“You Just Need to Think Like a Leader”: What That Really Means (Part 1)

This month, I’m writing a series of posts about vertical development - a framework that helps us understand how leaders grow not just in skill, but in mindset.

The Unattainable Promotion: When Your Mindset Becomes the Barrier

One of the hardest questions mid-level leaders wrestle with is this: What gets me to the next level? And just as often: What will let me stay where I am, without burning out, falling behind, or losing myself?

If you’ve ever been told things like:

• “You need to think more strategically.”

• “You’re not ready yet—there’s a level of maturity missing.”

• “You need to elevate how you frame things to senior leaders.”

…then you’ve felt the discomfort of this vague, elusive concept of “next-level thinking.”

At first, it sounds like bias...politics... gatekeeping. And sometimes, it is. But sometimes - it’s not. Sometimes, there’s something real behind that feedback. You just haven’t had the language for it.

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The Difference You Can Feel, but Not Quite Explain

If you’re lucky enough to work in an environment where you can stretch, reflect, and learn, you start to notice it.

You react to a tough situation one way. You bring it to a senior leader and they approach it completely differently: They ask strange questions. They don’t jump into solutions. At first, you’re confused, or even irritated. And then… you start to see what they’re doing. You start asking those same questions.

That’s the shift. You’re not just doing more. You’re thinking differently.

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So What Is Vertical Development?

We used to believe adult development stopped in early adulthood, just like we once thought we only used 10% of our brain. We now know better.

Adult development as a formal field began in the 1970s, shaped by psychologist Robert Kegan, who expanded on Piaget’s theories to explore how adults evolve in how they make meaning. His Constructive-Developmental Theory proposed that adults don’t just accumulate knowledge, but can fundamentally shift how they think, see the world, and relate to complexity. Full disclosure: I attempted to read Kegan's The Evolving Self, and found it a rather challenging read, so I’ve paused it for now and focused on later interpretations of the theory in a leadership context. (I’ll share further reading recommendations at the end of this post.)

This laid the groundwork for what we now call vertical development. Vertical development (changing how we think) is contrasted with horizontal development (gaining more knowledge or skills).

And here’s why this matters: Vertical development helps make sense of that vague phrase we’ve all heard: “You need to think at a higher level.”

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What Makes a Mindset More Complex?

Across all vertical development models, you’ll find a common theme: the increasing complexity of thinking. Here’s what that really means:

1. Seeing Systems

You don’t just see tasks, you see how things connect. You understand cause and effect, trade-offs, ripple effects. You can simplify when needed, but you're always holding the bigger picture.

2. Holding Ambiguity & Paradox

In a complex world, input doesn’t always equal output. The relationships are non-linear, unpredictable. You stop searching for clean answers, and learn to work with uncertainty instead.

3. Stepping Outside Your Own Lens

You stop assuming your view is the view. You realize you’re seeing through a lens, and that lens shapes your assumptions, your emotions, your decisions. Robert Kegan calls this the shift from “being had by a problem” to “having a problem.”

In other words: You stop reacting from your mindset and start choosing how to respond to the world around you.

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Mindset Shift - is Not Just Positive Thinking

This isn’t about positive thinking or collecting leadership mantras. This is about learning to observe yourself, your assumptions, and your patterns - then stretch beyond them.

And the good news, if this is about adult development - it means you can always develop.

Through reflection. Through experimentation. Through building new mental models. And through what Bill Torbert calls “action-logics” - how you make meaning through what you do.

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What’s Coming Next

In the next post, we’ll look at some of the frameworks the describe vertical development stages. And why it matters when working with others. (Yes, the people who frustrate you might be operating from an entirely different mental model.) And later in the series, we’ll look at specific profiles like the Diplomat, Expert, and Achiever and how to grow beyond them.

Links to other posts in this series:

Part 2: Seeing the Frame: The Mindsets behind your Leadership Style

This series will also set the stage for a new mindset assessment tool I’m creating, designed for leaders who want practical insight into how they think, and where they can grow next. If you are interested to help me test it this week - drop a comment!

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P.S. My Discovery of Vertical Development and Recommended Reading

I first encountered vertical development about three years ago during a guest lecture in my Coaching Competencies ICF Level 2 training. The speaker introduced the StageSHIFT methodology by Antoinette Braks, and I was immediately intrigued. I appreciated the idea of growth not as a straight line, but as a directional spiral—with clear developmental trajectories that gave coaching a tangible focus.

I ordered Braks’ book, Executive Coaching in Strategic Holistic Leadership. It’s fairly academic, but what stood out was the comprehensive overview of research, models, and key thinkers in the field.

Some time later, while exploring executive coaching and change management, I came across the concept of Immunity to Change. When I opened the book, I realized it was grounded in vertical development as well co-authored by Lisa Lahey and Robert Kegan himself, one of the foundational figures in adult development theory.

The Immunity to Change model captivated me, and I went on to train as a facilitator. Kegan and Lahey taught portions of the course, and I’ve since used the framework in group settings, 1:1 coaching, and even in shaping team conversations.

To deepen my understanding, I turned to Bill Torbert’s Action Inquiry and Jennifer Garvey Berger’s Changing on the Job — both of which offer rich, practical interpretations of vertical development in action.

These books aren’t necessarily light reads. They’re packed with research, concepts, and real-world cases. But selected chapters are absolutely worth it for any manager who wants to understand how mindsets grow—and how to lead through complexity with more clarity, awareness, and impact.