Inner development explained

Inner development is the strategic capability behind execution. It’s what turns strategies into behaviour, teams into aligned collectives, and leaders into people others follow.

What is inner development?

Inner development is the growth of the human capacities we need to navigate complexity, collaborate honestly, and create change that lasts.

The 25 inner skills – from inner compass and complexity awareness to communication, courage, and creativity — are the concrete capabilities behind leadership, teamwork, and change.
Research shows they matter more for leading through complexity than technical expertise. Yet they remain the most underdeveloped area in most organisations.

That gap is what inner development addresses.
The word “inner” often makes people think of personal growth or soft skills. In fact, inner development is one of the most concrete, trainable, and measurable capabilities in any organisation — because it’s what strategy execution actually depends on.

Outer change starts within

Every major change theory, from Kurt Lewin to Otto Scharmer, converges on the same insight: outer change is powered by inner change. You cannot transform an organisation without transforming the people inside it.

  • A leader who develops self-awareness makes decisions people actually follow.
  • A team that builds psychological safety produces innovation that would otherwise stay silent.
  • An organisation that develops complexity awareness delivers on strategy that would otherwise stall.

Strategies fail on people, not paper. Inner development is what fixes that.

That’s why we built the Inner Development Kit – to make this insight practical.

From academic framework to tangible tools

The Inner Development Goals (IDG) framework is a rigorous, research-based model. It identifies 25 inner skills across 5 dimensions, co-created by more than 30 researchers, coaches, and practitioners across psychology, systems science, leadership, and sustainability.

But like most academic frameworks, it doesn’t come with a way to actually use it.

That’s where the Inner Development Kit comes in.

We took the framework and translated it into three things you can put in your hands:

  • A physical toolkit with dialogue cards, skill cards, and an assessment card — so any team, coach, or leader can start a conversation about inner development without training.
  • An online assessment tool for individuals, teams, and 360 — so you can measure and reflect on where you stand, tied to a specific goal.
  • A facilitation approach you can learn — through workshops, an online course, and consulting.

You don’t need to know the IDG organisation to use the Kit. You don’t need to be a change consultant or a psychologist. The tools are built for anyone who wants to make the inner side of change practical.

That’s what we mean when we say Inner Development Kit builds the human capability that makes strategy executable.

Explore the Kit · Try the free online assessment · Book a workshop or course

The academic backbone

Inner development is not a new-age idea. It’s a research-based framework being applied and studied in academic institutions worldwide.

The 5 dimensions and 25 inner skills

The IDG framework identifies 25 skills across 5 dimensions:

  • Being — Relationship to self. Inner compass, integrity, presence, awareness.
  • Thinking — Cognitive skills. Critical thinking, complexity awareness, perspective-taking.
  • Relating — Caring for self, others, and the world. Empathy, compassion, trust.
  • Collaborating — Social skills. Communication, co-creation, inclusive mindset.
  • Acting — Enabling change. Courage, creativity, optimism, perseverance.

The full list of 25 skills is built into every part of the Inner Development Kit — from the dialogue cards to the online assessment. When you rate yourself on the 25 skills, you’re mapping your inner infrastructure. When you reflect on which ones your goal depends on, you’re building a growth path.

See the 25 skills in the online assessment

Used at universities across Europe

Universities integrate the Inner Development Kit into leadership development, teacher education, and student wellbeing programmes, eg. through the Erasmus SEA-EU programme. At Artevelde University of Applied Sciences (Belgium) more than 200 students used the assessment, and at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands) they implement the inner development perspective as part of their curriculum.

Officially aligned with the IDG initiative

Sara Øllgaard, the Kit’s creator, is an official IDG Ambassador – meaning the Kit is recognised as a practical tool for facilitating the framework. Sara is also a Certified Co-Active Coach and Team Coach, holds a Master in Leadership and Innovation, and is a graduate of KaosPilot.

Grounded in research from leading thinkers

The framework itself draws on decades of research from thinkers like Amy Edmondson (psychological safety), Otto Scharmer (Theory U), Peter Senge (systems thinking), Robert Kegan (adult development), and others – together covering all five IDG dimensions.

Read more about the researchers in the FAQ below.

FAQ

The Inner Development Goals (IDG) are the framework — 25 skills across 5 dimensions, developed by researchers and thought leaders to describe the inner capacities we need to navigate global challenges.

The Inner Development Kit (IDK) is the practical implementation — the physical toolkit, the online assessment, the workshops, and the facilitation approach that turn the framework into something anyone can use.

The IDG framework is our inspiration. The IDK is our translation of that inspiration into tools you can hold, use, and share.

Yes. The Inner Development Kit’s online assessment lets you (or your team) rate the 25 IDG skills, then reflect on them in relation to a specific goal or challenge. You track change over time through re-assessment — every 3, 6, or 12 months.

It’s not a single score. It’s a growth path with measurable progress.

Try the free version of the online assessment.

No. Personal development is broad — it can mean anything from productivity habits to self-help. Inner development is specific: it focuses on trainable capabilities like inner compass, complexity awareness, relational intelligence, courage, and creativity.

Where personal development often stops at the individual, inner development connects the individual to their outer goals, teams, and organisations. It’s what makes strategy executable, teams aligned, and change lasting.

Strategies fail on people, not paper. That’s not soft. That’s structural.

Outer change requires human capability. Strategy doesn’t execute itself. Teams don’t align themselves. Complexity doesn’t hold itself. When the people delivering the outer work develop their inner skills — self-awareness, dialogue, courage, relational intelligence — the outer world starts to shift with them.

That’s the premise: outer change starts within.

The framework draws on decades of research from leading thinkers across leadership, change, systems, and human development. Together, they cover all five IDG dimensions:

Amy Edmondson — Psychological Safety and Team Learning
IDG dimension: Collaborating
Edmondson shows how teams that feel safe to speak up, disagree, and admit mistakes outperform those that don’t. Psychological safety is the operating system of high-performing teams. Watch her TED talk.

Otto Scharmer — Theory U and Systems Transformation
IDG dimension: Being
Scharmer’s Theory U is a framework for leading profound change by accessing your highest future potential and shifting from ego-centric to eco-centric awareness. His term “presencing” means operating from the emerging future. Learn more at the Presencing Institute.

Peter Senge — Learning Organisations and Systems Thinking
IDG dimension: Thinking
Senge shows why organisations that learn faster outperform those that don’t — and how systems thinking makes learning possible. Watch Senge introduce Systems Thinking.

Robert Kegan & Lisa Lahey — Adult Development and Immunity to Change
IDG dimension: Being
Kegan and Lahey explain why change is hard: not because we lack skill, but because we have “hidden commitments” that resist growth. Their work maps how adults keep developing throughout their lives. Read more.

Jennifer Garvey Berger — Growth Mindset and Complexity in Leadership
IDG dimension: Thinking
Garvey Berger explores how leaders navigate complexity through growth mindset — and how uncertainty becomes a pathway to innovation. Find more on Cultivating Leadership.

Renée Lertzman — Psychological Insights for Environmental and Social Change
IDG dimension: Acting
Lertzman combines psychology and environmental studies to give leaders tools for meaningful engagement — turning eco-anxiety into action. Watch her TED talk.

Daniel J. Siegel — Interpersonal Neurobiology and Mindfulness
IDG dimension: Relating
Siegel integrates neuroscience and mindfulness, showing how self-awareness and emotional regulation shape our relationships. Learn more at the Mindsight Institute.

Depending on where you are:

Book a workshop, course, or talk if you’d like Sara to run the process with you.

Try the free online assessment for a 15-minute snapshot of your inner skills.

Buy the Inner Development Kit for tangible tools to use in workshops, teams, and coaching.

Join the “Copenhagen Leadership Hub”. If you are near Copenhagen, you are welcome to join our. Send a request to participate and get updates about our activities in our linkedin group here.

Ready to bring inner development into your work?

Whether you’re leading a team, running a workshop, coaching individuals, or teaching students – inner development offers a structured, practical path. We’ve built the tools to help you facilitate it.

Reach out – if you are not sure where to start.

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