Regrets and the Elephant Mistake

Allan Savory has lived almost a century between two worlds: USA and his birthplace near Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. In this conversation we go beyond “ideas” and into the hard question Savory has spent his life on: why well-intended decisions so often create unintended consequences — and what changes when we manage from a clear holistic context instead of reacting to symptoms.

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Savory shares the backstory behind his new memoir and the pivotal period (and pressures) that shaped Holistic Management: small-population governance dynamics, exile, inter-agency training in the U.S., and an uncompromising habit he insists leaders must adopt: assume you’re wrong — then build feedback loops to catch it early.

This episode is also a challenge to modern language: when words like regenerative become slogans, the work turns vague. Savory argues the real shift is not a label — it’s a decision framework that ties life, economy, and the living world together.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

* Why “management” is the real issue (not single villains or silver bullets) — and why context determines outcomes.

* How “assume you’re wrong” becomes a practical system: proactive feedback loops instead of confident plans that drift into regret.

* Why institutions struggle at scale (legal structures aren’t human) — and what changes when people remember they’re using the institution, not serving it.

CTAIf this conversation resonates, share it with one person who influences decisions (a founder, a policymaker, a land steward, a community builder). Then hit subscribe so you don’t miss the follow-up threads on holistic context, governance, and the language traps that dilute real change.

Regenerative question to sit with:Before your next “solution,” what’s the smallest feedback signal you could track that would tell you—early—that you’re wrong, so you can correct course without causing harm?

Photo: Igor Potgieter

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Allans memoirs, UnSavory: African Stories of Wildlife, War, and the Birth of Holistic Management via Kindle

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Besides the podcast, you’ll soon find — this fall — an educational program on how to build a regenerative business or create a sustainably functioning company.

The interviews will continue to be freely available to everyone, and we truly appreciate any kind of support — whether through subscribing or contributing financially in any way.

Some reflection episodes, which will form part of the educational material I’ll start publishing this fall, will be available exclusively to paying subscribers.If you want to listen to those — this is a good time to become a subscriber!

In addition to the interviews, there will be a learning program open to everyone, but I’ll also mix in deeper-dive episodes on specific topics, which will be reserved for paying subscribers.

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🎵 The music was produced by Victor-Alan Weeks (SENA HERO)

I’m Hans Hallengren, the host of Nourishing Ideas. Learn more about me hereand follow Nourishing Ideas on LinkedIn