Bridging Vertical Development and Horizontal Growth

In the domain of personal and professional growth, the distinction between vertical and horizontal development tends to be pivotal, particularly as leaders progress in their seniority. Like twin pillars supporting the edifice of leadership, these concepts delineate the breadth and depth of an individual's evolution. However, in the hallways of the corporate world, it's often the horizontal strides that capture the most attention, while the vertical ascent remains obscured in the shadows. In this short article, we will try to briefly address this complexity, advocate for an integrated approach, and make a case for why leaders who wish to be more effective would benefit from answering the call of vertical development.

Let us first take the time to distinguish between these two dimensions. Horizontal development refers to the additional acquisition of skills, knowledge, and competencies within existing frameworks. It's akin to expanding the breadth of one's chosen profession by mastering new tools and techniques that help better navigate the terrain. Consider the journey of a seasoned executive, let's call him Amir, who has diligently climbed the corporate ladder through successive promotions and professional certifications. With each level ascended, Amir has expanded his skillset, from mastering financial analysis to honing negotiation tactics. He's adept at designing spreadsheet models, conducting market research, and crafting persuasive presentation decks. His horizontal growth is evident in his ability to execute tasks with precision and efficiency, earning accolades from peers and superiors alike.

Conversely, vertical development goes beyond the confines of skill acquisition, delving into the realms of mindset and consciousness. It is an ascension in an individual's perspective that typically impacts their conception of ideas and their understanding of the complexities of the world through elevated discernment, empathy, and wisdom.

Consider Tina, a visionary leader renowned for her transformational impact on organizational culture. Tina did not ascend the corporate hierarchy through linear progression but embarked on a journey of introspection and self-discovery. Through various practices, such as executive coaching and reflective inquiry, she cultivated a deep sense of self-awareness and courageous authenticity. She recognized the inherent interconnectedness of personal and professional growth and embraced vulnerability as a catalyst for learning and growth. Tina's vertical development is evident in her ability to hold paradoxes (polarities), navigate uncertainty, and inspire a collective sense of purpose. When faced with a crisis, instead of resorting to reactive tendencies or common authoritarian dictates, she will deliberately engage stakeholders in meaningful dialogue, drawing upon diverse perspectives in an effort to co-create powerful solutions. Her approach to leadership transcends transactional impact and fosters a culture of trust, innovation, and collective agency.

Why Vertical Development Matters for Leaders

Another way to explore this is to consider skyscraper towering over the cityscape. While its horizontal expanse may be impressive, it is in fact the depth of its foundation that ensures its resilience. Similarly, in the often-tumultuous domain of leadership, vertical development serves as the bedrock of authenticity, resilience, and visionary prowess. For instance, imagine the possibilities and potential impact had Amir approached Tina for guidance and support?

Leaders like Amir, who are solely entrenched in horizontal growth may excel in execution but often falter when faced with ambiguity, ethical dilemmas, or paradigm shifts. Vertical development helps to equip them with the moral courage to navigate uncharted waters, the emotional intelligence to forge authentic connections, and the agility to envision bold possibilities amidst uncertainty. It numerous benefits include, to state but a few:

1. Adaptability in a Complex World: Vertical development helps equip leaders with the cognitive agility, the mental adaptability and the emotional resilience that are often required to thrive in increasingly dynamic and uncertain environments. Thus, by expanding their capacity to understand and respond to complex challenges, they typically become better at anticipating change, seizing opportunities, and driving organizational outcomes. Insight: Imagine a scenario where a company faces unexpected disruptions in the market due to technological advancements or regulatory changes. Instead of being overwhelmed by uncertainty, a vertically developed leader would be able to quickly adapt to the evolving landscape, and can navigate the challenges with confidence, composure and inclusion. Consequently, this allows their organization to stay ahead of the curve and maintain its competitive edge.
2. Enhanced Decision-Making: As leaders ascend to higher stages of development, they become more adept at analyzing complex problems, considering diverse viewpoints, and weighing multiple factors when making strategic decisions. This elevated level of awareness allows them to better anticipate trends, mitigate risks, and capitalize on emerging opportunities for themselves, as well as their organization. Insight: Consider a scenario where a vertically developed leader recognizes the importance of seeking input from diverse stakeholders before making a critical decision. The solicited input allows the leader to make more informed and inclusive decisions.
3. Building High-Performing Teams: Vertically developed leaders are typically better equipped to build and lead high-performing teams by fostering collaboration, trust, and a climate of psychological safety. Though their progression, they elevate their empathy, self-awareness, and interpersonal skills, which enables them to bring their best selves forward and authentically connect with others. In turn, this allows them to fully unleash more of the collective potential of their teams, driving creativity, innovation, and excellence. Insight: It has been observed that teams led by individuals who prioritize vertical development tend to experience higher levels of psychological safety and team cohesion. The climate created by those leaders allows others to freely express their ideas, take calculated risks, and collaborate more effectively, ultimately leading to higher levels of performance.

Recommendations for Embracing Vertical Development

To harness the transformative potential of vertical development, I would invite both leaders and organizations to consider some of the following:

1. Invest in Developmental Coaching: Provide leaders with access to experienced developmental coaches who can facilitate introspection, challenge limiting beliefs, and guide individuals through the growth process. Example: It helps to engage in regular coaching sessions and explore possible blind spots, set personalized development goals, and identify actionable feedback. Ongoing coaching support will help deepen self-awareness and enhance leadership effectiveness.
2. Create a Culture of Feedback and Developmental Opportunities: Foster a culture of open and honest feedback within your organization, in such a way that leaders and team members feel equally comfortable giving and receiving feedback. In many ways, feedback is essential for vertical development and can provide leaders with valuable insights into their leadership effectiveness and areas for improvement. It would also help to incorporate vertical development assessments into talent management practices, particularly with regards to identified high-potential leaders. Example: Conducting a 360-degree feedback exercise will surface insights into people's leadership strengths and areas for development, particularly when administered by experts. The received feedback may be leveraged to create a personalized development plan designed to unlock an individual's leadership potential.
3. Encourage Risk-Taking and Experimentation: Sustain a culture that encourages risk-taking, experimentation, and learning from failures. Inherently, vertical development involves stepping outside of one's comfort zone, embracing uncertainty and taking (calculated) risks. Encouraging leaders to challenge the status quo, to experiment with new ideas, and to learn from setbacks will help organization create and maintain an agile culture of continuous improvement. Example: Consider empowering individual to pursue innovative initiatives by providing resources, support, and autonomy while encouraging active experimentation being ready to celebrate successes as well as failures-as-opportunities-for-learning. The enhanced sense of psychologically safety can help unleash the creative potential within teams teams and, by extension, drive organizational innovation.

An Integrated Approach

As we draw towards the conclusion of this relatively short piece, it's crucial we avoid the classical trap of Binary Thinking: horizontal competencies remain important even, at the executive level of virtually any organization. In fact, one could easily make the case of how rare it would be to encounter successful executives lacking in strategic acumen for instance.?Therefore, the true potential lies in adopting an integrated perspective—one that considers development simultaneously through the horizontal and vertical lenses. As leaders progress vertically, their approach to, and demonstration of, key competencies inevitably broadens. Consequently, the pertinent question can then more easily be elevated from "Do our leaders demonstrate competency X?" to "What is the level of development from which they tend to apply competency X?"

So...what does this mean for you as leader?

As you reflect on the dynamic interplay between both concepts, I would invite you to consider the following:

• In envisioning your personal leadership evolution, how might you blend skill mastery and introspection to pioneer transformative change within your organization?
• Reflecting on your journey, how can you identify and leverage untapped opportunities to cultivate a leadership ethos that would inspire others further within your organization?
• How could you harness the synergy between personal development and organizational progress to craft a legacy of lasting impact and inspired vision?

When you have answers, or even suggestions...please share them.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this short article are solely my own and do not reflect the views or opinions of my (former) employers or any other third parties.