#43 Jennifer Garvey Berger: The Mental Habits of Effective Leaders
Developmental coach and author Jennifer Garvey Berger discusses adult development theory, explaining how leaders are developed, not born. She shares three "simple habits for complex times" – asking different questions, taking multiple perspectives, and seeing systems – to foster continual growth, accelerated learning, and deepened trust.
Deep Dive Analysis
18 Topic Outline
Leaders Are Developed, Not Born: The Path to Wisdom
Introduction to Adult Development Theory
Four Forms of Mind: Perspectives on Adult Development
Adult Development Theory vs. Traditional Leadership Training
Assessing Leadership: Amplification and Curiosity
Limitations and Misunderstandings of Adult Development Work
Applying Adult Development: Self-Reflection and Growth
Three Habits of Mind for Complex Times
Developing the Habit of Asking Different Questions
Developing the Habit of Taking Multiple Perspectives
Developing the Habit of Seeing in Systems
The Cynefin Framework for Understanding Problem Spaces
Navigating Complexity with Safe-to-Fail Experiments
Dispositions and Attractors in Complex Systems
Shifting Organizational Culture from Any Position
Deep Learning and Habit Change
The Paradox of Safety and the Need for Agility
Applying Adult Development Principles to Parenting
9 Key Concepts
Adult Development Theory
A set of theories suggesting that humans develop an ever-increasing view of the world over time. Things previously taken for granted become objects of reflection, allowing for more choices and a bigger perspective, which can be accelerated through intentional effort.
Self-sovereign Form of Mind
An early stage in adult development where other people's perspectives are often unachievable or seen as black and white, us-against-them. Individuals in this space struggle with abstractions and cannot easily cross over from their own perspective to understand differing views.
Socialized Form of Mind
A developmental stage where individuals are embedded in or absorbed by the perspectives of others, looking outside themselves to define success, right/wrong, and self-worth. They constantly try to make others okay with them to feel okay about themselves, often feeling overwhelmed by conflicting external expectations.
Self-authored Form of Mind
A stage where individuals begin to write their own story, deciding among external voices with an internal system of values and principles. They become the decider, working on themselves to be clear about their values and live by them, making an effort to create a strong personal system.
Self-transforming Form of Mind
The most advanced stage discussed, where individuals give up the protection of a single system and live in a more collective world. They can hold both their own and others' perspectives simultaneously, creating new solutions across multiple stakeholders, and seeing themselves as both the writer and the written.
Cynefin Framework
A sense-making framework that differentiates between predictable, repeatable, ordered systems and unpredictable systems. It helps categorize problems into domains like obvious (simple), complicated, complex, and chaotic, guiding appropriate actions for each.
Safe-to-Fail Experiments
Experiments designed for complex systems where the outcome is unknown, but the primary goal is learning. Even if the experiment doesn't go as planned, it provides valuable information about the system without causing significant damage, allowing for iterative adjustments.
Dispositions
The inherent patterns or inclinations a system (like a team or organization) has to behave in a certain way, regardless of individual members. These are the automatic unfolding patterns that can be observed and potentially shifted through targeted interventions.
Attractors
Sets of feedback loops that give rise to specific patterns or dispositions within a system, creating 'basins of attraction' that lock the system into particular behaviors. By understanding these feedbacks, one can work to break negative loops and create new, more desirable ones.
18 Questions Answered
Leaders are developed, not born. While some rare individuals may seem to possess natural maturity, wisdom and effective leadership are generally acquired through years of experience and intentional work, which can be accelerated.
Adult Development Theory describes patterns in how humans grow and change over time, developing an ever-increasing view of the world. It suggests that what was once taken for granted can become an object of reflection, leading to more choices and a broader perspective.
The four forms of mind are self-sovereign (black and white thinking, unable to take others' perspectives), socialized (absorbed by external perspectives), self-authored (creating an internal system of values), and self-transforming (holding multiple perspectives simultaneously).
It provides a granular understanding of what is being exercised when people grow, moving beyond generic training to support individuals in developing capacities like living with ambiguity and seeing grays. It helps organizations understand what they are truly trying to achieve in leadership development.
A truly great leader has a presence that makes other people bigger, fostering an environment where others feel more comfortable taking risks, speaking up, and generating new ideas. They also possess a deep curiosity about the world and other people's perspectives, avoiding certainty.
The world is increasingly complex and unpredictable, making it impossible for any single leader to know enough or predict what will happen next. Therefore, leadership must shift from heroic, charismatic figures to those who can create conditions that make everyone else smarter, more creative, and more capable.
Limitations include its focus as a single lens on human nature, potentially overlooking other factors like gender or culture. Common misunderstandings involve discomfort with the idea of hierarchy in development, or the frustration that it takes time and effort to develop, rather than being instantly acquired knowledge.
You can observe your own thinking and actions, asking if you are bringing your 'biggest self' to an issue. By checking your location on the developmental map, you can ask different questions to support your growth, such as coaxing out a self-authored voice when you feel overly socialized.
The three habits of mind are asking different questions, taking multiple perspectives, and seeing in systems. These intentionally engage new ways of being to help individuals behave as if they are more developed and accelerate their growth.
First, notice the questions you usually ask. Then, actively seek out new questions from diverse sources like children, colleagues, or different fields. The goal is to re-ask foundational or naive questions that challenge assumptions and push out your thinking and experiencing.
It involves intentionally engaging in 'mental yoga' to consider the viewpoints of others, especially those with whom you disagree, rather than immediately confirming your own rightness. This means taking seriously the possibility that someone else is right and asking what you might be missing.
This habit involves moving beyond categorizing and segmenting problems to understanding how interconnected parts create a whole that is greater than the sum. It means looking for patterns and interactions across a system rather than searching for a single 'root cause,' like taking a 'helicopter view'.
The Cynefin framework, a Welsh word meaning 'things that come together to make a place a place,' helps differentiate problem domains: obvious (simple), complicated (knowable with expertise), complex (cause and effect only clear retrospectively), and chaotic (no clear cause and effect). It helps leaders choose appropriate actions by understanding the nature of the problem.
In a complex domain, you pay close attention to what is happening in the system right now, identifying patterns you want to amplify or dampen. Since outcomes are unpredictable, you devise 'safe-to-fail experiments' (or 'safe-to-learn experiments') designed to gather information and learn, rather than guarantee a specific result.
Our brains often treat opinions and facts similarly, making it hard to distinguish between what we think and what is real. It's crucial to recognize the feeling of certainty in your body and then question it, asking 'How could I be wrong?' or 'Who might I listen to to learn more?' to avoid being trapped by our own beliefs.
Even without positional power, an individual can shift a system by changing their part of the pattern. This could involve consistently praising colleagues, bravely speaking up in meetings (perhaps with an ally), or sharing something vulnerable to build trust, thereby coaxing a new, more positive pattern into being.
Deep learning involves changing the actual structure of your brain, breaking old neurological pathways and creating new ones. This process is similar to developing new habits, where intentional engagement in new behaviors leads to new neural networks and more advanced forms of development.
To change a habit, first notice the cues that trigger the old habit (e.g., mind wandering, repeating arguments). When you recognize these cues, make a conscious shift to try a different behavior. Over time, positive results from the new behavior (like growth or connection) will reinforce it, making it automatic.
27 Actionable Insights
1. Cultivate Curiosity, Question Certainty
Prioritize curiosity and actively question your own certainty, especially when you feel you ‘know’ something, as this enables continuous learning and helps avoid marching into disaster.
2. Practice Deep Listening
Actively quiet internal chatter and genuinely listen to others’ perspectives, especially those you disagree with, to learn more and improve interactions and understanding.
3. Embrace Not Knowing
Accept that it’s okay not to have all the answers; you can still move forward and take action without pretending to know everything.
4. Practice Three Habits for Complexity
Intentionally engage in asking different questions, taking multiple perspectives, and seeing systems to behave in a more developed way, especially in complex times.
5. Conduct Safe-to-Fail Experiments
Design and run small-scale ‘safe-to-fail’ or ‘safe-to-learn’ experiments in complex environments, prioritizing learning about the system over guaranteed success.
6. Amplify Others’ Potential
Cultivate a leadership presence that makes others feel bigger, more comfortable taking risks, and more creative, rather than focusing on personal charisma.
7. Shift from Changing to Understanding
When frustrated by others (e.g., children), shift your approach from trying to change their behavior to genuinely trying to understand their perspective and what they mean.
8. Question ‘Who Am I Being?’
Regularly ask ‘Who am I being right now, and is that the person I want to be?’ to prompt self-reflection and guide intentional behavioral shifts in your daily life.
9. See in Systems, Not Parts
In complex situations, resist breaking things down into isolated parts; instead, focus on understanding how the whole system’s dynamics and interactions create observed phenomena.
10. Break Negative Feedback Loops
To escape negative ‘attractor basins’ (e.g., politicking after meetings), practice open, respectful communication in meetings to build trust and create new, positive feedback loops.
11. Initiate Change Without Power
Recognize that you can initiate significant change within an organization from any position, regardless of formal power, through small, courageous interventions.
12. Care for Body and Mind
Ensure your body is well-rested, fed, and unstressed, as a compromised physical state hinders your ability to show up as your most developed self.
13. Take Multiple Perspectives
When making decisions, actively consider problems from various viewpoints, including those of different stakeholders and abstract societal lenses like regulators or legal teams.
14. Amplify Desired System Patterns
In complex systems, identify existing patterns and intentionally amplify those you want more of, while dampening those you want less of, to influence the system’s disposition.
15. Harvest Learnings from Experiments
Actively extract and apply lessons from safe-to-fail experiments to make them effective, otherwise they are merely pilots hoping for success without guaranteed insight.
16. Make Small, Non-Linear Interventions
In complex situations, make many small, low-investment interventions to discover which ones yield disproportionately large, non-linear returns for the system.
17. Recognize Thinking Habits
Understand that habitual patterns of thinking and decision-making can be identified and changed to improve your effectiveness and approach to problems.
18. Change Habits by Noticing Cues
To change a habit, first identify the cues (physical feelings, repetitive thoughts/actions) that trigger the old behavior, then consciously shift to a new, desired action.
19. Enlist Support for Habit Change
Involve trusted colleagues or friends to call you out when you fall into old habits (e.g., not listening) to reinforce new, desired behaviors and accelerate change.
20. Avoid Oversimplification
Resist the urge to simplify complex issues into soundbites; instead, dedicate effort, slow down, and allow time for deeper understanding to avoid creating bigger problems.
21. Cultivate Wisdom Intentionally
Engage in contemplation, self-reflection, perspective-taking, kindness, compassion, and seeing beyond self-needs to accelerate your personal wisdom.
22. Understand Adult Development Map
Use the adult development map (socialized, self-authored, self-transforming) to understand growth patterns and be intentional about your personal development journey.
23. Coax Self-Authored Voice
If acting in a socialized way, actively identify and cultivate your internal principles and values to make choices that align with your authentic self and purpose.
24. Prioritize Curiosity for Knowledge Workers
For knowledge workers, redefine expertise as continuous curiosity and willingness to learn and question what you know, rather than just accumulating facts, to transform information into knowledge.
25. Encourage Experimentation
As a leader, encourage your team to ’try stuff’ and loosen up, reminding them that mistakes are temporary and news cycles are short to foster a culture of innovation.
26. Make Symbolic Gestures
Implement small, symbolic actions (e.g., opening office curtains) to visibly signal cultural shifts towards transparency and openness, which can have large, lasting impacts.
27. Embrace Developmental Stages (Parenting)
As a parent, remember that children’s behaviors are often stage-appropriate and temporary; avoid making permanent judgments and embrace their ongoing development.
9 Key Quotes
The complexity of an actual issue is necessarily misleading and partial, and the more addicted we get to soundbites, then the more simple our leadership will be.
Jennifer Garvey Berger
A great leader has a presence that makes other people bigger.
Jennifer Garvey Berger
A charismatic leader, when he walks into the room or she walks into the room, makes you feel good about her or him, right? Like I walk into the room and I'm a charismatic leader and you think, wow. And you think about that person. A great leader, I think, that great leader walks into the room and you feel bigger.
Jennifer Garvey Berger
The thing that we know is it's going to be different from now. And so we need a different kind of leadership to lead us into the unknown.
Jennifer Garvey Berger
Don't remember who said that the opposite of a simple truth is a simple lie, but the opposite of a profound truth is another profound truth.
Jennifer Garvey Berger
In complexity, there's no root cause. There's no root cause of a hurricane, right? There's no root cause of a tsunami. There's no root cause in nature.
Jennifer Garvey Berger
I think knowledge workers, more than anybody are paid to be curious, right?
Jennifer Garvey Berger
If what we want is knowledge, we have a whole different thing to do.
Jennifer Garvey Berger
I love the paradox that too much safety is dangerous.
Jennifer Garvey Berger