Accelerating Transitions: Nature as a Blueprint for Transition

Inspiration

Mike Hoogveld

Co-founder nlmtd

Mike Hoogveld is a partner at nlmtd and an expert in future-proof organizing. With over twenty years of experience as a manager and advisor in a wide variety of organizations both domestically and internationally, Mike is also a startup mentor, conducts scientific research at Nyenrode, and teaches at various universities and business schools.

April 8, 2025

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In the First Article of the Series Accelerating Transitions, Mike Hoogveld Takes You into the World of Systems Thinking, Collaboration, and Leadership. Inspired by Ecosystems and Nature, He Demonstrates how these Principles Can Contribute to Sustainable Impact.

Transitions, such as in the fields of energy or food, are complex, uncertain, and unclear. This is partly why they evoke many forms of resistance in our minds. One of the most common reactions is the ‘bystander effect’: because such a transition seems all-encompassing, we think our influence on it is negligible, or that others will solve the problem for us. But nothing could be further from the truth. You can indeed make a positive impact on transitions as an individual or an organization. How this works is beautifully demonstrated in a scientific experiment that unfolded over the past decades in Yellowstone National Park.

A Chain Reaction

Due to intensive hunting, wolves had disappeared from Yellowstone since the beginning of the twentieth century. Thi s resulted in the elk population doubling thereafter. Their overgrazing caused the ecosystem to become unbalanced. Especially along the banks of the Yellowstone River, biodiversity rapidly declined.

Therefore, in 1995, 41 wolves were reintroduced into the park. This marked the beginning of what biologists call a “trophic cascade”, a chain reaction in the ecosystem. The wolves drastically reduced the number of elk, and their leftover prey attracted scavengers such as eagles, ravens, and coyotes. Plants were able to grow again. This led to more berries for grizzly bears, whose numbers consequently increased. Songbirds returned because there were trees again for nesting. The number of bees and hummingbirds also increased because there were flowers again for them to feed on. Mice and rabbits found cover in the landscape again, which protected them from predators.

The roots of the returned trees strengthened the riverbanks, which were also less trampled by elk hooves. As a result, erosion decreased, the water became clearer, and fish species returned. Beavers also returned, with dams that created habitats for reptiles, amphibians, otters, and fish. And even the remaining elk eventually proved to be stronger and healthier than before [1].

What does the Yellowstone story teach us about societal transitions, such as those in energy or food?

First, that everything is connected. An intervention in the right place (such as the reintroduction of the wolf) can cause unexpected chain reactions, where one change leads to many others.

The art is to see where the system is most out of balance and to intervene there specifically. Don’t try to change everything at once, but start with the components that have the greatest leverage. As in Yellowstone: no balance without wolves. In our society too, this requires patience and perseverance. Because fundamental change takes time. But one well-considered step can be enough to set an entire transition in motion.

And at least as important: transitions require collaboration. Without the involvement of residents, businesses, and policymakers, even the best plan will fail. In Yellowstone, too, there were many critics, but by actively communicating and being transparent about goals and results, support was created. That is the essence of transition: not just dreaming big, but above all acting smartly, purposefully, and together.