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Updated: Sep 30, 2026

The HoneyComb Paradigm for Research on Collective Human Behavior
Published on: January 19, 2019
The leader's compass: Reimagining leadership in chaotic times
Sarah K Wood1, Nancy D Spector2
1Harvard Macy Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Abstract:
Amid unprecedented volatility, sociopolitical upheaval, and organizational strain, traditional leadership approaches are proving insufficient in healthcare. Drawing on complexity science and grounded in relational, values-anchored practice, this Perspective proposes a Leader's Compass, with five orienting principles (Courage, Credibility, Curiosity, Communication, and Community), to help clinicians and institutions sustain teams, rebuild trust, and harness disruption as a catalyst for constructive change. Rather than promising control over chaos, the Compass reframes current instability as a bifurcation point: a rare moment of systemic plasticity from which more resilient, equitable, and adaptive institutions can emerge.
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