to them?
• So even if there is a crisis, how can I create space for reflection and ask myself, “What’s really going on here?”
• And whatever the outcome, success or failure, ask: what can I learn from it, and how can that learning become part of who I am as a leader?
• How can I turn discomfort or pain from crisis, into fuel for growth, rather than something to resist or suppress?

About Martin Farrell

He is an author and long-time international facilitator with over 60 years’ experience in civil society organizations. His book ‘Good Leaders in Turbulent Times’ is available through major booksellers.

Learn more at martinfarrell.org

Martin has also published leadership articles on his Substack

About Second Crack
More information about us and our work is available on our website: secondcrackleadership.com. Contact us now to explore how we can support your leadership development in a company-wide initiative or with individual executive coaching: hello@secondcrackleadership.com.

Connect with us on LinkedIn:
Martin Aldergård
Gerrit Pelzer