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VUCA Leadership Framework

International
vComposite: VUCA (US Army War College usage; Bennis and Nanus 1985), VUCA Prime (Johansen 2007), AGILE Model (Horney, Pasmore and O'Shea 2010; Horney 2021)
4 domains
14 controls

The leadership response to a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous environment as the published models set it out: diagnose the conditions (US Army War College usage; Bennett and Lemoine), counter them with Johansen's VUCA Prime (vision, understanding, clarity, agility), build agility through Horney, Pasmore and O'Shea's AGILE Model, and select, develop and reward leaders accordingly. A composite without a single originator text; the Prime elements rest on restatements, the AGILE Model on its originator's book.

Verified

VUCA Leadership Framework is a compliance framework from International with 4 domains and 14 controls that map to 5 other frameworks. The largest domains are Leadership agility: the AGILE Model (Horney, Pasmore and O'Shea) – VUCA Leadership Framework (5 controls), VUCA Prime: the leadership responses (Johansen) – VUCA Leadership Framework (4 controls), Developing VUCA leaders – VUCA Leadership Framework (3 controls). Every control below carries what it requires and what an assessor expects to see.

Maintained by Gerard BlokdykVerified against the published standard Control text last updated

Framework summaries on this platform are interpretations grounded in the published source, for educational and compliance planning purposes. They do not reproduce or replace the official standards. Refer to the authoritative source for the definitive text. Framework names and trademarks belong to their respective organisations.

Framework Domains (4)

Developing VUCA leaders – VUCA Leadership Framework

3 controls
Controls in the Developing VUCA leaders – VUCA Leadership Framework domain of VUCA Leadership Framework: 3 controls
CodeTitle
vuca-leadership-framework::L.1Select for agility and complex thinking
vuca-leadership-framework::L.2Develop existing leaders for VUCA: scenarios, simulations, rotation
vuca-leadership-framework::L.3Reward VUCA Prime behaviours and retain agile people

Diagnose the VUCA environment – VUCA Leadership Framework

2 controls
Controls in the Diagnose the VUCA environment – VUCA Leadership Framework domain of VUCA Leadership Framework: 2 controls
CodeTitle
vuca-leadership-framework::E.1Diagnose which VUCA conditions apply before choosing a response
vuca-leadership-framework::E.2Prepare the organization for VUCA conditions: anticipate, trace repercussions, rehearse

Leadership agility: the AGILE Model (Horney, Pasmore and O'Shea) – VUCA Leadership Framework

5 controls
Controls in the Leadership agility: the AGILE Model (Horney, Pasmore and O'Shea) – VUCA Leadership Framework domain of VUCA Leadership Framework: 5 controls
CodeTitle
vuca-leadership-framework::A.1Anticipate change: visioning, sensing and monitoring
vuca-leadership-framework::A.2Generate confidence: connecting, aligning and engaging
vuca-leadership-framework::A.3Initiate action: bias for action, decision-making capability, collaborating
vuca-leadership-framework::A.4Liberate thinking: bias for innovation, customer focus, idea diversity
vuca-leadership-framework::A.5Evaluate results: creating expectations, real-time feedback, fact-based measures

VUCA Prime: the leadership responses (Johansen) – VUCA Leadership Framework

4 controls
Controls in the VUCA Prime: the leadership responses (Johansen) – VUCA Leadership Framework domain of VUCA Leadership Framework: 4 controls
CodeTitle
vuca-leadership-framework::P.1Counter volatility with vision
vuca-leadership-framework::P.2Counter uncertainty with understanding
vuca-leadership-framework::P.3Counter complexity with clarity
vuca-leadership-framework::P.4Counter ambiguity with agility

Your Compliance Coverage

If you comply with VUCA Leadership Framework, you already cover:

Maps to 5 other frameworks

50 total controls
WHO Global Competency Model
5 source controls mapped|5 target controls covered
10%
Senge Fifth Discipline - Learning Organization
4 source controls mapped|4 target controls covered
8%
ISO 37000:2021
4 source controls mapped|3 target controls covered
8%
COSO Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013)
2 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered
4%
Argyris Double-Loop Learning
2 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered
4%

Coverage is not the same as your position

This page shows what VUCA Leadership Framework overlaps with in general. Where your organisation actually stands, against the standard you are going for and the certifications you already hold, is a different question. Same graph and the same recorded refutations, scoped to you rather than to a pair.

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What is VUCA Leadership Framework and who does it apply to?

VUCA Leadership Framework is a compliance framework from International with 4 domains and 14 controls. The leadership response to a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous environment as the published models set it out: diagnose the conditions (US Army War College usage; Bennett and Lemoine), counter them with Johansen's VUCA Prime (vision, understanding, clarity, agility), build agility through Horney, Pasmore and O'Shea's AGILE Model, and select, develop and reward leaders accordingly. A composite without a single originator text; the Prime elements rest on restatements, the AGILE Model on its originator's book. It is used by organisations to establish and maintain compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.

What does VUCA Leadership Framework actually require?

VUCA Leadership Framework has 14 controls organised across 4 domains. The largest domains are Leadership agility: the AGILE Model (Horney, Pasmore and O'Shea) – VUCA Leadership Framework (5 controls), VUCA Prime: the leadership responses (Johansen) – VUCA Leadership Framework (4 controls), Developing VUCA leaders – VUCA Leadership Framework (3 controls). Each control defines specific requirements that organisations must implement to achieve compliance.

If I already comply with another framework, how much of VUCA Leadership Framework do I already cover?

VUCA Leadership Framework maps to 5 other compliance frameworks. The top mapping partners are WHO Global Competency Model (10% coverage), Senge Fifth Discipline - Learning Organization (8% coverage), ISO 37000:2021 (8% coverage). Use our comparison tool to explore control-level mappings between frameworks.

How do I implement VUCA Leadership Framework?

Start your VUCA Leadership Framework compliance journey by running a self-assessment on our platform to identify your current compliance posture. Our AI advisory can answer specific questions about VUCA Leadership Framework requirements, and cross-framework mapping helps you leverage existing controls from other frameworks you may already comply with. Create a free account to access all 14 controls and track your progress.

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