Coaching for regenerative leadership: A fourth-generation integrative framework

Abstract

This conceptual article addresses the urgent need for leadership capable of navigating ecological degradation, social fragmentation, and organisational complexity. It argues that to tackle these challenges, leadership development must evolve, moving beyond traditional models that focus on individualistic goals and abstract skill transmission. Drawing on Situated Learning Theory, we propose a new fourth-generation coaching framework designed to support regenerative leadership. This framework integrates five interdependent systems: psychological, spiritual, ecological, somatic, and social. It positions coaching as an embodied, relational, and participatory learning process, where meaning is co-constructed through engagement with people, place and purpose. By fostering post-conventional development, the framework helps cultivate leaders who can think systemically, engage with complex environments, and embrace ecological responsibility. This approach bridges the gap between leadership demands and developmental capacity, offering a transformative response to the global challenges of our time. We position coaching not merely as a developmental tool but as a critical practice for nurturing the regenerative leadership needed for sustainability. This article contributes to the ongoing discourse at the intersection of leadership learning, systems thinking, and ecological responsibility, offering a new perspective on how leadership should be learned in an interconnected world.