Leading from Life – A Conversation on Future-Fitness
What if the future of leadership isn’t about learning more, but remembering what we’ve forgotten?
This article provides insight on the Voices of Emergence podcast that Rudy de Waele co-hosts with long-time friend, Alex de Carvalho.
In the first episode of Voices of Emergence, Rudy & Alex welcome their first guest to the circle, renowned author and regenerative leadership pioneer, Giles Hutchins. Giles has spent over two decades at the intersection of business, nature, and consciousness, helping leaders navigate complexity by reweaving the sacred into the systemic. His work draws from neuroscience, ancient wisdom traditions, and the living intelligence of nature itself.
This wasn’t just an interview. It was an immersion.
We spoke of awakenings – Giles’ own early initiatory moments, from childhood out-of-body experiences to witnessing cruelty in a school documentary that cracked open his worldview. That moment of rupture led him on a life-long inquiry: How can we live, lead, and organize in ways that are truly life-affirming?
From Corporate Logic to Living Systems
Before becoming a leading voice in regenerative leadership, Giles spent years in the corporate world, working in senior roles at KPMG and other firms. But something deeper was stirring. He saw firsthand how most leadership paradigms were built on separation – mind over matter, metrics over meaning, systems over soul.
His shift wasn’t theoretical, it was visceral. And it led to the synthesis of powerful frameworks that now guide his work with leaders around the world: spiral dynamics, adult development theory, indigenous insight, and direct somatic connection with nature.
One key takeaway? “Being regenerative,” Giles says, “is simply being in tune with life.”
Attuning to the Body, the Earth, and the Unseen
We explore how leaders can access deeper intuition – not just mental, but embodied. Giles emphasizes the difference between intuition from the mind and wisdom that arises from a connected body-mind-heart system. He shares how nature immersion, daily micro-practices, and simple acts of presence (like mindfully drinking water between meetings) can open doorways to flow and coherence, even in high-pressure environments.
A quote that stuck with us:
“If you want to thrive amid complexity, your body must become the vessel for sensing what wants to emerge.”
Shifting from Achievement to Regeneration
Through models like the “Achiever to Regenerator” arc and tools from developmental psychology, Giles helps busy leaders cross an invisible threshold, from coping with complexity to thriving within it. This isn’t about doing more. It’s about being deeper.
He explains how organizations that embrace this shift become more human, more resilient, more aligned with the patterns of life. They stop seeing themselves as machines, and start becoming ecosystems.
Holding Paradox, Embracing the Erotic, and Returning to Love
One of the most resonant moments came when we explored the sacred dance between the masculine and feminine – not as gendered binaries, but as archetypal energies. Giles beautifully framed how the erotic isn’t just sexual – it’s a sacred, animating force that draws us into life. But only when rooted in love (agape) and relationality (philia) does that eros become regenerative rather than extractive.
This theme echoes throughout our conversation:
From me vs. we → to me and we.
From disconnection → to embodied belonging.
From overwhelm → to devotional presence.
As Giles says:
“This meta-crisis we’re living in – it’s not a glitch. It’s the initiation. The question is not how do we fix it, but how do we show up, fully present, to what’s already here?”
Not Just a Conversation – A Collective Remembering
This episode is more than insight – it’s medicine. A reminder that leadership is not about having the answers, but cultivating the capacity to hold the questions. That coherence is a practice. That nature never lost its rhythm – we just need to slow down enough to feel it again.
🎧 Listen to Episode 1: Leading from Life – A Conversation with Giles Hutchins
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfNDDWnmRsI&list=PL4fiSooXivB7D83ut1Igssgg0xZcf-mGN&index=50
🌿 Learn more about Giles’ work and programs
🔗 https://gileshutchins.com
📘 Explore his latest book: Keys for Future-Fit Leadership
🔗 https://www.amazon.com/Keys-Future-Fit-Leadership-Giles-Hutchins/dp/1783243538
Giles Hutchins QUOTES
On Regeneration & Nature
“Regeneration is getting back in tune with life.”
“We’re not separate from nature. We are nature remembering itself.”
“Without presence, even the most powerful tools become quick fixes. With presence, everything becomes a portal.”
On Leadership & Consciousness
“The real shift is from resisting change to being changed by life.”
“Leadership begins when we stop trying to fix – and start listening to what wants to be born.”
“You don’t need to understand spirituality to live spiritually. You just need to be present.”
On Systems & Soul
“We can’t solve the meta-crisis with the mindset that created it. We need to become future-fit – not just technologically, but soulfully.”
“The overwhelm is not in life – it’s in our need to solve life.”
“This is the devotional act. We’re already in it.”
On Love, Eros & Wholeness
“True Eros flows from presence. It’s not desire – it’s devotion.”
“Real leadership is erotic. It dances with life.”
“We don’t need leaders who know everything. We need leaders who are willing to not know, and stay open.”
‘Working with Giles over the past three years has been a deeply transformative journey. In his presence – whether walking through the ancient woods in Springwood, sitting by the fire, or in quiet conversation online – I found a safe space to grieve, unlearn, reconnect with what matters most, and integrate new ways of being. Giles gently holds space for paradox and for my own deeper truths to surface. The path is never straight, and what I value most is having someone who’s walked it before – holding space with wisdom and experience across business, spiritual, energetic, and the natural world. This is very unique in Giles and shaped not only my work with clients, but also the way I live, lead, and see myself as part of the living world. I can wholeheartedly recommend working with him if you are embarking on your soul journey.’ Christina Peters, Founder, Art of Self
Giles Hutchins BIO
Giles Hutchins is a pioneering voice in regenerative leadership, systemic transformation, and embodied intelligence. With over 25 years in corporate strategy and executive leadership, including roles at KPMG and global multinationals, Giles now guides leaders and organizations toward life-aligned futures.
He is the author of several seminal books, including The Nature of Business, Regenerative Leadership (with Laura Storm), Leading by Nature, and most recently, Keys for Future-Fit Leadership. His work synthesizes cutting-edge research in neuroscience, developmental psychology, and complexity science with ancient wisdom traditions and the intelligence of nature.
Giles hosts retreats and immersion programs in the ancient woodlands of England, where he invites leaders to slow down, reconnect, and realign with their deeper calling. He is also the founder of Leadership Immersions and Chair of The Future Fit Leadership Academy.
At the heart of Giles’ work is a simple but radical truth: business – and leadership – can be a force of love, presence, and planetary healing.
‘Giles is a visionary and guide for anyone exploring the journey toward Future-fit/Regenerative Business. He’s been called a wise medicine man for our time and a magician of consciousness. When you are with Giles you get why these words are apt.’ Jannine Barron, Founder of The Growth Experience
To sign-up for free content, newsletters & whitepapers go to https://gileshutchins.com/newsletter-subscribe/
You can watch a short 2min video about Keys for Future-fit leadership here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjQ6s80ewNU&list=PL4fiSooXivB7D83ut1Igssgg0xZcf-mGN&index=34
Future Immersions with Giles Hutchins at Springwood are: 2 dayer/overnighter – 30th April/1st May 2026, 1 day immersion 29th June 2026 – for more details contact Giles at https://gileshutchins.com/contact/
‘Giles is a unique being. He is far more than a regenerative leadership coach, and has been walking with me on my multidimensional journey to full expression in this lifetime. For the past three years, he has lovingly and patiently stayed steady whilst I found my non-linear soul-path. He has a vast toolbox of techniques to enhance navigation towards embodied transformation personally and professionally. He is sharp, funny, light and wise and exudes passion, enthusiasm and vitality. He is willing to adapt to the person in front of him and has the ability to shapeshift from the linear explanation of the earthly human experience to a much broader experience of the unseen and mystical realms that become possible when leading from inner-outer nature. I thoroughly recommend working with Giles (remotely, as I have done) and also experiencing the unique woodland immersions at Springwood that integrate his teachings at a cellular and soul level.’ Carolyn Eddleston, Founder, Cycles of Change
‘I have been most fortunate to have Giles as my coach over the last few years as Chief Executive. His supportive, kind, and engaging style has helped me traverse unprecedented challenges both personally and professionally. Having my back, being there when I needed him, offering his wise counsel and sensing into my past, present and future, wrapped around with his regenerative leadership principles, has been like medicine to me! I can’t imagine anyone else doing what he does!’ Sinead Butters MBE, CEO, Aspire Group
The Nature of Business 