Seven Rocks Philosophy

At Seven Rocks Consulting we believe that Leadership is both an Art and a Mystery. We think of Leadership Development as learning the Art of Leadership and exploring the Mystery of Leadership.

The Art of Leadership

Like any professional skill, the Art of Leadership can be developed. A Leader needs to have a strong desire to lead and serve others and needs to make an earnest commitment to hone fundamental leadership skills. We call these fundamental leadership skills the Seven Rocks of Natural Leadership. We call them “natural” because they arise from a deep and consistent contact with nature – both within and without.

The Mystery of Leadership

Tens of thousands of well-researched, well-written texts about Leadership have been published – so why should the practice of good leadership be a mystery? The ability to recognise “mystery” depends on the ability of the questioner to probe deeply. Probing deeply into anything reveals that everything is mysterious. Connecting with mystery brings challenges and great advantages to anyone who is willing and able to do so and who is then capable of bringing that experience and knowledge into everyday life. The challenges include confusion, doubt and possibly fear and the benefits include the development of balance, presence, wisdom, creativity and optimism which together enable the leader to connect with others at a deep level, energising them to action and inspiring them to greatness.

Building from traditional Leadership best practice and drawing on many years of commercial business experience, we work with a range of personal insight strategies (including focus on change, focus on positive, focus on rest) and personal growth techniques (including working with painting to expand boundaries and broaden perspectives) to deepen leader’s perspectives, liberating qualities (often previously unrecognised) which enable Leaders to creatively engage, inspire and influence others, building trust and commitment to get things done.

Leadership – what “great” looks like

On many Leadership workshops we are asked “Are Leaders born or made?” Our answer is “Both”. Leaders who may be naturally gifted in many core Leadership skills become great Leaders when they work consistently to develop and unfold their potential. Many people underestimate their true potential through ignorance (they never do any work to explore what capabilities they might have) and through a lack of focus (they fail to put their energy into areas which would enable them to develop key Leadership skills).
What transforms us from being “dull”, uninspired and “uninspiring” to living an effortless, energetic and meaningful life which impacts deeply on the lives of those around us, is the work we do to deepen our awareness of ourselves. This work liberates us from the drivenness of un-contacted emotions, beliefs, assumptions and prejudices which influence what we say and how we act and creates space in which wisdom and creativity flourish. Today’s Leaders more than ever need to be able to respond imaginatively and wisely to an increasingly more complex and faster moving world, engaging others to deliver innovative, effective solutions to ever more complex problems.

The Seven Rocks Natural Leadership programmes provide a platform to help you do the work to become a true Leader. We don’t promise quick fixes. We do promise a path to transformation which will profoundly and noticeably impact on how you behave and which will integrate your working life and your personal life, bringing deeper fulfillment, happiness and wisdom.

For those committed to long term growth, this will offer a life-changing opportunity. Through integrating the deep wisdom and understanding of our ancestors with the latest learning about human consciousness in fields as diverse as psychology, philosophy, spirituality, neuroscience, physics, we work to develop a deep knowing of Leadership. At Seven Rocks we can offer unique insights into the facets of wisdom, awakening a natural capacity to lead ourselves and others.

The Need for Wisdom in Leadership

During the first years of the new millennium, we have seen a wide and varied range of examples which demonstrate Leader’s inability to act ethically and wisely. These behaviours and the consequences are not new. What is new, is the depth and seriousness of the possible impact of this lack of ability on our economic and political stability and the increasing uncertainty of the sustainability of life on planet earth. The consistently high levels of economic growth experienced during almost a decade, fuelled by unprecedented development in China and India in particular (which until now has far from reached it’s full potential and impact) coupled with extraordinary changes in the way business is done (fuelled largely by technology, not least the internet), have resulted in a series of Corporate scandals and ultimately in a financial crisis which demonstrate that there is an urgent need for Leaders with integrity, Leaders capable of making long-term, courageous, wise decisions and capable of engaging their shareholders to follow their vision.

The ability to act ethically, displaying integrity and creating trust emanates from deep self-awareness, an ability and willingness to self-reflect, an ability to stay open to the widest perspective and an ability to create spaciousness in thinking and decision making.

Seven Rocks Methodology

Socrates said that self-knowledge is the path to happiness; Plato said that happiness is the result of finding deeper meaning and Aristotle believed that happiness comes from leading a complete and virtuous life. During the mid 20th Century, Abraham Maslow’s work emphasised how human potential can be unleashed, nurturing talents and improving the quality of life for others. This background has strongly informed Martin Seligman’s rejuvenation of Maslow’s thinking leading to the rapid growth in interest in Positive Psychology. Seven Rocks thinking overlaps with these areas, but we believe that we offer something more, both in terms of emphasis and experience.

The power and potential impact of Leadership decisions in all spheres of working life obliges Leaders to deepen self understanding and build new skills to work with others. This brings benefits for the world and personal benefits for the leader, including an increased sense of fulfilment and meaning. At Seven Rocks we do this by: