Wolf Born

(aka Randal Newton-John)

Regenerative business consultant

Sociocracy facilitator

What is regenerative business?

Regenerative businesses seek to go beyond social and ecological extraction, to work within sustainable limits and then go further and be part of building a thriving world for people and planet.

Sure, it is about growing more trees than we cut down, pulling out more carbon than we put in and supporting eco-systems so that biodiversity can thrive. But regenerative business is also about moving beyond an extractive way of viewing people as replaceable units of labour and growing a sustainable workplace culture that nurtures all workers. In particular, its about building trust as a way to navigate uncertainty and risk, rather than relying on punitive and manipulative control- based methods.

About me

Some may see me as a contradiction in terms. On the one hand I have over a decade’s experience as an Operations and Quality executive. I have managed quality systems and audits, led IT transformation projects and property relocations, was head of a suite of national suicide and mental health programs, oversaw the NDIS implementation process for a disability provider, acted as CEO in two organisations, and have reported to Boards as an Executive lead for risk, quality and customer experience.

On the other I am a counsellor, bodyworker, musician and teacher of Eastern spiritual modalities. I am proud member of the LGBTIQ+ community. I now combine my deep understanding of Western organisational management and leadership with nature-based practices and Eastern precepts based in Tantric and Taoist philosophies

Qualifications and certifications

• Bachelor of Arts (Professional Writing)
• Graduate Diploma in Health Science (Sexual Health).
• Certified Sociocracy facilitator (Sociocracy for All).
• Climate Cafe facilitator (Psychology for Safe Climate),
• Forest bathing guide (in training) (Forest Therapy Hub.)

Proud Professional Partner of Sociocracy For All.

Working within organisations

I support organisations towards putting nature at the core of their values and aligning with their business purpose. For many businesses, this is primarily about working with people, not necessarily with specific environmental projects. My work involves:

• Trust-based policy development and leadership. The basis of building a strong supportive culture relies not only on leadership but a quality system that reinforces trust at all levels. Leadership needs to understand how trust is grown within organisations and how to resist control-based methods that are seductive, yet ultimately counter-productive.
• Balanced decision making. How to make balanced decisions that takes into account the body, mind, emotions and our intuition
• Coaching in personal embodiment, connection and mindfulness. As a trained and experienced professional counsellor, I address personal concerns that arise from the work of transforming governance, policy and work practices
• Self-organising governance: Assisting organisations towards a self-organising governance structure

The Uncertainty Principles

In Western management, uncertainty is governed by the processes of ‘risk management.’ It is generally handled through systems including environmental scanning, risk analysis, treatment and planning. This is analogous to playing a game of chess, where we try to predict the potential moves of the ‘opponent’, and shore up our defenses against loss and losing.

But we exist in a world confronted by new and existential risk: climate change, peak resource and population, war and pandemics, rapid global political shifts, artificial intelligence, to name a few… Using the chess metaphor, this is akin to the chess board expanding its size or new pieces being added that have unknown properties.

While traditional risk management processes may hold some value, as risks become more complex from an ever increasing array of variables, concrete forms of risk management lose their potency.

To navigate this whole new level of risk we need to change our notion of risk management to a more general navigation of uncertainty. That is, to not only accept constant and accelerating change, but to befriend it and use it to our advantage, much like a sailor learns to set sails towards the uncertainty of the wind.

Uncertainty does not necessarily mean chaos. The notion of the inherent uncertainty of nature has been understood by Eastern philosophies for millennia. Tantra and Taoism understood that order and harmony can still be achieved but we must observe the subtle nature of reality rather than be lost in material form or mental structure.

I have developed a set of basic principles that adapts Eastern precepts for organisational leadership and management.

The key principles for navigating uncertainty are:

• Give space for the body and gut feelings; they are our best guide in uncertain times
• Mindfully observe discomfort before you act. Find resolution rather than create new solutions
• Rekindle a sacred trust in humanity, of which you and all of us are a part
• Foster interactions that generate emotional pleasure, building a sense of home
• Free systems from unnecessary weight, allowing you to navigate quickly and decisively
• Learn about structure, harmony and uncertainty from nature
• Come back to yourself to balance and recharge

For a more detailed explanation of these principles follow the link: