An HR Manager’s Guide to Developing Leaders

Vertical development provides unique opportunities for more dynamic, interesting, and long-lasting learning and development (L&D). Key Takeaways: Focusing solely on developing competencies (horizontal development) only gets leaders so far as the world becomes more complex Vertical development provides a roadmap HR can use for what growth looks like and for employees’ stage in that journey…

Read More

How Do We Grow Vertically?

Vertical development requires the right conditions and experiences, which we can find ourselves in and also create for ourselves when we want to grow. Key Takeaways: Growing vertically means we move forward through the seven stages of vertical development, finding and working through our limitations to expand our thinking Often unplanned life experiences push us…

Read More

5 Benefits of Vertical Development for Business Leaders

Learn why expanding leaders’ capacity is a crucial investment for today’s complex world. Key Takeaways Vertical development is more about thinking, behavior, and beliefs rather than skills and competencies 5 benefits of vertical development:  More effective leadership Better business outcomes Self-betterment Linear, mappable progress Versatility We currently live in fast-changing, complex times. There’s a lot…

Read More

The Guide to Effective Remote and Hybrid Leadership

Leading a remote team requires you to be agile. Key takeaways:  Drive performance without micromanaging Constantly improve communication Find ways to foster connections Build an inclusive team Be flexible and agile The shift to remote and hybrid work had been growing for decades. But the COVID pandemic accelerated that shift and now it’s here to…

Read More

If Your Business Wants to Develop Better Leaders, It Needs Vertical Development

The world is increasingly volatile and complex. Businesses need leaders who can think through complex situations and find innovative solutions. Enter vertical development. Key Takeaways: Vertical development focuses on how employees think more than what they know As leaders rise through the ranks, how they think becomes more important to business success than what they…

Read More

What Is the Complexity Crisis? 7 Tips to Lead Through Uncertainty and Rapid Change

How to overcome the biggest challenges in the workplace with 7 lessons from vertical development Key Takeaways Understand the differences between horizontal and vertical development  Embrace vertical development over horizontal development to meet the complexity crisis Increase leaders’ capacity for collaboration Seek out multiple perspectives Learn how to hold opposing ideas at the same time…

Read More

Inspired by Young Leadership

Jessica smiling

Earlier this month, I learned my blog post, “Inspired by Young Leadership”, was to be featured on Training Industry’s website. I was honored, as this post is especially dear to my heart because it focuses on the second installment of my workshop series at my alma mater, Michigan State University. Please read on below for…

Read More

How to Avoid Failing Out of Your HIPO Leadership Development Program

The Harvard Business Review recently published an article by Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman on why most employees in high potential leadership development programs aren’t actually high potential. Companies Are Bad at Identifying High-Potential Employees According to their research, as many as 40% of the people in HIPO leadership development programs inside organizations are actually below average…

Read More

Skills are Important, but Capacity is Critical to Success

I was thrilled when Forbes published the article I wrote on one my passions — the idea that our capacity is far more critical to our success than learning new skills. So much of current leadership development efforts focus on skills, but miss the far more meaningful territory of our worldly perspective or how we…

Read More