Chapter 1 Understanding the Compass
The Spiral Model: Continuous Growth
To embark on the journey of the 7C, we must first understand the framework that will guide us. A traditional map is useful when the terrain is known and the destination is fixed. However, modern leadership is a journey through an ever- changing landscape, characterized by complexity, uncertainty, and unforeseen challenges.
The dynamic works as follows: each time you practice Trust, you create the conditions for deeper Consideration. Authentic Consideration leads to more effective and more human Collaboration. Collaboration generates Consistency in results and behaviors. Consistency anchors lasting Credibility, which provides the legitimacy from which to exercise Courage. Courage unleashes Creativity, innovation, and the visionary thinking necessary to transform organizations and business models. This reinforcing loop creates powerful momentum. With each turn of the spiral, your leadership capacity deepens, your impact amplifies, and your authenticity strengthens. You progressively move from transactional leadership (task-centered) to transformational leadership (people-centered), and then toward evolutionary leadership (purpose-centered). The 7Cs progressively become not what you do, but who you are. This is the sign of true maturation: leadership qualities are no longer competencies you “apply,” but natural expressions of your consciousness. You embody the spiral.
What we need is a compass. A compass provides something far more valuable than a predetermined route: it offers consistent directional Alignment. Whatever the situation, it allows you to navigate uncertainty, adapt to changing circumstances while remaining true to your moral compass.
Several contemporary currents in leadership and organizational sciences have explored how individuals and collectives evolve in complex, uncertain, and interconnected environments. Research on adaptive leadership, psychological safety, ethical leadership, and systems thinking approaches all highlight the importance of trust, shared meaning, cooperation, and collective learning. The 7C Compass aligns with this dynamic by offering a pragmatic and evolutionary framework centered on leadership behaviors that are observable, cultivable, and adaptable to a wide diversity of contexts. This framework is not linear; it is an ascending spiral. This metaphor echoes developmental models showing that growth – individual, organizational, or societal – follows a spiral progression where each stage transcends and includes the previous ones (as illustrated by Beck and Cowan’s Spiral Dynamics, or the organizational stages described by Laloux). You never “complete” the 7Cs. You traverse them again and again, each iteration elevating you to a higher level of mastery and impact. Each turn of the spiral does not replace the previous ones: it integrates them at a higher level of complexity.
8 THE 7C LEADERSHIP COMPASS FOR MORAL AMBITION 2025 JONATHAN NORMAND. CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE
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