This book applies concepts from adult development theory to developing individuals, especially leaders, within a work context. The motivation is two-fold. First, by using a lens of adult development theory, it helps ground different development needs in a useful framework. Second, by placing development within a work context, it is possible to create sustainable change rather than the sort of change that happens in a class but is forgotten when someone goes back to the pressures and habits of their day-to-day environment.

Chapter 1 introduces adult development theory and the four forms of mind: self-sovereign, socialized, self-authored, and self-transforming. As we grow, how we make sense of the world changes. The theory presented in this book, taking largely from the work of Robert Kegan, identifies adult development stages with respect to perspective taking and beliefs about the origin of authority. Although I will not go into the four stages in depth, I do want to cover them briefly since they are so central to understanding the book.

The self-sovereign form of mind can only take on perspective, their own. Authority is externalized in rules and power relationships. About 13% of adults are in this stage of mind. It is often seen as immature.

The socialized form of mind is marked by adherence to an ideology. A person can take a wider perspective and is able to see things from the perspective of groups or ideologies they adhere to even when those perspectives differ from their own. Authority is found in the values of the group or ideology. This is the most common adult form of mind. About 46% of adults are in this form of mind.

The self-authored form of mind is marked by the creation of an internal belief system. A person can take the perspectives of others, those they agree with and disagree with (although disagreeable perspectives are often used to strengthen one's own perspectives). Authority is found in the internal system they have built. This is the second most common form of mind, about 41% of adults. This is the most common form of mind among leaders since their roles often demand the broader perspective taking that characterizes this form of mind.

The self-transforming form of mind is marked by a sense that no single perspective can hold the full truth. A person in this form of mind almost automatically considers the perspectives of others and uses them to influence their own. Authority is fluid and shared. One's own value system may not always be best.

Chapter 2 contains a more detailed discussion of the forms of mind, including delving into the strengths, blind spots, and areas of growth for each form of mind. Chapter 3 is one of the most useful chapters in the book. It gives a high-level view of how researchers and theorists assess forms of mind and provides tools for helping to start probe for forms of mind yourself. It comes with the important caveat that really assessing these requires extensive training.

Chapter 4 starts part 2 of the book, "Helping Others Grow." It mostly discusses coaching tips for coachees at different forms of mind. Some elements are applicable to anyone who has coaching as part of their role. Other parts are not. Chapter 5 explores how to make group learning situations more open to multiple forms of mind. This chapter is more applicable to those working in professional development than to leaders.

Chapter 6 is a chapter that is useful to anyone who helps develop people. It defines the key habits of mind to generate curiosity and support development: ask different questions, take multiple perspectives, and see the system. It provides examples of what this looks like at each form of mind.

Part 3 consists of two chapters about helping people change within the context of work. Chapter 7 describes the three key elements of a leader's job: set vision, inspire and motivate people, and connect tasks to people and purpose. As a leader's scope and scale increases, each of these areas shifts in nature. Also describes the paradoxes of leadership: leaders need to both set direction and be open to change. They feel like they have less control as they are seen as having more control. The chapter looks through these elements through the lens of each form of mind. The chapter then shares some specific ways to help leaders grow.

Chapter 8 expands the ideas about growth in the workplace from leaders to everyone in a company and sets forth a vision where companies are just as much about human development as produces, services, or shareholder value. It also contains some really solid advice about good meetings.

Overall, this book was a worthwhile use of my time. The adult development theory presented is a valuable lens for thinking about ways to help people grow. The primary downside of the book is that the structure is rather repetitive. By the end of the book, I almost didn't need to read how each concept applied to different forms of mind. This made actually reading it tedious at times. Despite this, the book had enough good ideas and substance to be worth reading the whole thing, and not a summary for those who are responsible for developing others. ( )

This book explains four level of self awareness that distinguish how people interact with each other and grow to their own potential. The initial level is very child-like, seeing the world from a fixed lens centered around the self. The most advanced level, the transformative, describes a self-aware, intentionally evolving person who can prompt the same in others. I found the book hard to read, in part because the concepts were so clear that they didn’t need as much explanation as was given. What I appreciate most is the ideas have kept returning to me over the past few days, which is always an indicator to me that I found the ideas valuable and thought provoking. If there’s one useful take-away I would share, it’s that the growth edge includes helping others by “Ask questions in such a way that helps someone (your or someone else) bump up against the edges of his understanding.” ( )