For at least the past 10 years, technology and the accelerating pace of change have given leaders many headaches and new challenges.
In this context, traditional approaches to leadership and personal development seem to have reached their limits. Yet, a new concept is gaining ground: vertical leadership.
This type of leadership emphasizes the inner transformation of the leader, which is seen as essential to meet the increasingly complex demands of the modern business environment.
What is vertical development?
Unlike horizontal development – which involves acquiring new knowledge, skills, or competencies – vertical development requires a profound shift in how leaders perceive the world, interpret information, and make decisions.
We can say that vertical development is a process of maturing one's thinking and perception of reality.
Essentially, it refers to leaders' growing capacity to deal with complexity, navigate ambiguity, and manage situations from multiple perspectives.
A vertically developing leader does not just gather more knowledge; they expand their depth of understanding, becoming capable of viewing the world through multiple lenses and better handling challenges.
Horizontal development is described as a process through which one adds new skills and knowledge.
A classic example would be a leader learning new management techniques, such as how to manage time more effectively or communicate better.
While horizontal development is necessary and useful, it is not enough to tackle the growing complexity and uncertainty of the business world.
On the other hand, vertical development is about increasing cognitive capacity, meaning the leader evolves through successive stages of awareness and emotional maturity, enabling them to approach challenges with greater clarity, courage, and wisdom.
Stages of vertical development
According to renowned adult development psychologist Robert Kegan and other theorists like Bill Torbert, vertical development involves progressing through several stages of maturation.
Here are a few:
1. Dependent or socialized stage: Leaders at this level develop their identity and behaviors based on the expectations of others. They are motivated by a desire to conform and be accepted by the group.
2. Independent or self-authoring stage: At this level, leaders develop a strong sense of autonomy and begin creating their own rules and values. They become more capable of setting goals and acting independently of external pressures.
3. Interdependent or transformational stage: Leaders who reach this level can recognize and integrate multiple perspectives and understand the complexity of the world they live in. They become capable of leading teams through highly dynamic and ambiguous environments.
A leader with a high degree of vertical development can understand their own thinking, emotions, and motivations, as well as those of others.
This maturity allows them to be much more flexible, adaptable, and resilient in the face of rapid change.
Performance through vertical leadership
The difference between vertical and horizontal development becomes immediately clear in team-building processes.
A team led by a horizontally developed leader will be primarily focused on concrete goals and task completion. In contrast, a team led by a vertically developing leader will be much more resilient, innovative, and able to face complex challenges.
For example, in a horizontally developed environment, a manager might continually add new processes or rules to make the team more efficient. However, if the team encounters an unpredictable or ambiguous situation, those rules and processes become ineffective, and the team may experience blockages.
In a vertically developed environment, the team will have the ability to adapt and find creative solutions to unexpected problems, because the leader has created a context where team members can think independently and contribute from multiple perspectives.
Harmony and resilience through vertical leadership
To build harmonious and resilient teams, leaders must adopt a vertical approach to their own and their teams' development.
Here are a few relevant and useful strategies:
1. Developing self-awareness
Vertically developing leaders cultivate a deep understanding of their own emotions, motivations, and values. This awareness helps them become more empathetic and capable of guiding teams through challenges.
To build resilient teams, leaders must also encourage team members to develop self-awareness, which will enable them to collaborate more effectively and manage conflicts.
2. Creating a continuous learning environment
Harmonious and high-performing teams are those that adapt and learn continuously. Vertical leadership fosters this type of environment, where team members are encouraged to push beyond their limits, expand their perspectives, and take on new responsibilities. This is not just about learning new skills but also reflecting on how they think and make decisions.
3. Promoting systemic thinking
In a team led by a vertically developing leader, systemic thinking is essential. This involves the ability to see the interconnections between different parts of the system and understand how each decision impacts the whole.
Leaders who promote systemic thinking help teams see the big picture and collaborate effectively to solve complex problems.
4. Cultivating adaptability
In an uncertain and complex business environment, teams must be able to adapt quickly to changes. Vertical leadership relies on the ability to navigate uncertainty and ambiguity, and vertically developing leaders encourage their teams to be flexible and innovative.
In conclusion
Vertical leadership represents a fundamental shift in how leaders are trained and how they lead teams. In an increasingly complex business world, leaders need not only new skills but also a maturation of their thinking and perception of reality.
Through vertical development, leaders become more capable of facing complex challenges, leading harmonious and high-performing teams, and creating resilient organizational environments. Vertical leadership is not just about doing things better, but about thinking more deeply to create a lasting impact.
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About Valoria
Valoria is a consulting, training, and executive coaching company. Through our services, we help entrepreneurs to grow their business and make success concrete and predictable. Companies turn to us for marketing, human resources and sales consulting. We often respond to requests for training or coaching of management teams. Competence, trust, innovation and passion are the values we uphold in everything we do. We build long-term partnerships and collaborations, because we offer guaranteed results and the best quality, at the right price. In 2023, the Daily Finance publication nominated Valoria in the Top 20 management consulting companies in Bucharest. Find out more at: www.valoria.ro.
