Inside Scoop: Why I Focus on Vertical Development

Ryan Gottfredson

by Ryan Gottfredson

How to Fix Leadership Development Ryan Gottfredson TEDxColeParkStudio 1 18 screenshot

If I were to sum up what I do, it is this:

I help leaders and people transformationally become better so that they can become more of their desired selves and have more of their desired impact on the world
(primarily through a focus on vertical development and mindsets)

If you have read The Elevated Leader, or have followed my material over the last couple of years, you are probably aware that a big part of my vertical development journey has involved working with a trauma therapist.

Level Up Your Leadership
The Elevated Leader brings the latest research and discoveries from psychology and neuroscience to help you upgrade your internal operating system via a cutting-edge form of development called vertical development.

Through that experience, I believe I was able to discover a core reason why I do what I do and why I am so passionate about it.

Why I Do What I Do

During my childhood, I feel I had a weird relationship with my mother. My mother was a very generous person, but at the same time, she was an insecure person, a bit awkward, and not very willing to step into vulnerable or uncomfortable emotions (her own or others, like mine).

I think I realized these things at a very early age.

From my perspective, I feel like I could see who she was and I could also see who she could be. And, I think I felt a variety of emotions about this. I felt:

  • Sad that she was living life at a lower level than what she could have
  • Optimistic that maybe she could change
  • Heartbroken that I got a lesser version of my mom than what I could have gotten
  • Frustrated that I didn’t know how to help her become a better version of herself

Unfortunately, my mom passed away over 10 years ago. I never got a chance to help her in the way I feel I could now.

So, what I discovered during my therapy is that a big reason why I want to help people become better is because when I see the leaders and employees, I seen an opportunity to help them in a way that I wasn’t able to help my mom. Also, I recognize that many of them are parents. And, what if I could help them become better? That would have a huge impact on their children. I love the idea that I could help someone in a way someone would have been able to help my mom.

Additionally…

While this may be a big reason why I do what I do, it isn’t the only reason.

I have been passionate about personal development since I was a teenager. While some of the reasoning for that is because of what I saw in my mom, it is also because of what I saw in myself. Just as I saw what my mom could have been, I also saw in myself what I was not. And, having observed my mom, I haven’t wanted to show up in the world as a person who is insecure, awkward, and not very willing to step into vulnerable or uncomfortable emotions.

So, it is not all selfless. 😉

Anyways…

That’s a little about me. Thanks for reading.

But, I also have an announcement…

Big Announcement

I have locked down a title for my upcoming book. It will be:

Becoming Better: The Groundbreaking Science of Personal Transformation

And, it is currently slated to come out in May.

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