Preface:
The need for ‘Growth’ is universal, and extends to individuals, teams, and organization. After all, who does not want to grow? But this also raises the question; how do we define growth?
In this blog, we’ll explore ‘growth’ in the context of our personal selves and understand why growth thrives in this intersection of challenge and support, understand how this dynamic works and practical ways to cultivate it in our lives. Here, I have used the ‘constructive development theory’ developed by Robert Kegan for the purpose of explaining growth.
Redefining Growth – The journey of ‘Self as an instrument’
The idea of ‘self as an instrument’ means that we are active agents of our growth and development. Seeing oneself as an instrument begins with self-awareness. This involves understanding what drives us, where we get stuck, and how we respond in different situations.
Growth, according to Kegan’s constructive-developmental approach, is a journey of evolving how we make sense of ourselves and the world around us. It involves progressing through stages of meaning making, with each development stage allowing us to handle greater ambiguity and complexity.
Why is Transitioning across development stages so challenging
Moving across stages in Kegan’s constructive-developmental theory is not easy as each transition requires a fundamental reorganization of how we make sense of ourselves and the world around us. It requires a fundamental shift in the way we think, below are some reasons that explain:
- Letting-go of deep-seated beliefs and assumptions, which inherently involves a level of anxiety that can feel threatening
- Managing complexity and ambiguity, with each successive stage involving an increased capacity to manage complexity
- Overcoming our internal resistance to change. We build our sense of security and competence within each stage, so changing these creates internal resistance.
As we have understood, each stage is a ‘challenge’ that requires going out of our comfort zone. You can imagine how it must feel like, and often without a ‘supportive context’, we cannot overcome these challenges.
The ‘Supportive context’ enabling individuals to take on challenges:
For growth to truly take place, particularly when embracing the challenges of progressing through Kegan’s developmental stages, individuals need a supportive environment to help them navigate discomfort. This support can happen in many ways, each offering stability and encouragement:
- Creating reflective spaces: Journaling, meditation, and other reflective practices are powerful tools for self-awareness and processing complex emotions that arise during growth. By regularly reflecting, we can track our progress, identify recurring patterns, and make sense of the challenges.
- Try Micro- experiments: To build confidence in letting go of limiting mindsets, try small “safe-to-fail” experiments. For instance, if you believe that you aren’t good at public speaking, try sharing your thoughts in small group meetings. These low-stakes experiments will useful ways to challenge your current beliefs.
- Mentoring and Coaching: Mentors and coaches offer guidance, perspective, and encouragement to help us through the challenges we face. They can provide insight into our blind spots and challenge our limiting beliefs
“True growth unfolds at the intersection of challenge and support, where the courage to confront our limitations is met with the nurturing guidance that empowers us to transcend them.” — Inspired by Robert Kegan
Conclusion:
Growth occurs at the intersection of challenge and support, a principle underscored by Robert Kegan’s developmental approach.
Challenges introduce us to the unknown, sparking discomfort, curiosity, and learning. However, challenge alone can also lead to stress, burnout, or self-doubt. Supportive environment, on the other hand, provides us comfort, and creates the foundation for us to experiment and take risks. This dual dynamic allows for deeper self-reflection, re-evaluation of limiting beliefs, and the gradual shift from one developmental stage to the next.
Srikanth is the founder of Vruddhi India, a management consulting firm focused on Change leadership practices. We specialize in guiding companies through the complexities of change in a way that is uniquely personal and customized. You can email me at srikanth.pv@vruddhiindia.com for more information.