University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
Spiral Dynamics
Book

Spiral Dynamics

Mastering Values, Leadership, and Change

Don Edward Beck and Christopher C. Cowan
Wiley-Blackwell, 2005
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Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Innovative
  • Applicable

Recommendation

Management consultants Don Edward Beck and Christopher C. Cowan based this 1996 study on potentially game-changing work that professor Clare Graves completed 30 years earlier. The authors describe a series of spirals as the basic construct in the life cycle of a person, organization or nation. All the spirals or levels in this “spiral dynamic” system can be present simultaneously, and they are infinite – they place no limit on human or group development. Anyone who has worked with other people will find that spiral’s levels look familiar and make sense. A less useful book might end by describing the levels and their values or “memes,” but here, the authors supply dozens of examples and a detailed blueprint for putting knowledge of the levels into practice to help people and groups change. While smart and applicable, the book is difficult to parse: It is stylistically flawed, the editing is shaky and the structure is baffling. After reading the introduction and chapter 1, readers should skip to section 3 – a rich, interesting description of each level on the spiral. After this, getAbstract finds, reading chapters 2 to 8 – which cover the actual application of spiral dynamics – will be far more rewarding.

Summary

A Universal Framework

The “spiral dynamics” (SD) system is a construct for understanding eight interrelated stages or levels of human and cultural maturity. A different color represents each level, or cultural value, and each one has its own priorities, beliefs and worldviews. People, societies and cultures move through these value-system levels based on their “life conditions,” experiences and challenges. When the condition of a person, organization, culture or nation changes, that transition challenges core values and ideas. Problems can arise that people or groups can’t solve in their current systems, so they seek alternatives and progress to higher, more complex levels on the spiral.

Movement on the spiral goes step-by-step, transitioning through the “entering, peak and exiting” stages of overlapping levels, not skipping any levels. Ideally, this evolution occurs over time: A person or group will leave stages where the prior level still dominates and gradually shift upward, as a new, higher level appears on the horizon. Problems can arise when this progress is blocked.

The spiral can be a very useful tool for understanding and aiding others, and for accelerating...

About the Authors

Management and change consultant Don Edward Beck co-founded the National Values Center, where consultant Christopher C. Cowan is director. Cowan implements the Spiral Dynamics framework for organizations worldwide.

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