by Ardi Ghorashy with Ryan Gottfredson
Companies that prioritize leadership development outperform their competitors, making continuous growth and adaptation essential for sustained success. Yet, leadership growth is not only about acquiring new knowledge, developing skills, or getting the next promotion; it is about a fundamental transformation that increases the capacity to think and act with emotional intelligence in demanding situations or complex environments. This form of development is called Vertical Development.
Vertical Development focuses on expanding the ability to see the world from different perspectives, solve problems, make sense of ambiguity and view adversity as a growth opportunity. It is about evolving the mindset, not just enhancing the skill set.
Adult development psychologists have found that people operate from one of three vertical development levels. Ryan Gottfredson, Ph.D. categorizes them in this way:
Mind 1.0 (Good Soldier mode):
- Needs: Safety, comfort, and belonging.
- Fears: Being exposed, discomfort, and not fitting in.
- Hallmarks: Joins and identifies with groups to fulfill needs and quell fears. Dependent thinkers who give up power and independence for safety, comfort, and belonging.
Mind 2.0 (Progress Maker mode):
- Needs: Standing out, advancing, and getting ahead.
- Fears: Being obsolete/redundant, failing, falling short, and falling behind.
- Hallmarks: Independent thinkers willing to push back against their group’s beliefs. They develop their own set of personal beliefs and use their power and independence to accomplish their goals and stand out.
Mind 3.0 (Value Creator mode):
- Needs: Contributing, adding value, and lifting others.
- Fears: Taking from/not impacting, not being of value, and limiting/stifling others.
- Hallmarks: Interdependent thinkers who can hold multiple and complex perspectives simultaneously. They are purpose- and long-term-focused, and they see and value the systems that go into the outcomes.
Research has found that amongst organizational leaders: 7% operate at Mind 1.0, 85% operate at Mind 2.0, and only 8% operate at Mind 3.0.
We need more leaders who operate at the Mind 3.0 level.
But, how do we get more Mind 3.0 leaders?
We are learning more and more that Psychological Safety is a vital ingredient and can grease the development process. This is because environmental fear causes people to be more focused on being either Good Soldiers or Progress Makers, not Value Creators.
Thus, if you want more Mind 3.0 Value Creators in your organization, it is crucial to assess the level of psychological safety in your work environment. Here are six ways company leadership can build Psychological Safety while supporting vertical growth:
Actions to Facilitate Vertical Development
1. Growth Mindset: Encourage continuous learning and curiosity.
2. Open Communication: Create spaces where all voices are heard and valued.
3. Vulnerability: Leaders should model becoming better versus looking good, demonstrating that it is okay not to have all the answers or be wrong.
4. Inclusivity: Facilitating open dialogue around diverse perspectives without judgement.
5. Constructive Feedback: Focus on learning and improvement, not blame.
6. Develop a Clear, Inspirational, and Stakeholder-Centric Purpose: Shift the focus from ourselves to a greater cause, encouraging a continual search for meaning in shared vision and missions with a focus on long-term value-creation.
Organizations that effectively integrate these six actions significantly boost employee engagement and inspirational leadership.
By enabling your leaders to develop vertically, you elevate their and their team’s capacity to interpret information in more advanced cognitive and emotional ways. It leads to better decision-making, sharper problem-solving skills, and a more resilient and adaptable workforce.
8020 Excellerate is a coaching program that offers deep introspection, goal setting, targeted leadership development, and mindset self-mastery, tailored to support individuals and teams on their vertical development journey. Curious to learn more?