What about the four Cs?

We were talking with one of our financial partners this week and she asked if any of us were familiar with "the four Cs"? Of course everyone is familiar with the four Ps, but it was the first time we had been introduced to this idea - and we think it's worth sharing.

She went on to note that the four Cs are: commitment, courage, capabilities and confidence. She had been introduced to the idea at an entrepreneurial support group and said that for too many start-ups, they focus on capabilities first - when the most important step is to simply make the commitment and then have the courage to stick with it. Of course capabilities matter (as does client service by the way), but it's that balance of commitment and courage that then leads to confidence. We like this idea a lot and have been working with our clients - especially the emerging organizations we're engaged with - to take stock of our commitment and courage. This market continues to be fickle - so boning up on what it takes to be strong in the face of adversity is a really powerful exercise. And it works even better when we commit to being courageous together.