MATURITY ASSESSMENT FOR PROFESSIONALS …M… ·...

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MATURITY ASSESSMENT FOR PROFESSIONALS

Assessing Leader Development

APPENDIX TO THE MAP REPORT

Facilitating Vertical Development In Individuals, Teams & Organizations

This appendix includes:

• Detailed information about the LMF and each stage of development• Comparative developmental frameworks• History of the MAP• How the MAP is scored• How individuals at each stage may respond to the MAP• Applications of the LMF and the MAP in organizations• Bibliography

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©!The MAP Institute! 1!

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MAP REPORT - APPENDIX

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The$Leadership$Maturity$Framework$(LMF)$$

The$Three$Tiers$Of$Adult$Development$

Developmental$psychology$distinguishes$in$general$among$three$tiers$of$adult$development.$$$The!Preconventional!tier!refers!to!adults!who!have!not!yet!integrated!the!basics!of!social!behavior,!rules!and!values.!While!the!theory!has!two!stages!for!this!tier,!the!first!one,!the!

Impulsive!Stage!2!refers!to!adults!who!are!unable!to!work!and!lead!adult!lives,!as!they!are!

helpless!and!child?like.!We!do!not!include!them!in!detail!because!they!are!not!part!of!the!

workforce!or!functioning!in!mainstream!society.!The!Self?centric!Stage!2/3,!however,!does!

comprise!about!~5%!of!the!workforce!and!of!world!leaders.!People!at!this!stage!have!not!

yet!learned!to!play!with!others!and!share!in!the!sandbox,!so!to!speak.!They!follow!their!

own!instincts!and!see!others!as!resources!for!what!they!want,!as!objects!and!not!as!people!

with!their!own!needs!and!preferences.!While!relatively!rare,!they!can!play!havoc!with!

society!if!they!reach!high!positions.!Some!of!them!are!notorious!heads!of!countries.!

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The!term!Conventional!refers!to!a!tier!that!includes!3!distinct!stages:!Group?centric,!Skill?centric,!and!Self?determining.!Research!shows!that!approximately!75%?80%!of!adults!make!

sense!of!experience!from!these!three!stages.!From!the!sandbox!to!college!and!the!

workplace,!we!get!socialized!into!seeing!the!world!in!a!particular!culturally!defined!way.!It!

contains!values,!preferences,!rules!and!scripts!of!behavior,!notions!of!government!and!

structure,!power!distribution,!personal!worth,!and!definitions!of!what!is!normal!and!what!

isn’t.!!

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It!covers!adults!who!have!learned!to!conform!to!the!general!expectations!of!what!it!means!

to!be!an!adult!in!Western!society.!The!Self?determining!Stage!4!is!the!quintessential!way!of!

meaning!making!in!the!modern!world,!and!the!most!highly!rewarded!financially!and!in!

terms!of!reputation.!Most!self?help!and!leadership!literature!is!geared!towards!the!Self?

determining!individual!already!open!to!self?improvement!and!feedback.!Society!and!

companies!are!set!up!and!run!in!ways!that!often!do!not!take!into!account!the!~40%!of!

adults!at!the!two!earlier!conventional!stages,!the!Group?centric!Stage!(stage!3)!and!Skill?

centric!Stage!(stage!3/4).!At!these!two!earlier!conventional!stages!individuals!find!they!can!

be!“in!over!their!heads”!in!relation!to!stated!demands!or!expectations!of!them.!

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People!at!the!Postconventional.tier!are!those!who!have!become!aware!of!the!cultural!

conditioning!and!the!unexamined!values!and!practices!of!their!own!society.!They!comprise!

about!15%?20%!of!the!population.!They!are!sometimes!referred!to!as!the!“cultural!

creative”.!This!tier!too!as!covers!multiple!stages!and!mindsets!in!decreasing!percentages!of!

occurrence.!Going!beyond!the!norms!and!expectations!of!most!of!society!takes!courage,!

and!individuals!at!the!Self?questioning!(stage!4/5)!who!have!crossed!the!conventional!

milestone!begin!to!experience!how!a!broader!perspective!can!feel!more!real!and!satisfying!

than!what!went!before.!!According!to!the!current!leadership!literature,!it!is!desirable!to!

have!company!leaders!be!at!the!Self?actualizing!Stage!(stage!5).!!The!last!two!stages,!the!

Construct?aware!Stage!(stage!5/6)!and!the!Unitive!Stage!(stage!6)!are!very!rare.!!

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Detailed$Descriptions$Of$Each$Stage$

Preconventional$Stages$of$Development$$

Stage 2/3: Self-centric Stage

Core%Characteristics:%Getting%and%Defending%

Focus!on!own!self?protection,!personal!needs,!material!things!and!immediate!

opportunities;!may!manipulate,!deceive,!and!coerce!others!to!manage!them;!distrust!

others!as!manipulating!them;!fragile!self?control;!hostile!humor;!stereotyping;!external!

blame;!view!luck!as!central;!see!rules!as!loss!of!freedom;!treat!what!one!can!get!away!with!

as!“right;”!punish!according!to!“eye!for!an!eye;”!“I!win,!you!lose!mentality;”!feedback!

heard!as!an!attack.!

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Leadership%Characteristics%!

Leaders!and!managers!functioning!from!the!Self?centric!stage!have!a!nose!for!

opportunities!and!grabbing!them.!They!are!not!concerned!with!how!things!have!been!done!

in!the!past,!nor!with!what!unintended!effects!their!actions!may!have.!!

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• Regard!whatever!they!can!get!away!with!as!“legal”!and!permissible!

• Act!quickly!and!without!deliberation!following!their!instincts!

• Experience!rules!as!stupid!injunctions!and!loss!of!freedom!!

• Focus!on!concrete!tasks,!rather!than!ideas,!plans!or!principles!

• Have!short?time!horizons,!and!are!not!guided!by!precedent!

• Always!find!blame!outside!of!themselves!and!negatively!stereotype!others!

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• Feel!no!responsibility!towards!outcomes!and!no!remorse!for!the!consequences!of!

their!actions!

• May!manipulate!and!deceive!others!to!achieve!their!ends!!

• Are!distrustful!of!others!and!assume!that!others!do!not!trust!them!

• Experience!feedback!as!an!attack!and!go!on!the!offensive!

• Punish!others!according!to!“an!eye!for!an!eye”!

• Believe!that!success!depends!on!cleverness!and!good!or!bad!luck!

%Strengths%They!have!a!nose!for!opportunity.!Because!they!are!not!thinking!things!through!and!taking!

a!longer?term!view,!they!can!be!successful!in!picking!up!opportunities!those!others,!more!

conventional!folks,!may!overlook!or!not!take!quick!action!to!exploit.!They!can!handle!tough!

situations!and!win!by!sheer!personal!charisma!or!force!of!argument.!!

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Challenges%When!things!go!wrong,!they!tend!to!blame!other!people!and!are!generally!incapable!of!

taking!personal!responsibility.!They!go!roughshod!over!other!people’s!feelings!and!needs!

as!only!their!own!well?being!counts.!To!be!an!employee!of!a!Self?centric!boss!can!be!

upsetting!and!demoralizing!as!your!efforts!are!not!rewarded!unless!they!serve!the!ego!of!

the!boss.!!

Conventional$Stages$of$Development$$

Stage 3: Group-centric Stage $Core%Characteristics:%Conforming%and%Belonging%$The!focus!is!on!socially!expected!behavior!and!approval!from!others.!Moving!away!from!

the!“anything!goes!that!serves!me”!framework,!their!sense!of!self!comes!from!affiliation!

with!others.!!Thus,!they!seek!to!belong!to!established!groups!(kinship,!club,!church,!

company).!Since!one’s!power!comes!from!one’s!“affiliation”!with!others,!rules!and!social!

norms!are!followed!to!seek!approval!and!safeguard!one’s!status!as!a!group!member.!Any!

tension!in!the!relationship!is!experienced!as!a!threat!to!one’s!survival.!One!is!either!in!or!

out.!Thus,!the!Group?centric!person!keeps!relationships!friendly!and!smooth,!conforms!to!

group!norms!and!avoid!“bad”!feelings!and!discord.!!Group?centric!individuals!are!keenly!

aware!of!group!differences!and!readily!denigrate!and!dismiss!those!that!do!not!belong!to!

their!group!or!believe!in!the!same!things!they!do.!The!split!now!is!between!“us”!and!

“them”!while!it!was!between!“me”!and!“everybody!else”!at!the!Self?Centric!stage.!

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The!focus!at!this!stage!is!on!socially!expected!behavior!and!approval.!!

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The!managers/leaders!at!the!Group?centric!stage!are!aware!of!group!strength!over!

individual!power.!As!managers,!Group?centric!selves!tend!to!be!overly!agreeable,!unable!to!

criticize!or!reprimand!others.!They!protect!the!status!quo,!avoid!rocking!the!boat,!and!

defend!the!group!as!well!as!themselves!from!any!outside!influences!or!attacks.!They!

adhere!to!the!rule!of!command,!do!not!question!authority,!and!accept!group!norms!and!

ideas!without!examination.!They!keep!doing!what!they!do!well,!but!feel!embarrassed!and!

puzzled!when!they!are!found!wanting!in!any!way.!A!great!deal!of!their!energy!is!spent!on!

“saving!face,”!and!creating!positive!appearances.!In!return!for!their!loyalty,!managers!at!

the!Group?centric!stage!expect!to!be!rewarded!with!visible!signs!of!approval!?!status!

symbols,!appreciation!certificates,!badges,!etc.!and!money.!They!do!not!feel!empowered!

by!themselves!and!need!approval!for!their!sense!of!success.!!

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• Conform!to!protocol!and!rules,!and!try!to!do!what!is!expected!of!them,!and!feel!

ashamed!if!they!violate!rules!

• Do!not!voice!disagreement!to!those!more!senior!to!them!

• Are!usually!nice!and!polite!and!often!create!a!pleasant,!“homey”!work!environment!

• Avoid!taking!actions!which!may!cause!discontent!or!ruffle!feathers!

• Are!not!aware!of!inner!conflict!and!avoid!situations!which!call!for!independent!

action!

• Work!well!to!group!standards!&!norms!and!hope!to!be!noticed!for!being!good!“guys”!

or!“girls”!

• Prefer!to!use!commonly!accepted!ways!of!speaking!and!use!group!jargon!to!

demonstrate!their!membership!!

• Are!loyal!to!their!immediate!group(s),!rather!than!the!more!distant!organization!or!

principles!

• Are!uncomfortable!about!feedback!that!is!even!slightly!critical!of!them,!feedback!is!

heard!as!criticism,!and!they!may!feel!uneasy!evaluating!others,!especially!peers!or!

superiors!

• May!see!their!role!as!that!of!a!benevolent!parent!and!treat!the!groups!they!manage!

as!members!of!their!extended!family!

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Strengths%On!the!positive!side,!Group?centric!selves!provide!group!cohesion!by!creating!a!sense!of!

shared!community.!They!are!willing!team!players!and!loyal!to!their!groups!and!

organizations.!They!will!maintain!positive!group!relationships!and!attend!to!day?to?day!

activities!(such!as!remembering!birthdays),!which!create!a!pleasant!work!atmosphere.!!

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Challenges%As!subordinates,!Group?centric!selves!will!tend!to!feel!that!organizational!norms!cover!

every!possible!action,!and!that!there!is!no!need!for!changing.!Group?centric!selves!will!

preserve!group!identity!and!existing!ties!at!all!costs,!even!when!there!is!a!need!to!escalate!

issues!because!of!larger!organizational!concerns.!They!may!not!confront!their!own!

superiors!when!they!need!to,!or!on!behalf!of!others’!needs!or!project!needs.!Later!stage!

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leaders!understand!team!cohesion!as!one!aspect!of!larger!organizational!concerns!and!will!

foster!it!where!it!is!productive.!

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Stage 3/4: Skill-centric Stage !

Core%Characteristics:%Comparing%and%Perfecting%$The!focus!is!on!specialization,!and!procedures!and!efficiency.!

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In!moving!from!the!Group?centric!stage!to!the!Skill?centric!stage,!there!is!a!shift!from!the!

connection!to!the!earlier!reference!groups!to!more!expertise?related!ones.!Individuals!

trade!conformity!to!the!former!group!norms!for!a!willingness!to!actively!experiment!and!

seek!more!independent!ways!of!doing!things.!Still!needy!of!approval!and!beholden!to!

traditional!values,!they!do!so,!however,!looking!for!guidance!and!validation!from!their!new!

reference!groups.!!

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Skill?centric!selves!(often!society’s!technicians!and!bureaucrats)!admire!“craft!logic.”!They!

focus!on!the!specific!procedures!and!knowledge!in!their!area!of!interest!or!expertise!(i.e.!

“craft”).!A!belief!in!the!importance!of!their!“craft”!and!their!know?how!becomes!central!to!

their!self?identity.!Problems!and!dilemmas!have!answers!that!can!be!found!in!authoritative!

sources!(manuals,!laws,!spec!books!and!authorities!in!the!field).!Skill?centric!individuals!rely!

on!established!explanations!and!procedures!and!defend!against!having!their!professional!

knowledge!questioned.!They!tend!to!be!very!critical!of!unfamiliar!ways!of!handling!a!

situation!or!approaching!a!problem.!

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Individuals!at!the!Skill?centric!stage!may!be!highly!self?critical!of!their!own!performance!

within!their!specialization.!Unlike!Group?centric!stage!managers,!those!at!the!Skill?centric!

stage!no!longer!identify!with!what!makes!them!the!same!as!their!background,!but!rather!

with!what!makes!them!stand!out!and!be!special.!They!hear!outside!feedback!as!

disapproval!and!challenge!and!resent!it!especially!if!it!comes!from!peers!or!those!not!of!a!

higher!status!than!themselves.!They!take!feedback!personally!as!an!affront!to!their!whole!

self?identity.!They!generally!reject!feedback!from!superiors!who!are!not!experts!in!their!

specific!area!of!know?how.!Moreover,!they!tend!to!be!hypercritical!of!others.!One?

upmanship!is!common,!as!is!the!“yes?but”!syndrome,!providing!endless!alternative!

solutions!or!arguments!in!order!to!have!the!last!word.!Because!they!have!as!yet!little!self?

awareness!or!awareness!of!how!they!come!across,!they!tend!to!overstep!the!boundaries!of!

what!they!know!and!give!unsolicited!advice.!A!manager/leader!at!this!stage!is!likely!to!be!

unaware!of!their!personal!preferences,!and!over?involved!with!specifics,!unable!to!

prioritize!among!competing!efforts!or!to!grasp!the!bigger!picture.!!

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• Give!personal!attention!to!details!and!seek!perfection!in!their!work!

• Find!it!difficult!to!delegate!to!or!trust!others!to!do!the!job!well,!because!only!they!

can!do!it!right!

• Oppose!the!group!norm!when!it!doesn’t!fit!their!own!preference!or!knowledge,!

• Value!correct!application!of!expertise!

• Make!decisions!based!on!personal!preference!or!technical!merit!alone,!disregarding!

context!and!other!contingencies!

• Aim!at!efficiency,!unaware!of!the!wider!implications!of!their!actions!!!

• Dismiss!feedback!from!those!who!are!not!their!accepted!craft!masters!or!take!it!

personally,!not!just!as!a!criticism!of!a!narrowly!defined!aspect!of!themselves!

• Give!feedback!in!terms!of!telling!others!what!they!should!or!must!do!to!improve!or!

be!respected!

• Can!be!dogmatic,!particularly!in!response!to!ideas!outside!their!own!mental!model!

• May!enjoy!doing!a!job!as!well!as!they!can!within!established!norms!or!may!

experiment!with!different!ways!of!doing!the!job!in!order!to!do!it!better!or!improve!

the!procedure!

• Take!back!delegated!work!as!soon!as!it!seems!to!be!going!badly!

• Work!closely!but!somewhat!impersonally!or!competitively!with!others!

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Strengths%Managers!and!leaders!at!the!Skill?centric!stage!may!excel!in!their!area!of!expertise!and!

take!great!pride!in!doing!their!jobs!well.!They!have!a!strong!desire!to!seek!incremental!

improvements!and!to!perfect!approaches!and!procedures.!Thus,!they!play!a!vital!role!in!the!

development!of!products,!techniques!and!services.!No!society!or!organization!could!run!

without!people!at!the!Skill?centric!stage.!Every!society!needs!technicians!and!public!

servants!who!handle!the!day?to?day!running!of!its!affairs.%%Challenges%Managers!and!leaders!at!the!Skill?centric!stage!hold!very!high!standards!for!themselves!

and!others!in!their!area!of!knowledge.!They!can!be!perfectionistic!and!sticklers!for!detail.!

Overall!they!tend!to!focus!on!efficiency!and!technical!wizardry!and!not!on!effectiveness.!

For!example,!they!may!create!an!extensive!report!and!write!it!well,!but!not!consider!the!

relative!value!of!doing!the!report!in!the!first!place.!They!may!put!all!their!knowhow!and!

energy!in!perfecting!a!product!from!an!engineering!point!of!view!while!the!competition!

brings!a!less!perfect,!but!functional!model!to!market.!As!nurses!they!may!be!exquisitely!

attuned!to!the!emotional!needs!of!their!individual!patients!yet!not!take!into!account!other!

aspects!of!overall!patient!care.!Thus,!Skill?centric!selves!will!operate!within!the!practice!

framework!as!defined!by!their!craft!culture!rather!than!by!overarching!considerations.!!

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Stage 4: Self-determining Stage !

Core%Characteristics:%Analyzing%and%Achieving%!

The!focus!is!on!the!delivery!of!results,!effectiveness,!goals,!and!success!(as!generally!held!

by!their!culture).!!

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In!most!societies,!people!at!the!Skill?centric!and!Self?determining!stages!are!responsible!for!

the!day?to?day!running!of!organizational!affairs.!While!Skill?centric!persons!focus!on!the!

exacting!detail!of!getting!a!job!done!well,!Self?determining!individuals!are!concerned!with!

successful!plans!and!outcomes.!They!focus!on!output!measured!in!terms!of!turnover,!

volume,!profit,!returns!on!investment,!market!share,!and!personal!career!satisfaction.!!!

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People!at!the!Self?determining!stage!apply!energy!in!a!consistent!direction!to!solve!known!

or!emerging!problems!and!may!use!the!tools!of!their!trade!creatively.!They!initiate!change!

and!seek!to!move!mountains.!Their!determination!and!energy!is!often!inspiring!to!others.!

Self?determining!selves!are!open!to!learning!and!discovery.!They!welcome!behavioral!and!

tactical!feedback,!especially!if!it!can!bring!them!closer!to!their!envisioned!goals.!They!will!

likely!resist!feedback!that!questions!the!very!beliefs!within!which!they!operate.!!

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People!at!the!Self?determining!stage!believe!deeply!in!scientific!principles,!linear!cause!and!

effect!and!objective!rationality.!From!their!point!of!view,!the!natural!world,!including!the!

behavior!of!people,!is!governed!by!predictable!patterns!and!laws.!These!can!be!

researched,!made!explicit!and!applied!to!influence!and!control!outcomes.!Thus,!results!are!

secured!by!relying!on!an!objective!“scientific”!approach!and!by!applying!one’s!personal!

conviction!and!energy!towards!stated!goals.!Gaining!self?knowledge!is!a!crucial!part!of!the!

Self?determining!person’s!focus!on!improvement!and!making!the!society!or!even!the!world!

a!better!place.!While!open!to!improvement!feedback,!they!tend!to!defend!themselves!and!

their!beliefs!by!rationalizing!and!intellectualizing.!

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Leadership%Characteristics%%Managers/leaders!at!the!Self?determining!stage!tend!to!be!matter!of!fact,!concerned!with!

getting!things!done,!but!also!fair!and!perceptive!in!engaging!others.!They!will!listen!to!

others’!reasons!and!consider!them.!They!can!prioritize!among!competing!projects!and!

tasks,!cooperate!with!others!around!mutual!goals,!delegate!work,!and!trust!others’!

capabilities!and!approaches!even!if!they!are!different!from!their!own.!!

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Self?determining!individuals!share!the!Skill?centric’!interest!in!experimenting.!Unlike!Skill?

centric!managers,!however,!who!work!on!improving!given!procedures,!people!at!the!Self?

determining!stage!design!whole!new!methods!and!approaches!to!solving!problems,!

streamlining!processes,!and!integrating!different!parts!of!an!organization.!Looking!at!

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longer?term!effects,!they!may!begin!to!anticipate!unintended!outcomes!or!side!effects.!

They!perceive!multiple!causes!for!human!behavior!and!may!want!to!counsel!others!who!

face!difficulties.!!

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• Feel!they!are!the!masters!of!their!ship!and!in!control!of!their!lives!!

• Value!different!opinions!and!perspectives!as!useful!data!for!action!

• Compare!different!positions!and!approaches!and!make!their!choices!based!on!the!

best!fit!with!their!own!values!and!the!best!plan!forward!

• Decide!upon!a!desired!future!and!what!needs!to!be!done!to!get!there!!

• Prioritize!and!initiate!actions!as!well!as!delegate!tasks!if!necessary!

• Define!specific!medium?term!goals!(5!to!10!years)!and!strive!for!maximum!impact!

and/or!benefit!

• Tend!to!agree!to!disagree!or!bracket!out!more!fundamental!differences!when!they!

get!in!the!way!of!what!needs!to!be!accomplished!

• Welcome!feedback,!especially!if!it!helps!them!to!achieve!their!goals!and!to!improve!

their!effectiveness!

• Believe!passionately!that!rationality!and!objectivity!are!vital!aspects!of!good!

management!

• Seek!to!be!fair!and!consistent!in!their!treatment!of!those!reporting!to!them!!

• May!drive!others,!however,!as!hard!as!they!drive!themselves!

• Tend!to!believe!that!they!know!themselves!&!others!quite!well,!and!that!they!are!in!

control!of!their!emotions!

• Distinguish!between!ethics!(an!inner!sense!of!right!and!wrong)!and!manners!(social!

conventions!of!what!is!right!or!wrong)!

• Have!high!performance!standards!and!may!be!their!own!worst!critics!when!they!do!

not!measure!up!to!these!standards%!

Strengths%The!greatest!strength!of!individuals!at!the!Self?determining!stage!is!also!their!greatest!

weakness:!an!unquestioning!focus!on!purpose,!focus!and!drive.!In!pursuit!of!their!favorite!

personal!goals,!Self?determining!selves!will!disregard!other!important!areas!of!business!

and/or!personal!life.!For!example,!a!coordinator!of!an!international!aid!charity!functioning!

from!this!stage!was!so!dedicated!to!raising!funds!for!the!needy!that!he!did!not!see!how!

hard!he!pushed!himself!and!his!own!staff!and!at!what!costs!to!himself!and!the!

organization.!Nor!did!he!see!how!this!“driving”!behavior!negatively!affected!his!home!life.!

%Challenges%People!at!the!Self?determining!stage!tend!to!blame!themselves!for!failure!to!achieve!goals!

because!they!are!unable!to!see!how!external!influences!affect!the!success!of!any!endeavor.!

They!may!take!too!much!responsibility!for!things!they!have!no!control!over.!!

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Postconventional$Stages$of$Development$!

The!Leadership!Maturity!Framework!(LMF)!identifies!a!sequence!of!four!distinct!stages!

within!the!postconventional!stage:!the!Self?questioning!stage,!the!Self?actualizing!stage,!

the!Construct?aware!stage!and!the!Unitive!Stage.!Less!than!20%!of!the!overall!population!

lives!from!these!stages.!The!later,!rarer!stages!comprise!less!than!10%!of!the!adult!

population.!

!

The!Self?determining!self!is!the!highest!stage!in!the!conventional!adult!development!

sequence,!the!model!of!what!adult!looks!like!in!modern!times.!A!fully?fledged!adult!is!

expected!to!pursue!goals!defined!in!output!terms!(professional!leadership!roles,!personal!

income,!status,!effort).!!!

!

What!is!characteristic!about!the!moving!beyond!the!culturally!supported!conventional!

ceiling!is!the!move!beyond!the!limitations!and!unexamined!assumptions!of!the!Self?

determining!stage.!It!is!the!first!stage!where!one!explores!not!only!what!one!believes!but!

also!how!one!comes!to!those!beliefs.!The!Self?questioning!stage!is!the!first!

postconventional!stage!because!the!Self?questioning!stage!no!longer!automatically!

conforms!to!the!reality!view!and!to!the!behavior!scripts!offered!by!their!environment,!and!

with!that!comes!a!major!shift!in!perspective!about!the!objective!nature!of!reality.!That!

fundamental!shift!about!what!constitutes!reality!and!how!to!navigate!it,!and!who!one!is!in!

relationship!to!reality,!and!the!inquiry!and!exploration!of!its!malleability!is!the!fundamental!

foundation!of!the!post?conventional!stages.!!!

!

Stage 4/5: Self-questioning Stage !

Core%Characteristics:%Relativizing%and%Contextualizing%!

The!focus!is!on!who!one!is!in!relationship!to!others,!and!how!one!interacts!in!the!system.!

!

The!Self?questioning!stage!is!the!first!postconventional!stage!because!the!Self?questioning!

stage!no!longer!automatically!conforms!to!the!reality!view!and!to!the!behavior!scripts!

offered!by!their!environment.!With!this!comes!a!major!shift!in!perspective!about!the!

objective!nature!of!reality.!Having!found!no!position!to!defend!as!the!final!truth!and!no!

way!to!prioritize!among!competing!perspectives!and!positions,!the!person!at!the!Self?

questioning!stage!is!an!absolute!relativist.!!

!

The!psychological!and!cognitive!energy!of!the!Self?questioning!stage!is!directed!towards!

the!limitations!and!unexamined!assumptions!of!the!Self?determining!stage.!It!is!the!first!

stage!which!explores!not!only!what!one!believes,!but!also!how!one!came!to!believe!what!

one!does.!Persons!with!a!Self?questioning!mindset!are!motivated!to!expose!the!

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reductionism!of!the!traditional!scientific!approach,!to!unearth!hidden!social!and!cultural!

assumptions!and!to!make!these!visible!to!themselves!and!others.!

!

The!key!discoveries!of!Self?questioning!Stage!are:!

!

• the!totally!Self?determining!self!and!objectivity!are!myths.!The!observer!is!always!

influencing!what!is!being!observed.!

• boundaries!between!self!and!other,!subject!and!object!are!socially!constructed!and!

interdependent.!Variables!are!not!really!separate!entities,!but!they!can!be!usefully!

isolated!in!scientific!experiments.!

• each!variable,!each!object,!each!event!can!be!treated!as!both!a!whole!in!its!own!

right!and!as!a!part!of!a!bigger!system!–!and!so!on.!

• all!beliefs!are!relative!to!the!cultural?historical!context!and!the!personal!experience!

and!life!circumstances!in!which!they!were!formed.!!

!

Individuals!at!the!Self?questioning!stage!begin!to!examine!their!own!beliefs!and!??!finding!

the!center!does!not!hold!??!turn!to!the!here?and?now!and!enjoy!a!newly!discovered!cultural!

independence.!Rekindled!creativity!and!imagination!are!often!visible!signs!of!people!who!

are!at!this!stage.!Relativism!is!seen!everywhere.!Sometimes!Self?questioning!selves!despair!

about!ever!finding!a!new!foothold,!a!place!from!which!to!make!valid!judgments.!“Who!am!

I”!and!“Is!this!it!then?”!may!emerge!as!unsettling!questions.!Some!Self?questioning!

individuals!may!become!cynical.!Others!are!given!to!constantly!challenging!conventional!

wisdom,!but!without!having!something!better!to!offer!in!return.!Nonetheless,!in!an!

environment!where!Self?questioning!selves!are!supported!and!challenged!by!like?minded!

people!or!more!mature!role!models,!they!may!learn!to!apply!their!critical!energy!in!new,!

more!constructive!directions.!Part!of!their!developmental!challenge!is!to!find!a!more!

integrated!position!from!which!to!act!and!evaluate!experience,!one!in!which!they!can!use!

both!the!power!of!the!Self?determining!stage!and!the!insights!of!the!Self?questioning!

stage.!

!

Leadership%Characteristics%%People!at!the!Self?questioning!stage!can!be!fun!to!have!around:!they!relish!their!

individuality!and!pursue!whatever!appeals!to!them!with!dedication.!They!can!inspire!

others!to!be!more!experimental!and!playful.!While!aware!of!conventional!social!norms,!

they!are!not!constrained!by!them.!In!addition,!they!truly!appreciate!others!for!their!

uniqueness!and!different!perspectives!and!like!to!play!counseling!and!mentor!roles!in!

helping!them!develop.!Because!of!their!unique!style,!they!may!be!experienced!by!their!

employees!as!inconsistent,!inscrutable,!or!as!all!over!the!place.!They!also!have!the!

groundwork!for!a!more!strategic!leadership!style.!

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Another!type!of!Self?questioning!stage!values!others’!insights!and!views!so!much!that!as!

managers!and!leaders,!they!may!tend!to!want!everyone’s!input!and!perspective.!In!order!

to!not!harm!anyone,!they!may!rely!on!consensus!decisions!and!endless!explorations!of!

possibilities.!Decision!paralysis!is!an!aspect!of!this!need!to!give!every!voice!its!due.!

Managers!at!the!Self?questioning!stage!are!often!imposing!political!correctness!and!favor!

egalitarian!solutions.!

!

• They!become!increasingly!focused!on!the!experiences!of!the!moment!and!

themselves!as!experiencers!while!their!interest!in!leadership!as!a!way!to!achieve!

results!may!diminish.!If!this!happens!at!a!time!in!people’s!career!when!they!are!

already!responsible!for!leading!many!people,!they!may!withdraw!from!the!

leadership!role!to!some!degree.!Instead,!they!explore!the!complexities!of!leading!

people.!They!may!take!a!“let!live!and!see!what!happens”!attitude!towards!them.!!

• May!be!irritated!by!the!drive!and!achievement!motive!of!the!Self?determining!stage!

and!its!functional!relational!mode.!They!would!rather!associate!with!others!who!are!

less!driven!and!more!self?reflective!and!thoughtful!about!why!they!do!things.!

• Are!increasingly!aware!of!“systems!thinking.”!The!search!for!single!causes!and!

shorter?term!goals!is!replaced!by!thinking!about!the!system!as!a!whole!and!the!

long?term!consequences!of!decisions!taken.!As!managers!and!leaders,!they!can!

contribute!to!a!broader!view!and!offer!valuable!additional!perspectives.!

• Are!aware!that!people!may!take!on!different!roles!in!different!circumstances!and!at!

different!times.!They!themselves!may!experiment!with!different!kinds!of!

relationships!and!with!using!power!differently!in!different!contexts.!!

• May!be!creative!and!flexible!thinkers!who!relish!thinking!“outside!of!the!box”!as!

they!liberate!themselves!from!the!driven?ness!of!the!Self?determining?stage!self.!

They!are!interested!in!people’s!development!(particularly!their!own)!as!an!innate!

human!possibility!and!a!goal!in!and!of!itself!rather!than!as!a!means!towards!the!end!

of!greater!achievement!and!success.!!

• May!be!experimenting!with!modifying!significant!aspects!of!work:!extending!their!

roles!or!eliminating!more!routine!parts!of!them.!They!may!experiment!with!working!

in!different!ways!and!habitats.!They!may!even!choose!to!get!out!o!1f!the!rat?race!all!

together!and!“follow!their!bliss.!

%Strengths%Beginning!with!the!Self?questioning!stage,!there!is!increasing!appreciation!for!complexity,!

for!individual!differences,!and!an!ability!to!think!in!terms!of!how!complexities!and!paradox!

can!be!integrated!into!larger,!coherent!wholes!or!systems!including!their!own!meaning!

making.%%%%%

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%Challenges%From!the!point!of!view!of!the!Self?determining!stage!employee,!Self?questioning!superiors!

cannot!be!counted!on!to!be!consistent!and!to!engage!fully!with!them!on!their!terms.!“I!

never!know!where!she’s!coming!from”!might!be!said!of!a!manager!or!leader!at!the!Self?

questioning!stage.!People!at!the!Self?questioning!stage!tend!to!provide!less!certainty!and!

firm!leadership!to!the!people!in!their!care!because!they!realize!the!fundamental!

uncertainty!of!everything!given!the!layers!upon!layers!of!assumptions!and!interpretations!

that!underlie!scientific!certainty.!

!

Stage 5: Self-actualizing Stage !

Core%Characteristics:%Integrating%and%Transforming%!

Having!found!no!position!defend!as!the!final!truth!and!no!way!to!prioritize!among!

competing!perspectives!and!positions,!the!individual!at!the!Self?questioning!stage!is!an!

absolute!relativist.!The!Self?actualizing!self,!in!contrast,!becomes!then!able!to!adjudicate!

among!rivaling!opinions!and!beliefs!based!on!the!quality!of!the!arguments!and!the!ideas!

given.!!!

!

Moving!from!the!Self?determining!to!the!Self?questioning!and!on!to!the!Self?actualizing!self!

involves!another!major!shift!in!one’s!frame!of!reference.!The!Group?centric!individual’s!

desire!to!stay!in!touch,!the!Skill?centric!individual’s!penchant!for!craft!logic,!the!Self?

determining!stage’s!focus!on!control!and!results!are!replaced!by!self?generated!and!

individual!ways!of!viewing!and!interpreting!the!world,!yet!now!with!a!capacity!to!take!into!

account!other!perspectives!and!recognize!the!interdependence!of!multiple!systems.!The!

Self?actualizing!selves!are!also!the!first!in!the!stage!sequence!who!are!capable!of!

recognizing!their!own!developmental!path!through!the!stages!and!connect!to!prior!ones!as!

part!of!themselves.!Thus!others!at!earlier!stages!are!seen!with!more!compassion!and!

understanding!for!their!limitations.!They!thus!can!address!others!at!earlier!stages!by!

adjusting!their!message!and!style!for!optimal!connection!and!interaction.!

!

In!contrast!to!people!at!the!Self?questioning!stage!for!whom!all!views!are!equally!

acceptable!or!questioned,!Self?actualizing!individuals!are!able!to!adjudicate!among!rivaling!

opinions!and!beliefs!based!on!the!quality!and!validity!of!the!arguments!and!ideas!offered.!

They!tend!to!seek!input!from!those!whose!perspectives!are!differentiated,!constructive,!

people?oriented!as!well!as!inclusive!of!multiple!bottom!lines.!Self?actualizing!leaders!have!

learned!to!examine!other!perspectives!and!to!choose!those!that!allow!for!optimal!

effectiveness!and!influence.!They!care!about!the!overall!transformation!of!people!and!the!

organization.!They!look!for!dynamic!models,!which!foster!continuous!learning!and!long?

term!considerations!over!those!that!are!single?approach,!critical,!short?term,!or!static,!and!

widely!accepted!by!the!establishment.!

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People!at!the!Self?actualizing!stage!are!as!interested!in!the!processes!of!doing!something!

as!in!the!results!achieved.!The!process?orientation!includes!an!ongoing!exploration!of!their!

own!subtle!preferences,!biases,!blind!spots,!and!ingrained!patterns.!Thus,!close!

relationships!with!others!with!similar!capacities!for!observation!and!insight!become!vital!to!

one’s!own!continuing!evolution.!!

!

Thus,!individuals!at!the!Self?actualizing!stage!want!to!know!how!the!different!systems!they!

are!engaged!in!(organization,!family,!society)!interact!with!each!other.!They!question!the!

social?,!technological?,!productive?,!and!market?oriented!facets!of!systems!in!order!to!

optimize!their!potential!to!do!good!and!enhance!the!life!of!all.!They!assess!the!balance!and!

adequacy!among!the!overall!organizational!and!social!vision!and!the!strategies!and!actions!

used!to!pursue!them.!Increasingly,!they!will!be!concerned!with!what!is!happening!at!all!

levels!of!an!organization!and!point!out!potential!long?term!consequences!(intended!and!

unintended)!both!for!the!organizations!as!well!as!for!the!wellbeing!of!its!members!and!of!

the!wider!world.!That!is,!they!have!become!capable!of!seeing!things!from!an!internalized!

systems!and!a!global!view.!!

!

Leadership%Characteristics%%Conventional!subordinates!of!a!leader!at!the!Self?actualizing!stage!may!feel!disconcerted!

by!them!and!their!“odd!view!of!reality.”!They!may!find!them!too!complex!and!not!practical!

enough,!always!looking!beyond!immediate!concerns.!Self?actualizing!leaders!with!good!

people!skills!may!be!able!to!motivate!staff!and!clients/consumers!towards!a!greater!vision!

and!initiate!and!support!culture!change,!integral!values!and!long?term,!more!ecologically!

sound!and!globally!responsible!business!practices.!

!

The!“go?it?alone”!tendency!of!the!Self?questioning!stage!is!replaced!by!a!desire!of!the!Self?

actualizing!person!to!co?create!and!work!in!collaboration!with!others!not!out!of!the!need!

to!be!egalitarian,!but!because!others!do!have!different!perspectives!and!wisdom.!Because!

they!appreciate!how!different!the!values!and!purposes!of!different!people!are,!they!are!

dedicated!to!developing!shared!visions!for!projects!and!organizations,!visions!that!attract!

the!commitment!of!members.!They!tend!to!be!entrepreneurial,!not!just!in!an!economic!

sense,!but!in!a!social,!ecological,!and!/!or!developmental!sense!as!well.!!

!

• Are!aware!that!what!one!sees!depends!upon!one’s!frame!of!reference.!“Reality”!is!

relative!and!what!is!considered!as!common!sense!may!be!based!on!conformist!and!

unexamined!patterns.!They!can!consciously!tailor!their!management!style!to!the!

needs!of!diverse!people.!They!may!therefore!come!across!to!different!people!as!

having!quite!different!personalities.!

• Are!flexible!about!how!tasks!should!be!performed,!trust!people!to!find!their!own!

solutions,!and!offer!help!and!support!if!needed.!!

• Play!a!variety!of!roles!in!their!work!life!and!life!beyond!work,!which!can!confuse!less!

flexible!people.!

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• Use!humor!and!wit!to!defuse!tense!situations.!While!the!humor!of!the!Self?

actualizing!person!is!light?hearted,!existential!and!spontaneous,!that!of!Self?centric!

selves!and!Skill?centric!stage!is!often!hostile!and!cutting,!and!that!of!the!Self?

questioning!stage!sometimes!sarcastic!or!“off?the?wall.”!!

• Can!find!rapid!decision?making!difficult!as!they!see!many!sides!of!an!argument!or!

situation!and!do!not!like!to!act!prematurely!or!for!action’s!sake.!

• Recognize!the!importance!of!ethical!principles!and!mindful!judgment!for!making!

valid!and!good!decisions.!Integrity!is!an!important!personal!value.!Self?actualizing!

individuals!tend!to!choose!what!seems!reasonable!or!just!for!many!people!in!the!

long!run!rather!than!going!for!short?term!gain!or!victory.!They!may!do!so!even!at!

personal!risk!or!cost!to!them.!!

• Enjoy!“reframing”!(rather!than!breaking)!the!rules!in!cases!where!the!rules!are!seen!

as!unnecessarily!limiting,!unproductive!or!stifling!to!creativity!and!development.!

• Appreciate!and!engage!with!the!complexities!of!situations!and!the!variability!of!

human!beings!and!ways!of!making!sense!of!experience.!

• Are!creative!in!conflict!resolution!because!they!see!conflict,!that!is,!differences!in!

values!and!perspectives!as!an!inevitable!part!of!viable!relationships.!

%Strengths%Self?actualizing!leaders!therefore!invite!feedback!from!all!sources!as!a!necessary!means!to!

overcome!their!blind!spots!and!grow!in!self?knowledge!and!understanding!of!the!world.!

Because!they!know!their!own!view!of!reality!to!be!partial,!they!value!others’!perspectives!

as!part!of!a!more!complete!picture!or!as!a!possible!impetus!to!change!their!current!

strategy!or!actions.!On!the!other!hand,!they!are!able!to!discern!among!different!types!of!

feedback,!and!seek!evidence!that!will!confirm!or!disconfirm!the!assumptions,!attributions,!

or!evaluations!embedded!in!others’!feedback.!!

%Challenges%Because!they!are!used!to!relying!on!their!own!assessment!of!complex!situations,!some!

Self?actualizing!leaders!may!discount!information!that!doesn’t!come!from!those!they!look!

up!to.%!

Stage 5/6: Construct-aware Stage !

Core%Characteristics:%Pointed%attention%to%constructs,%metacognition,%and%ego%traps%$The!next!postconventional!stage!is!the!Construct?aware!stage.!In!organizations!as!well!as!in!

society!people!who!score!at!this!level!are!very!rare.!In!one!sample!of!nearly!500!managers!

in!the!USA!only!three!were!rated!at!this!stage.!It!is!possible!that!you!do!not!personally!

know!someone!who!is!at!this!stage!of!development,!although!there!may!be!elements!or!

glimpses!of!Construct?aware!behavior!in!yourself!or!people!who!you!know!and!admire.!

Other!terms!considered!for!this!stage,!such!as!Alchemist,!Shaman,!Jester,!and!Crone,!all!

have!connotations!that!can!be!misleading.!

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!

Construct?aware!selves!are!individuals!who!embody!a!deep!wisdom!coupled!with!the!

humility,!ordinariness!and!the!lightness!of!a!jester.!They!are!likely!to!personify!seemingly!

opposite!attributes!such!as!complexity!and!simplicity,!joyfulness!and!sadness,!intensity!and!

tranquility,!integrity!and!despair.!In!other!words,!they!live!in!paradoxes!while!they!may!

appear!to!transcend!them!in!a!“marriage!of!opposites.”!

!

At!the!Construct?aware!stage,!people!are!committed!to!the!transformation!of!themselves!

and!others,!of!society!and!the!organizations!in!which!they!participate.!They!are!able!to!

hold!many!perspectives!at!once,!seeing!their!multiple,!interconnecting!pros!and!cons.!They!

are!less!likely!than!Self?actualizing!selves!to!initiate!well?meaning!interventions!based!on!

principles,!but!personal!theories!of!what!is!good!for!the!world.!Construct?aware!folks!seek!

timely!action!on!a!moment?to?moment!basis!founded!upon!an!exquisite!awareness!of!

what!is!happening!now,!in!pursuit!of!potential!transformation.!They!seem!to!have!a!knack!

of!doing!the!right!??!often!surprising!or!unconventional!??!things!at!the!right!moment.!It!is!

this!capacity!that!seems!to!others!“magical.”!

!

Construct?aware!individuals!are!capable!of!friendly!contact!with!adversaries.!They!may!

create!more!enlightened!social!rules!as!Gandhi!did!for!non?violent!protest!and!in!

overturning!the!caste!system!within!his!own!household.!Like!many!charismatic!leaders!at!

this!stage,!he!was!abhorred!by!many!more!conventional!people!for!his!actions!and!beliefs!

that!flew!in!the!face!of!long?held!practices!and!beliefs.!

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Unlike!people!at!the!Self?determining!stage!in!organizations,!Construct?aware!leaders!may!

not!be!the!persons!who!dedicate!themselves!to!immediate!goals!and!outcomes!if!the!

moment!or!long?term!considerations!require!a!different!approach.!The!Construct?aware!

person’s!ability!to!simultaneously!attend!to!multiple!practical,!ethical,!ecological,!

immediate!and!long?term!considerations,!as!well!as!to!emotional,!rational!and!spiritual!

concerns!may!disturb!others!or!arouse!suspicion!in!them.!Historically,!Construct?aware!

Individuals!have!been!the!kind!of!social!catalysts!and!visionaries!who!have!often!been!

rejected,!locked!up,!assassinated!or!simply!ignored!as!being!mad!or!out!of!touch!with!

common!sense!“reality.”!

!

We!cannot!describe!Construct?aware!people!as!“typically”!doing!anything.!The!sample!is!

too!small!and!their!way!of!making!sense!of!reality!is!too!varied.!Still,!some!of!the!following!

might!be!observed!in!people!at!this!stage.!!

!

• Serve!the!development!and!growth,!and!even!purification!of!themselves!and!others.!

They!will!thus!often!take!the!role!of!mentor!or!catalyst!as!well!as!transformational!

leader.!

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!


• Seek!transformation!of!organizations!not!according!to!conventional!goals!or!

principles!but!according!to!a!later!wisdom!of!behaving!and!being.!As!leaders!they!

will!be!seen!as!visionaries!?!either!inspired!or!deluded.!

• May!appear!to!most!people!as!otherworldly,!speaking!a!different!language!or!

seeing!different!realities.!They!may!be!seen!as!abstract,!out!of!touch!with!ordinary!

people,!unrealistic!or!even!“crazy”!!!

• Unselfconsciousness,!power!and!charisma!may!either!attract!others!or!it!may!

intimidate!and!alienate!them!in!contrast!to!the!Self?actualizing!individual’s!use!of!

power.!

• Are!aware,!bemused!and!saddened!by!the!inevitability!of!paradox!in!human!affairs,!

yet!address!contradictions!and!complexity!wholeheartedly.!They!will!thus!seem!to!

be,!and!in!reality!will!be,!complex!personalities!that!see!events!from!many!

perspectives.!!

• Can!have!a!transforming!ability!to!draw!together!opposites!and!initiate!new!

directions!out!of!creative!tension.!

• Can!often!turn!around!a!hopeless!situation!by!the!strength!of!their!insight!and!

personal!courage.!

• Will!have!multiple!and!diverse!responsibilities!which!will!spread!well!beyond!the!

confines!of!one!organization.!

%Strengths%They!handle!many!things!at!once!as!they!often!hold!more!than!one!significant!post!in!

organizations!and!society,!yet!have!adequate!time!available.!The!following!is!a!description!

of!a!vice?president!of!Motorola,!who!measured!at!the!Construct?aware!stage!by!a!

consultant!who!worked!with!him:!“(…)!he!is!visionary!yet!practical,!effervescent!yet!

confronting,!playful!yet!at!work!by!6.00!a.m.!most!mornings.!(…)!(he)!generates!

spontaneity,!laughter,!long?term!focus!and!attention!to!execution!and!follow!through!

(from!his!team).”!

%Challenges%Their!great!depth!of!self?understanding!and!the!complexities!of!systems,!life!and!

relationships,!can!at!times!become!overwhelming.!There!are!few!others!who!will!truly!

understand!their!way!of!looking!at!the!world!and!thus!it!can!be!a!lonely!place.!While!the!

Self?questioning!stage!is!looking!at!general!business!assumptions!and!taken!for!granted!

values,!the!5/6!stage!questions!everything,!including!how!humans!seek!understanding!and!

create!ever!more!elaborate!explanations!about!everything.!Some!cannot!help!feeling!

cognitively!superior!and!thus,!create!difficulties!being!with!folks!less!“advanced”!than!they!

see!themselves.!But!many!people!at!that!rare!stage!may!not!be!interested!in!day?to?day!

activities!and!operational!leadership.!If!at!all,!they!are!more!likely!external!consultants.!!

When!successful!at!senior!levels!due!to!operational!and!strategic!skills,!individuals!at!this!

stage!can!be!that!rare!leader!who!can!lead!extra?ordinarily,!like!a!magician.!

!

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Stage 6: Unitive Stage !

Core%Characteristics:%AllDembracing%and%witnessing%$This!level!of!development!is!even!rarer!(less!than!1%)!of!the!population!even!among!highly!

educated,!successful!thought!leaders.!People!operating!at!the!Unitive!stage!can!be!found!

in!all!professions,!but!often!prefer!to!stay!behind!the!scenes!or!go!about!their!business!

quietly!from!sweeping!the!entryway,!to!facilitation!a!seminar,!to!overseeing!military!action.!

They!do!what!needs!doing!with!great!precision,!compassion,!and!wisdom.!They!can!use!

tough!love!and!be!kind!depending!on!what!is!required!in!the!moment.!They!are!not!afraid!

to!stand!up!for!justice,!to!act!with!conviction!and!suffer!the!consequences.!But!they!don’t!

do!it!for!heroic!personal!needs,!only!for!the!benefit!of!others!or!to!inspire!others!by!

example.!!

!

Their!ego!is!no!longer!the!driver!for!what!they!do.!Therefore,!they!have!little!to!defend!and!

much!to!observe,!absorb!and!appreciate.!In!general,!they!are!not!overly!interested!in!

complex!explanations!and!approaches.!They!are!not!impressed!with!or!seek!titles,!honors!

and!status!symbols,!although!they!may!accept!them!graciously!if!bestowed.!!

!

Most!Unitive!individuals!practice!regular!meditation!and/or!are!part!of!a!spiritual!

discipline.!They!continue!to!develop!themselves!and!others!to!embrace!ever?greater!

wisdom,!mercy!and!right!action.!!

!

We!believe!that!there!may!be!levels!far!subtler!than!the!Unitive!stage!as!described!in!the!

ancient!wisdom!literature.!Because!exemplars!at!these!even!subtler!stages!are!so!rare,!we!

do!not!emphasize!the!highest!stage!identifiable!with!the!MAP!and!possible!stages!of!

meaning!making!beyond.!Moreover,!for!most!practical!purposes,!knowing!about!the!earlier!

stages!is!more!important!than!knowing!about!late!stage!development.!The!work!that!the!

world!needs!is!to!support!people!and!organizations!to!develop!more!of!their!potential!in!

the!conventional!realm.!!

!!!!!!!!!!In#the#following#page,#you#will#find#a#comparison#of#some#key#developmental#theories.

Self-centric

Group-centric

Skill-centric

Self-determining

Self-questioning

Self-actualizing

Construct-aware

Unitive

Comparison*Table*Of*Some*Leading*Ver6cal*Developmental*Theories!!

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History$of$the$Development$of$the$MAP$Instrument$!

Researchers!from!Piaget!onwards!have!identified!how!children!pass!through!a!series!of!

distinct!stages!of!development!on!their!journey!to!adulthood.!These!stages!reflect!

children’s!expanding!cognitive!and!emotional!capacity!for!understanding!themselves!and!

the!world,!that!is,!to!make!sense!or!meaning!of!their!experience.!Adolescents!don’t!just!

know!more!and!have!more!skills!than!preschoolers;!they!see!the!world!with!different!eyes.!

They!know!the!world!in!a!different,!more!complex!way.!Piaget!and!other!developmental!

psychologists!of!his!time!thought!that!we!reach!cognitive!maturity!by!late!adolescence!or!

early!adulthood.!As!we!know!now,!the!process!of!gaining!broader!and!broader!

perspectives!can!continue!throughout!life.!The!path!of!adult!development!may!lead!to!

levels!of!maturity,!insight!and!wisdom!far!beyond!what!developmental!psychology!held!

possible!in!its!early!days.!!While!it!is!common!knowledge!that!children!develop!through!

stages!of!increasing!cognitive!capacity!and!understanding,!research!on!how!adults!keep!

growing!and!maturing!is!quite!recent.!!

!

The!concept!of!self?development!also!has!its!roots!in!ancient!Greek,!Hebrew,!Hindu!and!

Buddhist!philosophy.!Early!in!the!twentieth!century,!development!gained!interest!as!

people!sought!to!understand!the!consequences!for!humans!of!Darwin’s!work.!Freud,!

Gebser,!Adler,!Jung!and!others!have!all!contributed!to!our!understanding!of!the!nature!of!

the!self!or!“ego”!and!its!meaning!making!function!in!human!beings.!The!ego!here!is!seen!

has!having!a!positive!and!fundamental!function.!It!is!defined!as!that!aspect!of!the!self!that!

seeks!understanding!and!creates!meaning!by!telling!a!story!about!the!self!and!the!world.!!

Ego!development!theory!describes!how!adults!mature!throughout!the!lifespan!and!make!

meaning!in!ever!more!integrated!and!agile!ways.!!Drawing!on!these!sources!and!on!original!

research!in!the!nineteen!sixties!and!seventies,!Jane!Loevinger!put!forward!a!developmental!

theory!and!created!a!measurement!instrument!to!assess!adults’!meaning!making!level.!

This!instrument,!The!Washington%University%Sentence%Completion%Test!(SCT)!is!one!of!the!most!widely!

used!and!best!validated!in!the!field!of!personality!assessment!and!has!been!used!in!

thousands!of!research!projects!worldwide.!!

!

Cook?Greuter’s!thirty?five!year!research!lead!to!a!reformulation!of!ego!development!

theory!and!the!expansion!of!the!SCT!to!include!stages!of!self?actualization!and!ego!

transcendence!based!on!thousands!of!pieces!of!evidence.!!The.Maturity.Profile.created!based!on!the!sentence!completions,.expands!the!use!of!the!instrument.!It!includes!giving!

feedback!to!clients!both!to!individuals!and!to!whole!teams.!The!MAP!can!provide!powerful!

insights!for!change!work!with!clients,!teams!and!organizations.!$$

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How$The$MAP$Is$Scored$!

The!MAPs!are!scored!using!rigorous!assessment!methods!that!reduce!bias,!maintain!

accuracy!and!increase!inter?rater!reliability.!The!MAP!forms!are!examined!three!times,!

using!both!quantitative!and!qualitative!analyses.!!

!

1.$$Individual$Sentence$Scores:!When!you!responded!to!the!MAP!instrument,!you!

completed!36!unfinished!sentence!stems.!!First!each!sentence!completion!is!compared!to!a!

manual!of!standard!responses!for!each!developmental!stage!and!assigned!a!stage!score.!

The!scorer!evaluates!the!meaning!of!each!sentence!based!on!how!participants!express!

themselves!through!language.!The!rater!uses!over!a!dozen!“clues”!or!parameters!to!assess!

the!stage!score!for!each!sentence!response.!These!parameters!include!sentence!structure,!

content,!relationship!to!time,!complexity,!polarities!and!more.!!Responses!that!are!more!

complex!and!demonstrate!the!writer’s!capacity!to!list!their!habitual!behavioral!choices!and!

realize!the!importance!of!context!attract!later!stage!scores.!!Some!content!is!more!

prevalent!at!some!stages!than!at!others,!and!preferred!themes!are!therefore!of!notice!

(such!as:!success,!goals,!reasons,!purpose,!commitment,!and!validity!for!the!Self?

determining!Stage!4.)!Since!each!sentence!is!given!a!“score”!which!corresponds!to!one!of!

the!nine!meaning!making!stages,!you!have!a!distribution!of!36!scores!across!several!of!the!

nine!stages!as!indicated!on!the!statistical!output!(pages!14?15)!If!you!wrote!several!

sentences!(paragraphs)!rather!than!sentence!completions,!there!are!rules!about!which!of!

the!additional!sentences!are!taken!into!account!and!how,!and!which!are!not!considered!as!

part!of!a!sentence!completion!and!therefore!not!scored.!!

!

2.$$Statistical$Scores:!Next!a!statistical!analysis!of!the!distribution!of!stages!generates!two!scores:!!

a. Total.Weighted.Score.(TWS):!This!score!is!the!cumulative!total!of!all!the!individual!

sentence!scores,!where!sentences!scored!at!each!stage!carry!a!particular!weightage.!!

Knowing!the!Total!Weighted!Score!(TWS)!is!most!useful!when!a!MAP!assessment!is!

repeated!after!a!few!years!to!check!for!development.!An!increase!in!the!TWS!may!

indicate!horizontal!growth!or!expansion!within!a!given!stage.!!The!TWS!is!a!statistical!

measure!useful!when!reviewing!the!profiles!of!a!group.!

!

b. Ogive:!Is!the!preliminary!statistical!stage!score!based!on!an!algorithm!for!how!many!

responses!are!minimally!necessary!to!be!scored!at!a!given!stage!given!the!distribution.!

!

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3.$Final$Rating!?!Total!Protocol!Rating!(TPR):!To!arrive!at!the!overall!final!stage,!the!highly!trained,!experienced!and!certified!MAP?scorer!evaluates!the!responses!as!they!relate!to!

each!other!and!assesses!the!MAP!as!a!whole!to!write!the!individualized!profile.!Thus!the!

TPR!is!determined!by!the!combination!of!quantitative!and!qualitative!assessments.!!

!

4.$$Individualized$Profile$Comments:!Finally!the!certified!rater!writes!their!comments!and!

recommendations!uniquely!tailored!to!the!client’s!responses!and!the!overall!stage!profile!

based!on!the!scoring.!!No!two!rater!comments!are!ever!the!same.!!!

Our!scorers!have!gone!through!an!intensive!18?month!training,!have!passed!a!final!exam!

and!continue!to!participate!in!ongoing!training!to!maintain!our!rigorous!standards.!!We!

know!of!no!other!developmental!scorers!who!are!as!thoroughly!prepared!as!those!trained!

by!The!MAP!Institute,!who!are!part!of!the!Certified!Score!Network!at!the!Center!for!

Leadership!Maturity.!

!

How$People$At$Different$Ego$Stages$May$Relate$To$The$LMF$And$The$MAP$

SelfNCentric$stage$response:$

Individuals!at!this!stage!may!use!information!about!a!test!(more!likely!typologies)!to!label!

others,!and!use!the!negative!attributes!to!dismiss!or!“combat”!them.!!Sharing!their!own!

stage!is!a!threat!as!others!may!use!it!against!them.!They!may!use!labels!to!show!that!they!

are!in!the!know!or!to!serve!other!needs.!The!earlier!mindsets!(Self?centric,!Group?centric,!

Skill?centric),!tend!to!see!the!LMF!as!too!theoretical!and!complex!to!have!any!use!in!the!

“real”!world.!

GroupNcentric$stage$response:$

Individuals!at!this!stage!see!any!type!of!evaluation!as!a!potential!threat!as!it!is!generally!

used!to!show!how!they!are!not!measuring!up!to!the!expected!norms.!The!MAP!as!an!

unfamiliar!test!type!is!especially!confusing!and!uncomfortable!and!too!personal.!In!a!

debrief,!they!may!agree!with!any!assessment,!to!please!the!superior!or!expert!or!they!may!

try!to!change!the!subject!quickly.!They!may!also!feel!content!with!being!at!this!stage!

because!its!positive!qualities!are!self?evidently!good,!and!even!noble!within!that!frame!of!

reference.!!

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SkillNcentric$stage$response:$Skill?centric!individuals!tend!to!dislike!being!measured,!labeled!and!experience!most!

feedback!as!criticism.!They!resent!that!they!are!being!“defined”!by!someone!else’s!theory.!

However,!they!are!supported!in!becoming!more!open!to!other!ways!of!doing!things!if!they!

understand!the!inner!logic.!They!may!be!interested!in!the!technical!detail!of!the!MAP!and!

question!its!logical!validity!and!reliability.!If!it!is!convincing,!they!may!want!to!use!the!test!

to!“map”!others!and!get!a!better!handle!of!them.!!Research!indicates!that!at!this!stage!

people!in!general!express!great!distrust!of!a!developmental!perspective!and!strongly!

defend!their!own!style.!!!

SelfNdetermining$stage$response:$At!this!stage!people!tend!to!scrutinize!the!framework!for!an!underlying!logic.!They!seek!to!

understand!the!MAP!and!use!the!feedback!for!improving!their!performance!and!be!more!

productive.!!!If!they!find!that!its!techniques!offer!greater!influence!and!effectiveness,!they!

may!embrace!it!with!enthusiasm.!On!the!other!hand,!if!they!interpret!the!framework!as!

challenging!their!world!view!and!values,!and!not!offering!them!concrete!ways!to!succeed!

more,!they!may!be!irritated!by!its!complexity!and!hierarchical!nature!and!reject!it!in!favor!

of!simpler!typologies.!!!Beginning!with!this!stage,!behavioral!and!interpretive!feedback!is!

often!acknowledged!as!useful!data!and!in!general!more!welcomed!than!at!earlier!positions.!

SelfNquestioning$stage$response:$$Individuals!at!this!stage!generally!view!the!MAP!experience!and!the!LMF!with!curiosity.!

They!find!that!this!framework!can!shed!light!on!some!issues!and!interpersonal!dynamics!

that!have!felt!intractable!and!confusing!before.!They!may!embrace!a!developmental!theory!

because!it!offers!them!an!appreciate!interpretation!of!themselves!as!meaning!makers!

different!from!the!accepted!norms!especially!in!conventional!working!environment.!Now!

their!capacity!to!question!existing!systems!and!assumptions!is!a!strength.!There!is!a!danger!

that!the!framework!may!take!on!too!central!an!interpretive!position!in!their!thinking,!or!

that!it!may!simply!become!another!method!for!dismantling!others’!beliefs.!Often!at!this!

stage!the!hierarchical!nature!of!the!framework!is!vehemently!rejected,!as!all!human!beings!

are!considered!equal!and!unique.!!If!generalized!to!postmodern!tenets!of!relativism,!they!

may!dismiss!any!framework!as!biased!and!unfair,!especially!hierarchical!ones.!!!

SelfNactualizing$stage$response:$

Individuals!at!the!Self?actualizing!stage!will!likely!be!fascinated!by!the!framework!and!with!

their!own!stage!of!development.!It!can!explain!so!much!that!with!other!frameworks!

remains!a!puzzle.!It!make!sense!to!them!that!people!are!not!just!different!types,!they!also!

make!sense!of!the!same!situation!in!very!different!ways!depending!on!their!action!logic.!

Since!actualizing!oneself!is!one!of!their!main!values!of!this!level,!the!framework!offers!an!

outline!of!the!overall!path!and!explains!better!than!other!theories!just!where!one’s!

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!


potential!for!growth!lies!and!where!one’s!greatest!challenges!are!likely!to!be.!They!are!

open!to!examine!feedback!about!their!shadow!or!blind!spots!and!attempt!to!integrate!

these.!Sometimes!they!find!the!framework!either!too!categorical!or!hierarchical!if!they!still!

retain!the!postmodern!value!that!all!are!equal.!They!can!also!overestimate!the!applicability!

of!developmental!thinking!and!forget!the!many!interrelated!aspects!of!human!functioning!

that!have!to!be!considered.!Personally!they!may!be!relieved!that!they!have!crossed!the!

boundary!from!“conventionality”!for!good,!yet!they!may!be!disappointed!that!they!are!not!

already!at!the!next!stage!–!the!Construct?aware!stage.!!!

ConstructNaware$stage$response:$

Construct?aware!individuals!will!likely!see!both!the!strengths!and!its!limitations!of!a!

developmental!framework!including!the!LMF!and!have!a!better!sense!than!earlier!stages!

when!these!are!useful!and!when!not.!They!may!find!that!the!LMF!shares!the!limits!of!all!

theories,!which!are!always!partial!and!incomplete.!They!can!see!that!theories!are!maps:!

they!are!approximations,!whose!usefulness!depends!on!context!and!circumstance.!They!

may!truly!appreciate!the!feedback!from!the!MAP!especially!if!it!validates!their!own!

struggles!and!questions!around!being!at!that!stage.!They!may!hope!that!doing!the!MAP!will!

bring!up!some!blind!spots,!or!entrenched!behavior,!thinking!or!feeling!patterns.!While!they!

may!recognize!and!appreciate!the!transformational!potential!of!the!LMF,!they!will!not!

overvalue!or!overestimate!it.!Thus,!they!may!use!the!LMF!as!a!powerful!tool!in!helping!

people!and!organizations!to!conceive!of!and!foster!ongoing!transformation!by!making!

them!more!aware!of!the!natural!developmental!patterns,!potentials,!and!pitfalls.!!

Unitive$stage$response:$

The!Unitive!stage!holds!that!all!tests,!all!feedback!is!part!of!how!we!gain!insight!about!

ourselves,!our!impact!on!others,!and!how!we!come!across!to!different!people!at!different!

stages.!!They!also!point!to!the!interactive!feedback!loops!existing!in!all!systems.!All!is!

welcome!and!appreciated!and!can!be!used!for!multiple!purposes!as!the!moment!invites.!All!

measurements!are!also!taken!with!a!grain!of!salt.!There!is!no!need!felt!to!defend!that!this!

is!me!or!not!me!as!all!possible!aspects,!concerns,!connections!and!reactions!simply!are.!

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Applying$the$Leadership$Maturity$Framework$and$the$MAP$in$Organizations$

1.$Assessing$team$capacity$and$team$development$

The!Leadership!Maturity!Framework!(LMF)!can!generate!useful!data!about!the!current!

capacity!of!a!team!as!indicated!by!the!range!of!developmental!stages!of!its!members!set!

within!the!context!of!the!role,!the!personalities,!and!the!environment!of!the!team.!The!

framework!will!not!give!a!measure!of!performance!but!will!indicate!the!likely!strengths!and!

challenges!of!the!team.!The!team!result!can!be!used!to!create!new!inquiry!and!

conversations.!The!LMF!can!be!used!constructively!with!other!team!profiles!such!as!team!

roles!(Belbin)!and!personality!differences!(MBTI,!Enneagram)!to!gain!further!insight!into!

the!group!dynamics!

!

The!Leadership!Maturity!Framework!can!give!information!on!the!following:!

!

• the!capacity,!strengths!and!weaknesses!of!individuals!in!relationship!to!the!task!or!

mission!of!the!team.!

!

• the!stage!or!stages!of!development!that!typify!the!way!the!team!as!a!whole!

operates.!

!

• how!the!team!itself!operates!within!the!wider!assumptions,!values!and!processes!of!

the!organization!(or!organizations)!

!

• the!links!between!the!stages!of!development!of!team!members!and!the!developmental!

stage!of!the!team.!(A!number!of!models!exist!which!see!teams!as!moving!through!!

developmental!stages).!Most!widely!used!is!the!Spiral!Dynamics!model.!!

!

• the!shortcomings!and!strengths!of!the!team!when!individual!capacity,!team!mission!

and!stage!of!development!of!the!team!are!considered!together.!

!

• the!current!capacity!within!a!team,!department!or!whole!organization!prior!to!the!

design!of!an!intervention!in!order!to!influence!its!design!and!then!subsequently!

measure!any!changes.!

!

The!Leadership!Maturity!Framework!can!be!used!to:!

!

• stimulate!a!particular!type!of!development!within!a!team!(for!example,!from!a!“Skill?

centric”!to!an!“Self?determining”!mindset.!

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• explore!and!generate!movement!in!the!team's!capacity!to!deal!with!complexity!and!

becoming!increasingly!a!“learning!organization”!through!collaborative!and!deeper!

inquiry!into!its!patterns!and!assumptions.!Using!the!Leadership!Maturity!Framework!as!

an!explicit!development!model!in!action!learning!sets!has!added!considerable!depth!to!

the!work!of!learning!sets.!

!

• build!on!the!strengths!of!a!team!and!develop!strategies!to!deal!with!its!weaknesses!

2.$$Measuring$development$of$staff$over$a$period$of$time,$usually$following$a$developmental$intervention$

The!sentence!completion!form!may!be!applied!on!a!test?retest!basis!to!any!population!

within!an!organization!to!measure!the!impact!of!a!longer?term!intervention.!These!indices!

can!be!used!for!analysis!of!movement:!

• The!average!change!of!Total!Protocol!Ratings1!!

The!changed!number!of!subjects!found!in!one!or!more!desired!or!target!stages!of!

development,!(for!example!an!intervention!may!have!been!designed!to!increase!the,!

number!of!Achievers!found!in!a!selection!of!middle!managers).!

• The!average!change!of!Total!Weighted!Score2!

The!TWS!is!most!useful!in!determining!an!overall!shift!in!the!group!in!terms!of!average!

increase!in!points!especially!when!there!is!no!evidence!of!vertical!growth!in!some!subjects.!

3.$In$staff$development$centers,$for$assessment$and$recruitment$applications$

The!Leadership!Maturity!profile!can!be!integrated!into!a!personality!measurement!battery!

of!assessments.!The!framework!offers!a!vital!perspective!in!understanding!the!capacity,!

strengths,!weaknesses!and!potentials!of!an!individual.!!Until!recently!the!powerful!

influence!of!meaning!making!in!behavior!has!been!under!used!in!assessment,!development!

and!recruitment!centers.!This!is!changing.!

The!LMF!provides!a!format!for!predicting!the!likely!transformational!challenges!and!

opportunities!that!await!an!individual!on!his!or!her!development!path.!There!is!evidence!

that!age,!as!well!as!position,!in!an!organizational!hierarchy!and!current!stage!of!

development!are!correlated.!As!to!the!length!of!interventions!necessary!to!promote!

permanent!stage!change,!there!is!little!research!in!the!organizational!field.!!In!general,!one!

to!two!years!of!intense!work!and!later?than?current?stage!influence!seems!necessary!for!

measurable!change!in!managerial!action?logic!to!occur.!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1!Total!Protocol!Rating!?!this!is!the!stage!of!development!(sometime!stages!of!development) !

2!Cumulative!weighted!score!(TWS)!of!all!completed!sentences!on!a!sentences!completion!form.!This!

contributes!to!the!rater’s!judgment!about!Total!Protocol!Rating.!

!


!


Bibliography$for$Further$Reading$

Anderson!R,!&!Adams,!W.!(2016)!Mastering%leadership:%A%framework%for%Breakthrough%performance%and%extraordinary%business%results.%Hoboken!!NJ:!Wiley!and!Sons%%

Cook?Greuter,!S!(2004).!Making%the%case%for%a%developmental%perspective.%Industrial%and%Commercial%Training.%October!2004.!Bradford,!UK:!Emerald!Group.%

Cook?Greuter,!S.(1999).!Postautonomous%ego%development:%A%study%of%its%nature%and%measurement,!Doctoral!Thesis,!Harvard!University,!1999!UMI!Dissertation!Services!

#933122;!Integral!Publishers,!Dissertation!series.!!ISBN:!978?1?4507?2515?6!!

Cook?Greuter,!S.!(1990).!Maps%for%living:%Ego%development%stages%from%symbiosis%to%conscious%universal%embeddedness%(79?103).!Praeger,!New!York!(1990)%

Czikszentmihalyi,!M.(1993).!The%evolving%self;%Harper?Collins!New!York!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(1990).!Flow:%The%psychology%of%optimal%experience%Joiner,!B.!&!Josephs,!S.!(2006).!Leadership%agility:%five%levels%of%maters%for%anticipating%and%

initiating%change.!!San!Francisco:!Jossey?Bass.!!

Kegan,!R.!(1984).!The%evolving%self:%Problem%and%process%in%human%development.!Cambridge,!

MA:!Harvard!University!Press.!(1984)%

!!!!!!! (1994).!In%over%our%heads:%The%mental%demands%of%modern%life,%Cambridge!MA:!Harvard!

University!Press!!(1994)%Kegan!&!Lahey!(2016).!An%everyone%culture:%Becoming%a%deliberately%developmental%

organization.%Harvard%Business%School%Publishing,%2016%

Loevinger,!J.!(ed.)!(1998).!Technical%foundations%for%measuring%ego%development,!L!Erlbaum!

Associates:!New!Jersey!!

McGuire,!J,!B.!and!Rhodes,!G.!B.!(2009)!Transforming%your%leadership%culture.%San%Francisco:!Jossey?Bass!And!the!Center!for!Creative!Leadership%

Laloux,!F.!(2014).!Reinventing%organizations.!Brussels:!Nelson!Parke!%Miller,!M!&!Cook?Greuter,!S.!(1994).!Transcendence%and%mature%thought%in%adulthood:%The%

further%reaches%of%adult%development,!Rowman!&!Littlefield,!

Rooke,!D.!&!Torbert,!W.!Seven%Transformations%of%Leadership.%HBR.!April!2005.%%Schön,!D.!A.!(1982).!The%reflective%practitioner.%How%professionals%think%in%action.%%

Harper?Collins,!!

Senge,!P.!.(1990)!The%Fifth%Discipline.!The%Art%and%Practice%of%the%Learning%Organization,%Doubleday,!New!York!

Senge,!P.!et!al.!(1994).!The%Fifth%Discipline%Fieldbook,%Doubleday,!New!York!

Torbert,!W.,!Cook?Greuter,!S.,!et!al.!Action%Inquiry:%The%Secret%of%Timely%and%Transforming%Leadership,!San!Francisco:!Berrett?Koehler.!(2004).%

Vaillant,!G.!E..!The%Wisdom%Of%The%Ego,!Cambridge:!Harvard!University!Press!(1993)!

Wilber,!K.!(1996).!A%brief%history%of%everything,!Shambhala!

! !!!(2000).!Integral%Psychology,!Shambhala%

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