Want to show up better? Start thinking like a forest
Nature is our greatest teacher (and she’s free).
Biomimicry is the practice of looking to nature for inspiration to solve human challenges. By studying natural systems, processes, and organisms, we can learn how nature has already addressed many of the problems we face and emulate these principles to create sustainable solutions.
When most people hear “biomimicry” they think of how it pertains to architecture or tech innovations. For example the design of the Eastgate Centre in Zimbabwe was inspired by termite mounds and uses natural ventilation to keep the building cool, drastically reducing the need for air conditioning. Or, how Swiss engineer, George de Mestral, noticed the way burrs clung to his dog's fur and subsequently created the now-ubiquitous velcro. These examples help us see how nature can improve our constructed world. Yet this worldview essentially sees us as separate from the natural world when, of course, we are not.
Biomimicry is a remembering
From my perspective as a conscious leadership coach, biomimicry acts as a way to remember what we’ve always known to be the core foundations of a life (and company) well led. Things like balance, purposeful perseverance, collaboration, adaptability – nature is rife with inspiration and knowledge about how to best lead ourselves, and others.
Take the well known example of an animal such as a dog, duck or swan, who shakes its body after a confrontation with another animal. These animals move their bodies to release emotional energy and restore balance, in the same way humans exercise to clear their minds and regulate their nervous systems. Another example comes from the way trees collaborate and communicate with each other. Through their root systems, trees share nutrients and warnings about pests or disease. This interconnectedness allows the forest to thrive as a collective, rather than as isolated individuals. Similarly, humans flourish when we clearly communicate, share resources and focus on the team as a whole.
In these ways, nature provides a reminder of how to live from a place of deep trust in the natural cycles, models, systems and elements that allow all living things to thrive, including humans.
All ecosystems require equilibrium (including you)
One of the core tenets of my coaching approach is to understand and evolve a person’s ecology - how you interact with and are influenced by the world around you. This is because - as ecologists know - the relationship between living organisms (yes, dear human, that includes you) and their physical environments is essential to finding sustainable balance in life.
As individuals we are always seeking balance, sometimes subconsciously. We are drawn to equilibrium because without it, we cannot grow. The natural environments (which we so often forget we form part of) reveal this truth to us in countless contexts. When species become extinct due to unnatural interventions, entire ecosystems collapse.
Take the case of the wolves being hunted out of Yellowstone National Park in the 1920s. For decades, the absence of these apex predators threw the ecosystem into disarray. Without wolves to control the populations of deer and elk, these herbivores overgrazed vegetation, which led to soil erosion and a decline in plant and tree life. The disruption even affected the park’s rivers, as the lack of vegetation caused the banks to erode. It wasn’t until wolves were reintroduced in the 1990s that the ecosystem began to regain its balance. The wolves restored the health of the vegetation, stabilised the rivers, and helped rebalance the entire ecosystem.
Similarly, when our personal ecology is thrown off balance by unsustainable work rhythms or toxic environments, the propensity for burnout increases exponentially. We mirror nature and similarly face collapse (read: burn out) when the system is disrupted.
We are nature, nature is us
The ego tells us that we are separate from nature. It convinces us that we are isolated from the very world that sustains us. It pulls us away from accepting that our greatest teacher exists all around us. In this disconnection our very fibres suffer.
One of the greatest lessons biomimicry can teach us, is that we are part of a greater whole. Not only does this connectedness provide inherent purpose (our interdependence makes our very existence valuable), it also offers us a lens through which we can connect with something outside of ourselves. When we accept our connectedness to all living things, we find that our work, relationships, and lives take on more meaning. We’re less likely to feel lost or aimless, and more inclined to approach challenges with collaboration and creative problem-solving.
When we fail to comprehend this connectedness, we are more apt to move towards fear, self-sabotage and individualistic coping mechanisms. Nature tells us that we must adapt and act collaboratively to survive and thrive. Naturally, this applies to us as human beings, yet it is a lesson we are apt to forget time and time again.
The art of finding flow state
When we hear talk about following moon cycles or aligning life to the change of seasons, it can feel tempting to dismiss anything adjacent to these ideas as new-age spiritual fluff. But to do so is to throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Seasonality, rhythm and flow are at the heart of what makes biomimicry so powerful. By connecting to your unique rhythm, you can unlock the liminal space where creative flow thrives. Nature provides a doorway to this ever-illusive flow state. When we bear witness to the natural word with grounded intention, we commit to awe and wonder – key ingredients for creative mastery.
Today, I encourage you to observe something as simple as a tree, the shape of a leaf, or the way the wind feels against your skin, and see what it unlocks in you.