PhD, Communication/Relationship Coach, Etiquette Expert, Founder of the Academy of Social Competency.

The qualities and style of leadership travel through a wide spectrum, and through the years there have been numerous attempts to classify leaders and their behavior. Most of these attempts emanate from the belief that leaders are divided into different types that remain unchanged. Such thoughts create the perception of a sense of stability in leadership; however, these thoughts preclude the possibility of transformation or growth in a leader’s career.

As with our personality, leadership style is also in constant flux, either moving up or down. As leaders, we always change and grow, depending on the level of our being.

To explore how the transformation process works in leadership, we can focus on the theory of spiral dynamics—an effective tool used for understanding the evolution of interactions between individuals, organizations and societies, initiated by Clare W. Graves and further developed by his successors, Don Beck and Christopher Cowan. The underlying assumptions of this theory are based on three statements:

• Nothing is static; every living organism is constantly growing, changing and evolving.

• The adaptation to external circumstances is perpetual, playing a significant role in shaping our views, pushing us forward or keeping us on track.

• Our personal value systems may fluctuate, developing to a higher level or degrading to a lower level.

The theory of spiral dynamics includes nine levels of development, which can be described by the following colors: beige, purple, red, blue, orange, green, yellow, turquoise and coral. Of note, most of the discussions of this theory exclude turquoise and coral colors, which relate to the highest level of human development, a rare occurrence.

Each color/level characterizes certain patterns of an individual’s thinking and interaction with people. The transition between levels occurs after a person attains the qualities of one level and has a craving for new achievements.

I've taken this theory and tried to look at leadership through its lens. Let’s look together at the transformation of leaders through the lens of spiral dynamics theory and see how the process unfolds.

1. Based on the Graves-Beck-Cowan theory, the beige level typifies survival and safety, along with minimal communication and collaboration with others. Leadership at this level would not manifest unless a person has a need for interaction—but if they address this need, they move to the next (purple) level.

2. The purple level is about unity and the desire to be accepted by the group/society. Here, a person sidesteps their individuality for the sake of acceptance, maintaining the stability and security of belonging.

At this level, if a person fails to integrate into the group/society, they return back to the beige color. However, if they manage to successfully adapt to the group/society norms, they have two options: either continue as a quiet “cog in the system” with leadership potential not realized, or move to the next (red) level, becoming the initiator of change.

3. The red level gives birth to new leaders and is characterized by notable actions. I like to refer to this as the “leadership of change.” At this level, a person begins to express disagreement and confronts the system, contributing to their confidence and individuality.

If a person is unsuccessful in fighting with the system, they either lose their individuality and return to the position of a “cog” (purple level) or continue the struggle to the bitter end. If successful, they move to the next (blue) level.

4. The blue level, which I call the “leadership of stability,” follows after the chaos of the previous level and requires a degree of discipline. Leadership includes constructing, testing and maintaining the stability of new systems, based on structure, hierarchy and rules. The blue level is close to purple, given that a person becomes a “cog in the system” again, but in this case, the system is not imposed on them—they are the creators of it.

There are two exit options from this level. The first option is when the fighting spirit forces the leader to regress and destroy the system created earlier by themself, opposing those who adhere to stability; the second is when the fighting spirit pushes the leader up on a spiral toward progressive change, moving to the next (orange) level.

5. The orange level is characterized by the realization that change is the engine of existence. Behavior may be similar to that at the red level; however, here the person is not fixated on breaking the old model but on implementing the “leadership of innovation.” The orange level is associated with competition, rivalry, ego-centeredness and the desire to actualize something new and effective, be it knowledge, a service or a product.

Not all leaders succeed at this level—they either continue the journey into the creative process or return to the previous (blue) level in order to maintain the remnants of the former stability. Those who succeed begin to acquire like-minded people, moving to the next (green) level.

6. The green level is manifested in the “leadership of socially significant change.” At this level, the person is driven by the desire to make the world a better place with values concentrating on relationships, peace and the environment. In order to promote these values, the leader may consider giving up some of their own comforts. Green is the level of spirituality and collaboration for the common good. The “system” is important—not in terms of hierarchy and order as it was at the blue level, but from the position of strong partnerships with those who share the same values.

Unsuccessful leadership at this level is because a person cannot surround themself with like-minded people, leaving them stagnant at this level or returning to the previous (orange) level to create another new knowledge-product-service. If successful, the person moves to the next (yellow) level.

7. I think of the yellow level as “integral leadership”—it’s an effective integration of the previous red, blue, orange and green along with the crystallization and finalization of the leader’s unique mission. Motivation is independent of circumstances, people and/or events, and the only option is moving forward to the next levels, turquoise and coral—“leadership on a global scale for the benefits of mankind.”

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