Regenerative Work: Elevating Consciousness in the Workplace

Throughout my career, I’ve always been fascinated by the dynamic relationship between corporate culture and purpose. It has always seemed self-evident to me that a company’s external expression mirrors its internal reality. To thrive and fulfill its mission, an organization must first nurture the vitality and aspirations of its people.

Fifteen years ago, the “liberated company” emerged as a bold alternative to traditional corporate structures that treated employees as cogs in a machine. Leaders across Europe embraced this vision, implementing principles like subsidiarity, transparency, dialogue, and purpose in their organizations. Yet, even the most committed pioneers often found themselves disillusioned.

Despite remarkable gains in employee well-being and apparent economic success, these leaders faced a sobering reality: the larger systems surrounding their organizations seemed to resist change. Over time, the liberating efforts were undone, and the familiar hierarchies, command and control structures, rigid KPIs, and traditional mindsets, returned. For many, the emotional toll of this reversal was immense. Some left the corporate world entirely to build alternative schools, create sanctuaries for disillusioned leaders, or retreat to nature in search of deeper meaning.

Was this a failure? Or a misunderstood success?

Beyond the “Liberated company”

I’ve never liked the term “liberated company”; it implies an external force acting upon an organization. Instead, I’ve always seen companies as living systems, each with a unique role to play in the world. When I joined 安盛 a decade ago, I saw my role not just as developing digital services but as contributing to AXA’s broader purpose: protecting what is precious and fostering humanity’s progress by sustaining the world’s vitality and viability.

The shift to regenerative thinking was transformative for me. Moving beyond the human-centered focus of liberated companies, regenerative work sees organizations as interconnected, living systems with their own essence. This perspective replaces individual development goals with a deeper purpose: elevating consciousness, raising awareness of our interconnectedness and the singular role each of us plays within a greater whole.

Regenerative work is, at its core, an energetic endeavor. It is about creating ripples that awaken others to their interconnectedness and inspire them to think and act differently.

Rethinking success

Reflecting on the pioneers of liberated companies, one might argue that their efforts left no lasting mark in traditional metrics. But their true impact is undeniable. By elevating my awareness, they enabled me to embark on my own regenerative journey.

When we elevate consciousness, we create waves of energy that influence those around us, allowing them to expand their awareness and rethink their actions. This ripple effect transcends short-term goals.

Over the past 30 years, I’ve launched numerous products and services while championing cultural change to sustain innovation. Some initiatives were financially successful; others were not. But the true question is not whether these projects delivered financial returns, it’s whether they generated energy fields that elevated consciousness, deepened the understanding of interconnectedness, and inspired others to reflect on their thought processes.

The invisible legacy

As I continue to deepen my regenerative practice, I’ve come to see my past, present, and future through a different lens. Imagine if every project, every action, had been aimed not at achieving a financial target but at raising the level of consciousness, my own and others’. These invisible legacies, the energy shifts that ripple through our world, may be the most profound contributions we can make to humanity.

Today, much of the pressure on companies revolves around multi-capital accounting, assessing financial, human, social, natural, and intellectual capitals. Yet one essential capital is consistently overlooked: consciousness capital.

What impact does a company have on elevating humanity’s consciousness? This is not just an abstract question. Consider social media algorithms. Polarizing content currently thrives because it drives engagement. But what if algorithms prioritized content that elevated humanity’s consciousness, posts that not only sparked thought but encouraged reflection on how we think? Such a shift could reshape society in profound ways.

Regenerative Work: A path forward

Regenerative work is not just a framework; it’s a profound shift in how we approach purpose, culture, and success. It challenges us to think beyond metrics and to measure impact through the invisible ripples of consciousness we set into motion.

Organizations have the power to create lasting change, not just in the markets they serve but in the minds and hearts of their people and communities. By embracing regenerative principles, companies can transform into catalysts for collective awareness, helping humanity step closer to its fullest potential.

The future of work lies not in accumulation but in elevation. Let us focus on the legacy we leave in the energy fields we create, because these are the true markers of progress.