Introduction
In this, the second of four blogs, we examine why it is important for organisations to use a vertical development approach to developing their leaders. For an explanation of vertical development, please read part one of this series. Parts three and four address when we can or should do it, and how to drive vertical leadership development.
This blog series accompanies two Safe Space events, where HR, L&D & DEIB leaders are invited to discuss vertical leadership development in an open, curious and supportive environment with their peers. Click here to register for the next event.
These blogs are designed to start a conversation. If you are curious about vertical leadership development and how it could help your leaders, please do get in touch, we’d love to talk.
What is vertical leadership development?
Vertical development is about developing deeper, more comprehensive
and complex ways of making sense of and operating in the world.
Vertical development is about learning to see the world through a different lens and having the flexibility to challenge the interpretations and meanings that we ascribe to life experiences. It is transformative, like ‘strengthening the trunk or roots of the tree’, rather than adding more branches.
Leadership development that supports vertical development helps individuals to shift from a ‘socialised’ mind to a ‘self-authoring’ mind, and perhaps even to a ‘self-transforming’ mind. From a worldview that is heavily influenced by social norms, to one that can see nuance and take alternative perspectives.
The gap in leadership development
Organisations are typically structured in layers (some have many, some have few), and generally (or perhaps traditionally), career progression involves moving up in the organisation. These layers might look something like:
- “Doer” of the work
- “Manager” of the doers
- “Leader” of the managers and/or the business
Most organisations have articulated the skills that are required at each stage, and have learning and development programmes and processes in place to support transition. Generally these L&D interventions can be classified as horizontal development – adding tools and knowledge to the individual’s toolkit to equip them to perform more effectively.
However, as people progress up the layers of organisations, we ask them to do things such as:
- navigate complex situations despite ambiguity
- manage the complex psychology of teams of diverse individuals
- deal with conflict, while also creating inclusion and equity
- make tough decisions on not enough information
- adapt to change, as well as lead others through it
These abilities are not developed through horizontal development. Knowing more frameworks or models is of limited value in equipping leaders to take on these responsibilities.
So it is critical for organisations to take a vertical development approach. To provide development opportunities that equip individuals to develop deeper, more comprehensive and complex ways of making sense of and operating in the world.
Why should organisations use a vertical development approach?
Your leaders are more then just what they can do for your organisation
When leaders are struggling or failing in their role, organisations typically fall back on the Peter Principle. They assume that the person has no more capability, they have reached the limit of their potential.
An organisation that takes a horizontal development approach will quickly come to the end of the development that it can offer. Often the individual is simply moved from team to team, or even managed out of organisations.
But taking a vertical development approach, allows us to understand that there is a mismatch between their level of development and the complexities that they are facing. Perhaps they are limited by a belief system, held back by a need to conform or please, or dealing with a significant shift in the context of their work. Vertical development would equip that leader with the psychological flexibility to take a perspective on their own performance and question the barriers they face and the actions they are taking to address them.
Vertical development approaches work on all of who a leader is, not just what they do.
The leadership development that you offer shapes the leaders that you get
Organisations that only take a horizontal development approach, risk perpetuating the socialised mind perspective.
Leaders with a socialised mind are likely to believe that every problem has a solution, and if they just analyse it for long enough, break it down well enough or work hard enough, they can fix it. But some problems do not have solutions, and cannot be resolved with an either/or mindset. Sometimes leaders face dilemmas, or even paradoxes, where they need the ability to think expansively and adopt a both/and approach.
Horizontal development does not prepare leaders for this. In fact, if we only offer horizontal development, we reinforce the view that knowing, doing or achieving more will solve the problem.
A vertical development approach, on the other hand, equips leaders to understand that sometimes we need a shift in our own way of understanding the problem. It enables them to sit with the discomfort of not having an answer, or even knowing that no answer exists. And it connects them to the personal values that will support them in making decisions and taking action.
Vertical development approaches create a deeper, richer pool of leaders in your organisation.
The leaders you develop define the culture that you build
Leaders have a significant impact on the culture of their organisation. Essentially, this is because power dynamics create cycles of behaviour, virtuous or otherwise.
Organisations that wish to shift their culture often turn to horizontal development. They ‘teach’ people how to speak up, or have ‘difficult’ conversations. Or, they implement a different leadership model, and roll out training that informs people about the new expectations.
However, a vertical development approach recognises that it is an personal, internal shift within a leader that creates a wider, external shift in culture. Leaders who have worked on their vertical development are aware of their own strengths and weaknesses, actions and reactions, habits and tendencies. They are aware of their shadow side and have the psychological flexibility to manage the challenging emotions such as fear, anger, disgust and disappointment that accompany it. This self-awareness creates a virtuous cycle that positively impacts organisational culture.
Vertical development approaches develop leaders that build inclusive, collaborative cultures.
Equipping leaders differently
Vertical development is not a leadership model, it is an approach to leadership development. It is a way of developing leaders that allows them to dive deeper into who they are, and how they think and act as leaders. It is a way of developing the rich and complex individual, and freeing them up to be the leader they already are.
Reflecting on the ‘why’ of vertical development
This blog argues for the value of vertical development. What thoughts or reflections has it prompted for you? You might like to consider the following questions:
- Can you think of a time when you’ve been ‘taught’ something that didn’t help? What would have been more helpful?
- What do you think are the limitations of horizontal development for leaders in your organisation?
- What opportunities do you think vertical development could create?
If you missed it, our first blog gave a more in-depth explanation of the ‘what’ of vertical development. This series will continue with two more blogs to explore the ‘when’ and ‘how’. If you have specific questions that you want us to address, please do get in touch,
