INTRODUCING

The 6 Essential Capacities of Leadership™

Leadership for Complex Times

The 6 Capacities of Leadership is a framework and program for today’s volatile business world. It combines a research-based model with tools and learning materials that leaders can apply right away. Build for executive teams facing complex business pressures, it turns ideas into shared practice and helps leaders grow responsibility, navigate complexity and expand their impact.

WHAT IS LEADERSHIP CAPACITY?

Leadership Capacity is the amount of responsibility and complexity a leader can hold, and the developed, expandable ability to select and apply fitting methods, motivations and approaches that move work and people forward.

Designed for today’s rapidly evolving work environment.

Let’s face it. Business is tough, and the challenges you’re facing today haven’t been encountered by “the experts”. There’s no playbook for success in today’s post-pandemic, industry-disrupted, socially divided work environment.

Expand your own leadership capacity to access:

  • The 6 Capacities of Leadership will expand your ability to meet people where they are, appeal to their needs and motivations, and close gaps in your own leadership style.

  • You will bolster your ability to stay steady under pressure and adjust how you lead as conditions shift and stakeholders change.

  • More consistently act from self-authored judgment and confidently choose leadership methods without reliance on external direction.

  • Building your capacity in each of the six areas will expand your canvas of possibility, giving you the opportunity to see more viable options than your peers, and turn constraints into routes for progress.

Senior Director at Fortune 50

“This session is fantastic for leaders who need to reassess [their] leadership toolbox in a time of immense challenge or transformation. The grounding framework used allows you to evaluate what is needed for your current situation, while also teaching you how to flex your leadership approach to other challenges in the long-term. Summer listens deeply and tailors the session to your needs, ensuring you walk away with meaningful ideas that you can immediately put into practice.”

The 6 Capacities of Leadership: Why We Need Them Now

Our current systems—economic, political, environmental, and corporate—have led us into crisis. The same strategies that once drove growth are now driving instability. The Six Capacities of Leadership are designed to help leaders rise to this moment of complexity and guide their organizations toward a different and more sustainable future.

The 6 Capacities Leadership Development Model

The 6 Capacities of Leadership form a model for understanding how leaders develop in relation to both their own growth and the needs of their environment. Unlike frameworks focused only on the individual, this model emphasizes the systems leaders operate within—teams, organizations, and broader communities. It is designed for leaders in large, complex contexts where the ability to expand capacity across multiple dimensions is critical.

TRUST

  • United by tradition, grounded in community.

  • Builds a sense of belonging, cohesion, and cultural safety. May struggle with change or external input.

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STRENGTH

  • Strength through power, action without hesitation.

  • Brings boldness and decisiveness. Can become reactive or dominating under pressure.

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ORDER

  • Order through structure, purpose beyond self.

  • Leads with integrity, stability, and clarity—risks of rigidity or moral absolutism.

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SUCCESS

  • Innovation and achievement fuel progress.

  • Drives ambition and results. May lead to burnout or tunnel vision.

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HARMONY

  • Connection through compassion, equality for all.

  • Fosters inclusion and empathy. May avoid conflict or delay decisions.

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SYSTEMS

  • Embrace complexity, innovate with freedom.

  • Adapts fluidly and leads transformation. Can lose grounding in day-to-day detail.

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Learn More

Curious whether The 6 Capacities of Leadership are the right fit for you or your organization? We offer a complimentary 30-minute consultation to explore your goals and challenges. There is no charge and no commitment. The session is an opportunity to see how this model can support your leadership and team.