Sustained

The concept of the 7 Cs of enduring competitive advantage-cause, customers, culture, communication, commitment, change, and care-emerged from 30 years of observing the difference between long-lived companies and those that fail time and again. It developed in the laboratory of Silicon Valley, where I have spent time with some of the most innovative companies in the world, and from the classroom, where I have studied the academic literature on business and management. The constructs in the book are founded on the experiences I have gained while working within companies facing significant competitive challenges. The 7 Cs are not a sequence of steps that an organization must follow to succeed. Instead, they are the components that form what I refer to as a chemical bond within the company, creating a structure that can weather the storms that may come its way. Each of the 7 Cs has a distinct purpose within the company: Cause is the element that establishes the company's reason for existence. The concept of customers involves ensuring that the company understands the individuals who will benefit from its offerings. Culture is what the company builds to serve its customers and fulfill its purpose. The company unifies its personnel and establishes trust with the outside world through communication. The concept of commitment provides the company with the will to endure any challenges that come its way, while the concept of change highlights the need for adaptability to ensure that the company maintains its commitment. Finally, developing an attitude of care ensures that the company treats its employees, its communities, and the planet with solicitude and consideration. Companies that excel in business are not known for doing only one or two excellent things exceptionally well. Instead, they are cohesive companies whose cause informs their culture, whose culture impacts their communication with the outside world, whose communication creates a commitment to the company and its goals, whose commitment allows them to enact change as needed, and who care for their people and the planet to earn the trust of their customers. In this edition of The 7 Cs, the case studies have been updated to reflect the current competitive business landscape. Companies such as Patagonia, Chewy, Netflix, Zoom, NVIDIA, Microsoft, and Salesforce all exhibit the 7 Cs within their organizations. They were chosen not for any perfection that they may display in the modern business world, but for the clarity with which they express and apply the 7 Cs within their companies.