In the world of leadership and organisational development, it is common to see leaders reaching for more tools, more frameworks, and more techniques. Yet these often address only what Alis Anagnostakis describes as the “water” — the swirling content of thoughts, emotions, dilemmas, and day‑to‑day challenges. The surface layer. The noise.
Meanwhile, the deeper transformation comes from working with the “glass”: the internal structure that shapes how a person interprets everything inside it. The meaning‑making system. The mindset. The worldview. This is the real arena of vertical development.
Most leaders are overcoached on the water
Traditional coaching approaches often gravitate toward problem‑solving:
“Here is the issue.”
“Here is the tactic.”
It helps, but only to a certain depth.
What Alis’ work highlights and what leadership research repeatedly supports — is that leaders who grow in meaningful ways are not the ones who accumulate more techniques. They are the ones who examine the glass they use to interpret their reality. When the glass changes, everything shifts with it.
The glass determines what the water even means
Leaders often believe their challenges stem from the content:
- “I need to communicate better.”
- “I need to manage stress differently.”
- “I need a better framework.”
But more often, the challenge lies in the container itself.
In our line of work, we see this particularly clearly when leaders transition into higher‑complexity roles. Strategies that once worked begin to break down. Not because the leader has become less capable. But because the glass that served them at one stage becomes too small for the next.
This is the central insight of vertical development: shifting behaviour is the outcome. Shifting the internal structure is the work.
Coaching the glass requires courage from both sides
This deeper form of development is uncomfortable.
It requires slowing down rather than rushing to solutions.
It requires surfacing long‑held assumptions.
It requires sitting in ambiguity long enough for something new to emerge.
Coaches who understand this are not trying to fix the water. They are helping leaders re‑shape the glass. They create a container where defensiveness softens, patterns become visible, and new meaning‑making capabilities can form.
That is where genuine transformation happens.
Why this matters for organisations
Today’s challenges cannot be solved by simply adding more tools to a leader’s toolkit.
The world demands leaders who can:
- work with complexity
- see multiple perspectives
- hold tension without collapsing into old patterns
- think beyond immediate symptoms
These abilities do not come from content. They come from expanding the internal architecture that interprets the content.
When the glass upgrades, behaviour follows.
When the leader transforms, the environment around them does too.
Final Thoughts
Alis’ reflections underline an important truth: sustainable growth only happens when we work on the internal system that shapes how leaders think and act. That is the core of how we approach development at ILS — helping leaders grow by reshaping the structures that drive their behaviour, not just polishing surface‑level responses.
Written by:
Fenni Choo, Marketing & Innovation Strategist of ILS
Fenni is a vibrant marketing professional known for her infectious enthusiasm and collaborative spirit. She believes that teamwork is the secret ingredient to achieving extraordinary results — whether in the boardroom or at home! When she's not creating campaigns, she's baking up a storm or navigating the joys of conscious parenting. Catch her blending creativity with a dash of sweetness!
Source Attribution:
This article is repurposed from an original piece by Alis Anagnostakis, PhD, published on Vertical Development Education. As the Vertical Development Institute’s partner, we leverage its extensive expertise in adult development and transformative learning research to advance organisational growth and development, working together towards our shared vision of creating a wiser world.
