August 26, 2026 l Business Mirror
We live in what I would call a horizontal world.
Most people are not familiar with the phrase “vertical life and horizontal world.” I first came across this phrase when I was watching the video of my favorite speaker Gary Hamrick. I came up with the idea that this is especially important in terms of leadership, too.
We now live in a world that constantly pulls us outward: toward visibility, popularity, comparison, speed, success and recognition. We are often measured by what other people can see: our position; our title; our achievements; our wealth; our network; and, increasingly, our number of followers and reactions on social media.
There is nothing inherently wrong with achievement. Leaders are expected to produce results. Businesses must grow, professionals must remain competent and organizations must respond to a rapidly changing world. But problems arise when our horizontal measures of success become the only measures that matter.
We can become so concerned with how we look to others that we forget who we are within.
This is why I believe leadership also requires a vertical life.
A vertical life is a life anchored in something deeper and higher than convenience, popularity or personal gain. It asks questions that cannot always be answered by financial statements, performance indicators or the number of people who applaud us: What do I stand for? What is right? Whom do I serve? What kind of legacy am I building?
For people of faith, there is an even higher dimension: our accountability to God and our responsibility to live our calling with integrity. Leadership, therefore, is not simply about occupying a position. Leadership is influence.
Good leadership operates in two directions. Horizontally, leaders must build relationships. They deal with employees, clients, colleagues, regulators, communities and other stakeholders. They must understand markets, manage teams, create networks and deliver results. Vertically, however, leaders need purpose, principles, conscience, character, faith and accountability.
We need both.
A leader who is vertically grounded but unable to relate to people may have principles but little influence. On the other hand, a leader who is highly connected horizontally but lacks a strong inner compass can easily be carried wherever the crowd is going. The challenge is therefore to connect widely while standing deeply. It is easy to talk about values when following them costs us nothing. The real test comes when doing what is right becomes inconvenient.
This is especially important for us in professions and businesses that depend on public trust. Competence is essential; but competence without integrity can become dangerous. Our technical knowledge may open doors for us, but our character determines whether people will continue to trust us.
This discussion has become even more relevant in the digital and artificial intelligence age.
Technology is transforming the way we work. AI can process enormous amounts of information, automate tasks, generate ideas and help us make decisions faster than before. But the more powerful our tools become, the more important our values become.
Speed must not replace judgment. Information must not replace wisdom. Visibility must not replace authenticity. Technology can amplify our competence, but it can also amplify our weaknesses. AI can assist us in making decisions, but responsibility for those decisions must remain human.
We should, therefore, use technology to extend human capability while keeping ethics, accountability and empathy at the center. Perhaps this is precisely why the vertical dimension of leadership is becoming more—not less—important.
At some point, every leadership position ends. Titles eventually pass to someone else. Positions are vacated. Achievements fade from memory. Businesses change. Organizations move on to another generation of leaders.
But there are things that can remain long after our tenure has ended: our character, our example, the relationships we built and the lives we influenced.
This brings us to a very personal leadership question: When people remember us someday, what do we want them to remember?
Not merely the position we held. Not simply the amount of money we earned. Nor the size of the organization we managed, or the awards displayed on our walls.
Perhaps the better measure is this: Did we remain faithful to our principles when compromise would have been easier? Did we use our influence merely to elevate ourselves—or we also help others.
***The views expressed herein are her own and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of her office as well as FINEX. For comments, email wimiranda@inventormiranda.com. Photo is from Pinterest.