My new book, Becoming Better: The Groundbreaking Science of Personal Transformation, is officially out tomorrow (June 25th).
In this book, I ask this existential question: What if the key to unlocking your next level in business and life isn’t about doing more—but about becoming more?
And to celebrate my book launch, I was recently on Karen Robert’s The Podcast Profits Unleashed podcast to answer this question and discuss my new book.
Why Traditional Development Isn’t Enough
In my recent conversation with Karen Roberts, I expressed my belief that everyone wants to get better, but that most people don’t actually know how to become better. I think we know how to do better, but not how to be better.
Most development programs emphasize horizontal development: acquiring new knowledge, skills, and tools. While important, these are surface-level changes. True transformation requires vertical development, which is about evolving your mindset, emotional capacity, and sense of purpose. It’s the difference between learning more and becoming more.
In fact, it is possible to measure our vertical development altitude, and what we have learned is that:
- There are three primary vertical development levels
- Only 1% of all adults make it to the top level (In fact, most (64%) adults never vertically develop during adulthood. I think the reason for this is because most people don’t know about vertical development and how to engage in it)
- Only 8% of leaders make it to the top level
The 3-Step Process to Elevate Your Internal Operating System
Through my work with CEOs and entrepreneurs and my academic research, I’ve identified a three-step path to elevating your internal operating system and unlocking sustainable success:
- Recognize that you have a Being Side — You have an internal operating system that subconsciously dictates how you interpret challenges, feedback, and risk.
- Awaken to the quality of your Being Side — Use frameworks and engage in efforts to determine the quality and sophistication of your internal operating system.
- Engage in development practices to elevate along your Being Side — Engage in vertical development efforts to upgrade your internal operating system, which generally requires working through “heat experiences” or moments of discomfort.
Harnessing Heat Experiences for Growth
The reality is that we need “heat” to vertically grow. But that heat can come through external heat experiences or internal heat experiences. External heat experiences—such as job loss, illness, or global crises—force us out of our comfort zones and reveal our true operating system. In the podcast episode, I shared how many people retreat inward during these times, driven by self-protection. However, those committed to vertical development lean into these experiences to grow outward and contribute more fully.
Karen Roberts shared her own heat experience during the COVID-19 lockdowns, which led her to pivot into podcasting, demonstrating how adversity can spark transformation when met with openness.
But, we don’t have to wait for something bad to happen to vertically develop. We can intentionally do the work of awakening to our Being Side, evaluating our Being Side, and elevating our Being Side.
Doing vertical development work is different than the horizontal development work we are used to. At a foundational level, vertical development is about healing ourselves.
Why Healing Trauma is Essential
Another crucial insight is that unresolved trauma deeply impacts our internal operating system. As we go through life, and particularly traumatic experiences, our body becomes increasingly wired for self-protection and survival, not success. Healing mentally, emotionally, and physically is necessary to rewrite our programming and unlock higher levels of contribution and impact.
Final Thoughts
Becoming better isn’t about doing more—it’s about being more. Sustainable success and transformational leadership come from evolving your internal operating system, embracing discomfort, and shifting your focus from self-protection to contribution.
If you’re ready to take your leadership and life to the next level, I invite you to explore vertical development, embrace your heat experiences, and prioritize healing and authenticity. The future of leadership is not just in what you do—it’s in who you become.
For more, check out my new book: Becoming Better: The Groundbreaking Science of Personal Transformation.
