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Original Nature: Awakening World-Changing Leadership in the Wild

Author

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  • Julian Norris

    (University of Calgary, Haskayne School of Business)

Abstract

This paper explores themes of wildness, awakening and transformative learning in a land-based MBA leadership course. For twenty years, students have consistently characterized their participation as being a life-changing experience that shapes their personal choices and leadership actions for years afterwards. Many describe personal, social or ecological awakenings that have catalyzed a deeper ethos of connectedness, care and responsibility for the well-being of the planet and future generations. I distinguish wildness from wilderness and consider its role in generating and sustaining culture. I critically examine the MBA as a vehicle for cultivating effective and ethical leaders along with the promise and limitations of awakened leadership. I historically contextualize various forms of spiritual and social awakening, review the theoretical foundations of ecological awakening, and warily consider transformative learning as a pedagogy of awakening. I outline the overall approach of the leadership course and discuss three primary transformative learning components; Indigenous pedagogies, nature as teacher, and a range of transformative practices. I suggest that wildness offers a distinct pedagogical wellspring for educators working to shift and recalibrate patterns of consciousness and culture and conclude that transformative learning provides a way to integrate a pedagogy of awakening into management education and leadership training.

Suggested Citation

  • Julian Norris, 2025. "Original Nature: Awakening World-Changing Leadership in the Wild," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 10(1), pages 31-47, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:humman:v:10:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1007_s41463-024-00194-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s41463-024-00194-8
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Fogel, Robert William, 2000. "The Fourth Great Awakening and the Future of Egalitarianism," University of Chicago Press Economics Books, University of Chicago Press, edition 1, number 9780226256627, March.
    2. Sandra Waddock, 2024. "Skillsets for Mindful Stewards of System Transformation," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 9(1), pages 1-14, April.
    3. Bradley P. Owens & Michael D. Johnson & Terence R. Mitchell, 2013. "Expressed Humility in Organizations: Implications for Performance, Teams, and Leadership," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(5), pages 1517-1538, October.
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