Vertical Development isn’t just about achieving personal growth — it’s about deepening your capacity to see, think, and act in new ways. While horizontal growth adds new skills and knowledge, vertical growth transforms the way you make sense of the world around you. It invites you to step into moments that stretch your perspective, help you navigate complexity, and reveal the impact of your choices. This kind of growth doesn’t happen alone — it’s nurtured through reflection, conversation, and community.
Together, we’ll explore how awareness and shared experience can expand not only what you know, but who you are as a leader.
See differently. Lead differently.
The workshop explores how we develop as adults—not just gaining new skills, but actually expanding our capacity to handle complexity and see things from broader perspectives. It's discussion-based rather than pure lecture-style, with 12-15 participants including:
Experienced Professionals/Leaders
Current Students
Lilly Leadership Institute Alumni
Individuals that participate are curious and have the courage and confidence to go above and beyond what they have already learned. Cohort members are special people who have made a commitment to continue to evolve and develop their best selves. They want to embrace change and venture outside of their comfort zones.
Can you relate to the following statements?
You're craving a new direction or a meaningful shift.
You feel stagnant and need a spark of renewal.
You've done personal growth work, but daily demands keep you from deeper reflection.
You're ready to invest time in becoming your best self.
If so, Vertical Development for Transformational Growth may be for you.
Your experience in this program is shaped by the energy and commitment you bring. We ask each cohort member to:
Engage fully - participate actively in sessions and contribute thoughtfully to discussions.
Build community - connect with fellow members, share wisdom, and support one another's growth.
Live the learning - apply new insights to your work, relationships, and personal development, continuing to grow beyond our time together.
Together, we create a community that learns, grows, and transforms
The Lilly Leadership Institute at Miami University is an intense, multi-year certificate program for a smaller group of students that focuses on personal, people, and strategic leadership. The institute offers workshops to a variety of students and seasoned business people, including Vertical Development for Transformational Growth.
Louise Morman is the founding Executive Director of the Lilly Leadership Institute at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. She created the Institute to cultivate leaders who will flourish in their professions by thinking strategically, working collaboratively, communicating effectively, and finding innovative solutions to complex problems. Since it’s inception in 2011, she has secured millions of dollars in financial support, recruited 14 cohorts, taught over 75 classes, and graduated nearly 200 alumni.
Cohort 13, established during the 2024-2025 school year, is currently in the second year of their leadership journey.This diverse group of students represents seven different majors and bring a wide range of perspectives, skills, and experiences to the Institute. These students exemplify the spirit of commitment, curiosity, and compassion that defines the Institute’s tradition of developing leaders of integrity and purpose.