Want to take your leadership to the next level? Reach your full potential? In the second episode of this podcast series around Vertical Development (leadership agility), I, Kim Hafjall, draw a parallel to the sports world. By making an analogy, I share how transparency benefits the sports world and gives clarity to driven athletes who wish to grow professionally. In leadership, this transparency is much more limited, and it can be much more challenging to identify your own development areas and prepare yourself for more senior positions. Vertical leadership stages help with this. The framework describes the capacities and leadership skills that characterise the different leadership stages and reveals which type of positions a given leadership stage is most suitable for. But there are more challenges with the low transparency in leadership. Poor performers, retention and developing the right skills in your team. The framework - when used correctly, can help with this. It can support organisations and leaders by defining which capacities and leadership skills should be in place when holding different leadership positions in a given organisation and creating individually targeted development plans for talented employees and leaders.

About Vertical Development
Vertical development is a term used to describe the process of developing a person's ability to think, feel, and behave in more complex and sophisticated ways. In the context of leadership, vertical development refers to the development of a leader's capacity to navigate the increasingly complex challenges of their role.

Traditional leadership development programs focus on horizontal development, which involves acquiring new skills, knowledge, and behaviours. While horizontal development is essential, it does not address the underlying beliefs, assumptions, and values that drive a leader's behaviour. Vertical development, on the other hand, helps leaders develop a more complex and nuanced understanding of themselves, their environment, and their role as a leader.

About the Series
This series provides a more in-depth description of the five vertical leadership stages (Experts, Achievers, Catalysts, Co-creators & Alchemists) and how you can develop vertically as a person and in leadership. But also how you can use it to understand your current leadership level and where you can take it - and how. Equally, how corporates and organisations can do more targeted work with their leadership population and development of high potential.

Executive Coaching
Especially Executive coaching is a proven and highly effective way to vertically develop. One reason is that executive coaching hugely supports the development of self-reflection, self-awareness and self-leadership - the main ingredients in working with yourself. Because coaching is a time-limited relationship, it builds on trust and confidentiality - it creates a safe and judgement-free space where coachee can explore themselves and their beliefs.

Executive coaching that incorporates vertical development principles can help leaders:
1. Expand their perspective: By exploring their own assumptions and beliefs, leaders can develop a more expansive and inclusive perspective that allows them to see the bigger picture.
2. Develop greater self-awareness: By reflecting on their own thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, leaders can develop a deeper understanding of themselves and their impact on others.
3. Build greater resilience: By developing their ability to navigate complex and challenging situations, leaders can become more resilient and better equipped to handle stress and uncertainty.
4. Foster creativity and innovation: By challenging their own assumptions and exploring new ways of thinking, leaders can become more creative and innovative in their approach to problem-solving.

Interested in hearing how it can help you grow? Get in touch today for a quick and informal chat. You've got nothing to lose - this one's on me. It starts with the simplest of things - a meaningful conversation. Fill in the form on

www.hafjallconsulting.com/

Or write to me on

www.linkedin.com/in/kim-hafjall/


Episodes vary slightly from approx 20-30 minutes.