Leadership development is now more critical than ever, as organisations face changing market dynamics, from rapid technological advancements and global competition to evolving workforce expectations.

HR leaders play a pivotal role in ensuring their organisations have leaders equipped not just with skills but also with the adaptability to navigate this complexity.

This article explores a holistic approach that combines horizontal (skills-focused) and vertical (mindset-focused) leadership development. This dual approach ensures that leaders are both equipped with the tools to succeed and prepared to think strategically amid uncertainty.

Horizontal Development: The Traditional Approach

Horizontal development is the more familiar approach to leadership development and focuses on building specific skills, competencies and technical abilities. It includes traditional leadership competencies such as effective communication, decision-making and problem-solving. These skills are often taught in training programs and workshops with leaders quickly able to apply what they have learnt into their roles. For example, a leader may attend a course on communication and come away with new techniques to improve team engagement. The results are often immediate and measurable, making horizontal development an appealing option for organisations seeking quick wins.

While horizontal development is valuable, it has limitations. In complex and ambiguous environments, leaders need more than just skills and technical expertise. Leaders must also develop the capacity to deal with ambiguity, anticipate change and think strategically, which brings us to vertical development.

Vertical Development: Transforming Leadership Mindsets

Unlike horizontal development, vertical development focuses on how leaders think rather than just what they know. It addresses the need for leaders to increase their capacity for complexity, build emotional resilience and develop strategic foresight. In essence, vertical development helps leaders move from simply managing tasks to leading in dynamic, uncertain environments.

This shift in mindset is crucial, especially for senior leaders. It equips them to integrate multiple perspectives, lead transformational initiatives and adapt to ever-changing market conditions. Vertical development doesn’t just add new tools to a leader’s skill set; it transforms the way they see the world, enabling them to approach challenges with greater flexibility and insight.

Understanding Action Logics: A Framework for Growth

Rooke and Torbert’s Leadership Development Framework provides a valuable lens to understand vertical development by describing how leaders interpret their environments and respond to challenges through the concept of action logics.

Each of the seven action logics, represent a distinct way of making sense of leadership situations:

1. Opportunist: Focuses on personal wins and survival, often excelling in short-term, high-stakes situations but lacking long-term vision.

• Example: During a sudden market downturn, an Opportunist leader might quickly cut costs by renegotiating supplier contracts, to stabilise the company’s immediate finances.

2. Diplomat: Values harmony and belonging, creating cohesive teams but often avoiding conflict.

• Example: A Diplomat leader fosters team cohesion by mediating conflicts and ensuring everyone feels heard during meetings.

3. Expert: Relies on knowledge and technical skills, often leading through mastery but potentially getting bogged down in the details

• Example: An Expert leader provides detailed guidance during a technical project, ensuring adherence to best practices and quality outcomes.

4. Achiever: Goal-oriented, efficiently managing teams to meet objectives and drive high performance.

• Example: Setting ambitious quarterly goals, an Achiever leader motivates the team to exceed targets by implementing efficient processes and tracking progress meticulously.

5. Individualist: Emphasises authenticity and personal growth, supporting others’ unique perspectives and fostering innovation.

• Example: An Individualist leader creates space for team members to share unique ideas during brainstorming sessions, leading to creative solutions that might not have emerged in a more structured environment.

6. Strategist: Visionary and strategic, aligning personal and organisational goals to drive long-term success.

• Example: A Strategist leader develops a long-term vision for the company, ensuring that every project contributes to broader organisational goals.

7. Alchemist: Transformative and holistic, leading initiatives that foster innovation and sustainability while inspiring others to think beyond immediate goals.

• Example: Leading a sustainability initiative, an Alchemist leader motivates the organisation to adopt practices that benefit both the business and society at large.

Non-Linear Development: Flexibility in Action Logics

It’s important to understand that leaders do not progress linearly from Opportunist to Alchemist. Leaders often exhibit traits from multiple action logics depending on the context and their developmental stage. For example, a leader operating in the Achiever logic might adopt Diplomat traits to build team cohesion during a merger, but then shift to Strategist to align the newly formed team with long-term organisational goals.

This fluidity allows leaders to adapt their approach based on the complexity of the challenges they face. It also means that HR teams must design development programs that help leaders become more versatile, capable of shifting between action logics as situations demand.

Practical Strategies for Vertical Development

HR leaders play a critical role in promoting vertical development within their organisations. Here are some strategies to support this growth:

1. Encourage Flexibility: Help leaders recognise their dominant action logic and encourage them to shift between logics based on the challenges they face. For instance, a leader might use Opportunist traits to make fast decisions in a crisis but switch to Diplomat traits to resolve team conflicts.
2. Foster Self-Awareness: Create opportunities for leaders to reflect on their experiences and receive feedback from peers, direct reports and coaches. This reflection helps leaders gain insights into their default responses and identify areas for development.
3. Promote Continuous Learning: Develop a culture of lifelong learning by offering leadership coaching, mentoring and experiential learning opportunities that stretch leaders beyond their comfort zones.

Applying Vertical Development Across Leadership Levels

Vertical development is not just for senior leaders. Emerging leaders and mid-level managers can also benefit from these principles. For newer leaders, the focus may initially be on horizontal development -building core leadership skills such as communication, collaboration, and technical proficiency. However, as they grow, vertical development becomes increasingly important to help them navigate complex, ambiguous situations.

HR leaders should design tiered development programs that blend horizontal and vertical growth, ensuring leaders at all levels can progress in both skill and mindset. This dual approach helps create a leadership pipeline that is resilient, adaptable and ready to face the challenges of the future.

Measuring Vertical Development

While more difficult to measure than horizontal skills acquisition, vertical development can be tracked through several methods:

• Leadership Circle Profile: Provides insights into a leader’s developmental stage by assessing both their competencies and underlying assumptions.
• 360-Degree Feedback: Collects input from peers, direct reports and supervisors to highlight behavioural changes over time.
• Coaching and Reflection: Regular coaching sessions and self-reflection activities help leaders recognise shifts in their mindset and capacity for complexity.

Integrating Vertical Development into Leadership Programs

To successfully integrate vertical development into your leadership initiatives, HR teams can:

• Create Stretching Experiences: Design projects or tasks that push leaders beyond their current capabilities and out of their comfort zones. These ‘heat experiences’ encourage leaders to think in new and more complex ways. For example, involve a leader in a cross-functional project that requires collaboration and balancing competing priorities.
• Align Development with Organisational Goals: Ensure that vertical development programs are aligned with the organisation’s broader strategy. Leaders should be equipped to think critically and innovatively about the specific challenges their organisation faces.
• Measure Impact: Use tools like surveys, interviews and benchmarking to assess the effectiveness of vertical development initiatives. This helps HR leaders identify gaps and opportunities for improvement.

Conclusion

As organisations continue to navigate a rapidly changing landscape, leadership development must evolve to meet the challenges of complexity. While horizontal development remains essential for building technical skills, vertical development is increasingly recognised as the key to creating adaptable, resilient leaders. By integrating both approaches, HR leaders can ensure their organisations are equipped with leaders who can think strategically, embrace ambiguity and drive long-term success.