Vertical Development

Growing the Leader Within

In today’s fast-changing world, technical skills and experience aren’t enough. What sets exceptional leaders apart is how they think—how they make sense of complexity, relate to others and adapt to uncertainty. Gain the power of vertical development: advance through distinct stages of adult growth that expand your mindset.

Most training and coaching focus ONLY on horizontal development — expanding skillsets.

Discover how vertical development can expand your thinking. Explore these stages and see what may possible for you at your next stage.

Vertical Leadership Development Differentiators

We meet leaders where they are. We pay attention to the relationship between the leader’s developmental stage and the developmental demands being placed upon them by the organization system. We help leaders understand their predictable and understandable development stages to:

expand their capacity for perspective taking
learn to draw on new possibilities for emotional intelligence
make new choices in how to coach and adapt to others
see the world differently and maximize options for leadership

Stages of Vertical Development Videos

Discover Your Vertical Development Stage

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Testimonials

"Vertical Leadership Development helped me recognize that I was stuck in the middle stages of development which was hindering my team’s progress as well as my own. Newly hired team members and added responsibilities had me stuck in the Self-Determining (achiever) stage of development. My sole focus had become driving productivity when I needed to assess the big picture, focus on employee growth, and celebrate success along the way. The Vertical Development assessment opened my eyes to this blind spot and the leadership coaching helped me establish a path forward. It was a joy to experience the improvements in personal growth, team engagement and business results."

— Customer Service VP, Entergy Inc.

Vertical Development Blogs

Accelerate Your Leaders’ Growth: The Power of “Stretch” Experiences

By Kittie Watson | May 19, 2025

“Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging.” — Joseph Campbell Leadership growth doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Leaders evolve when faced with challenges that demand transformation—whether to survive or thrive (see Innolect’s T.H.R.I.V.E. Model). Using principles from vertical leadership development, we recognize that true growth begins when leaders […]

How to Outsmart AI: Harness Inquiry to Stay Ahead

By Kittie Watson | February 17, 2025

“Artificial intelligence is not a substitute for human intelligence; it is a tool to amplify human creativity and ingenuity.” In previous newsletters, we’ve highlighted how asking insightful questions helps great leaders stand out. We emphasized how curiosity and inquiry enable leaders, managers, coaches, consultants, and parents to gain insight, demonstrate emotional intelligence and build strong, […]

How Can We Choose to See Differently in 2025?

By Kittie Watson | January 13, 2025

“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” — Anais Nin Have you ever visited the PEEPERS website? It offers a wide variety of glasses, including readers, sunglasses, blue light glasses, and non-prescription options. One notable feature is the ability to use your camera to see what the glasses will […]