Research & Development

This past year of committing to the writing process has been both a challenge and a revelation for my thinking. It’s fascinating how creating something—even if it’s not entirely complete—can clarify thoughts and spark new ideas. After years of reading and study, I feel confident that I’ve uncovered a pattern that applies to both leadership development and discipleship. It’s deeply gratifying to synthesize life experiences and the wisdom of others into something new and meaningful. 

Over a year ago, I poured countless hours into researching a thesis aimed at helping people navigate the process of growth and development—what the church often calls discipleship but which is equally applicable to business. Since completing that work, I’ve wrestled with how best to expand on it. At one point, I considered pursuing a doctorate to explore how organizations might strategically optimize their investment in employee development. While that idea hasn’t entirely left the table, my focus shifted toward writing a book. 

This pivot pushed my thinking toward practical applications—helping practitioners in organizations implement effective strategies—rather than theoretical optimization of training levels. My goal became the simplification of complex processes. Let’s be honest: opening a development workshop with a deep dive into the second law of thermodynamics probably wouldn’t inspire much optimism! 

By reframing the process from the perspective of individual practitioners, I began to notice patterns of best practice emerging. This discovery shaped both my writing and thinking. As someone who processes ideas visually, I initially designed a graphic to illustrate my thoughts. I saw it as a cycle, with growth and eventual multiplication resulting from complete rotations. 

The original cycle … or whatever it should be called (Work in progress :-))

Then, my wife challenged me to consider whether the framework resembled more of a pyramid, like John Maxwell’s 5 Levels of Leadership. While I appreciated the idea of foundational principles and building relationships over time, I didn’t find the pyramid fully aligned with my experiences of success in leadership development. 

The pyramid could work, yet didn’t feel right.

As I continued refining the concept and gathering feedback, my perspective shifted again. I realized the process wasn’t strictly linear; it was more dynamic, influenced by cause-and-effect relationships that change over time. It began to feel more like an atom, where the core process is cyclical yet responsive to external forces like heat or pressure. 

In physics, heat increases kinetic energy, speeding up molecular movement and potentially shifting phases (e.g., from liquid to gas). Similarly, leadership development can accelerate or transform under the right conditions or degrade in other environments. It’s exciting to find parallels between physical science and the art of leadership, connecting disciplines in ways that feel both innovative and practical. 

I think this is headed the right direction.

So, leaders: how do you invest in the growth of your people? Is your approach cyclical, foundational, or adaptive to the environment?