How Mature is Your Mindset?
From Expert to Redefiner: Vertical Development for Consultants
A question often posed to us by senior folks in consulting firms is, “How do we help our consultants change their behaviour?”. It’s a simple question but sitting underneath it is something bigger. These Partners and CPOs aren’t just asking how to boost performance or teach a new skill — they’re asking how to support deeper, more lasting development.
As consultants progress through their career, they are often asked to become leaders. The transition from delivery to leadership can be a tricky one. It demands a shift in mindset and a widening of perspective.
This is where vertical development comes in. It’s a way of understanding how our behavioural range can develop over time so we are better able to hold perspective and successfully navigate complexity.
Last year I became a certified Vertical Development Coach through Adeption. We’ve since used their Vertical Mindset Indicator in client training programmes to help consultants in leadership roles understand how their mindset affects them personally and professionally, and where their opportunities for development lie.
In this article, I’ll give you some insights into vertical development and why I believe it’s a powerful (and underused) tool for consultants.
The limits of personality profiling
Many firms already use some form of personality profiling, be it MBTI, Insights Discovery, or DISC. And for good reason: they offer a quick way in to understanding what makes people tick. You can see where someone sits on the introvert–extrovert spectrum, whether they tend to focus on people or ideas, whether they prefer structure or spontaneity. The tools are accessible and a simple way to give people a leg up towards understanding themselves and those in their team.
But it’s worth naming what these tools can’t do.
Personality profiles tell us about preferences, not possibilities. They give us language for and insight into who we already are, but they aren’t intended to help us grow beyond that. Personality is heavily influenced by genetics and early life experiences and so, by and large, it is stable. You can nudge the edges, sure. But if you’re naturally introverted, presenting like an extrovert for long stretches will wear you out. If you’re emotionally reactive, learning to pause might help, but your inner circuitry won’t have shifted.
So if personality is relatively fixed, the question becomes…what can we change?
Vertical Development: Choosing your behaviour
This is where vertical development becomes interesting. While personality tells us who we are, vertical development speaks to our capacity — to hold complexity, to make conscious choices, to behave with intention rather than reaction. It’s the difference between reacting out of habit, and choosing your response.
With credit to Elke Edwards at Ivy House, one of the simplest ways to explain it is:
Event + Behaviour = Result
You can’t always control the event. A difficult client, a curveball question, a high-stakes pitch where the goalposts move. But how you behave in that moment is where the opportunity lies.
In practical terms, this might look like staying curious instead of defensive when someone challenges your thinking. Or holding back from jumping in with answers, and instead helping your team arrive at a solution together. It could mean seeing the whole client system at play, not just your bit of the work.
Consultants with greater vertical maturity are more able to:
Stay calm under pressure
Respond, rather than react, to client demands
See beyond their own perspective
Lead teams with empathy and adaptability
These shifts are subtle, but the change they create is fundamental.
The six mindset stages (and where consultants sit)
The Vertical Mindset Indicator (VMI) outlines a series of six mindset maturity stages. These aren’t job levels, and they’re not about hierarchy. They’re simply a way of understanding how someone relates to themselves, others, and the world.
Opportunist – Driven by short-term needs; rare in professional contexts
Diplomat – Prioritises harmony and fitting in; collaboration is strategic
Expert – Values deep knowledge; identity is built on being right
Achiever – Outcome-focused; thrives on recognition, success, and status
Redefining – Begins to look beyond self; values shared mission and multiple perspectives
Transforming – Able to shift systems, not just operate within them; changes the game
Most consultants operate in stages 3 to 5.
A consultant at Expert (stage 3) is deeply knowledgeable and often relied upon, but can sometimes be overly attached to being right.
Consultants at Achiever (stage 4) are highly motivated and focused on progression, outcomes, feedback. This is a productive mindset, and many thrive here for years. But it can also be a tiring place to live. Everything is a project, every win needs to be earned. There’s often a quiet sense of striving, and a lot of identity wrapped up in performance.
The next shift into Redefining (stage 5) is subtle, but significant. This is where people begin to loosen their grip. Instead of always pushing forward alone, they start thinking in terms of “we” instead of “me.” They get more comfortable with ambiguity. They see value in other perspectives, even when they challenge their own. They might still be high-achieving but the inner voice has changed. It’s less about, “How do I prove myself?” and more about, “How do we make progress together?”
Some exceptional consultants are able to move into Transforming (stage 6). This is where you’re not just navigating the system, you’re shaping it. You can see the dynamics at play in a team or an organisation, and you know how to intervene thoughtfully. You have range. You don’t need to be the hero. You can hold the space for others.
It becomes less about you. You’re still driving the machine — but you’re also aware you’re just one cog within it.
The higher your vertical development, the more behavioural range you have. You’re able to:
Lead a high-performing team without always being the expert
Hold opposing viewpoints without being triggered
Choose the right response without defaulting to habit
And crucially, the more you develop vertically, the more you can step into earlier mindsets when needed, without losing yourself in them.
This flexibility is what enables senior consultants to handle complex, people-driven work with lower stress and higher impact.
How do you develop vertically?
Vertical development isn’t taught. It isn’t about ticking off competencies or reading the right book. Vertical development is personal and messy. But there are three ingredients that consistently support this kind of growth:
1. Heat Experiences: growth from stretch
These come from being asked to do something just beyond your current capacity. It’s uncomfortable, but it’s where growth lives.
Perhaps this could be:
Taking on a stretch role with less oversight
Being challenged in a client setting
Consciously choosing to behave differently under pressure
👉 Actionable takeaway: Notice and acknowledge where you feel ‘at your edge’. Ask: how could I stretch into a new behaviour here?
2. Colliding Perspectives: growth from others
Growth can happen when our perspective meets someone else’s. I’m not talking about formal feedback — though it can help — but real conversations with people who see you in action.
This means:
Seeking feedback beyond the standard project review
Inviting others to observe and reflect on how you're changing
Staying open to discomfort
👉 Actionable takeaway: Ask a trusted colleague: “I’m working on X. How am I showing up to you?”
3. Reflection: growth from within
Without reflection, experience doesn’t translate into development. We don’t internalise the learning — we just move on to the next project. But when you pause to notice what felt different, what you learned, and what you might do next time, there is opportunity for growth.
This might involve:
Journaling after challenging moments
Tracking progress against mindset goals
Noticing what triggers you and what soothes you
👉 Actionable takeaway: Block 15 minutes each week to write on: What stretched me this week? How did I respond? What would I try next time?
Want to explore more?
As consultants move into more senior roles, they’re not just asked to do more — they’re asked to see more. To hold complexity, to think in different terms, and bring out the best in others.
And none of that comes purely from skills training.
If you’re curious about where you or your team sits on the vertical development spectrum, or how to cultivate these sort of shifts across your organisation, please do get in touch. I’m always up for a chat.
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