Clare Graves' 8 Levels of Human Development

Heidi Dawson
Jun 4
2 min read

A JOURNEY THROUGH LEADERSHIP AND THE WISDOM OF THE HERD

Sometimes the world feels like it’s asking us to be everything all at once - strong, wise, driven, gentle. It’s easy to forget that we’re all growing, evolving, finding our footing in the shifting landscape of leadership.

Clare Graves’ 8 Levels of Human Development offer us a map of sorts; a way to make sense of how we respond to life, how we lead, and how we belong. Not a rigid staircase to climb, but a living, breathing spiral that unfurls as we grow.

Let’s wander through these levels together, in the company of the herd.

A Brief Stroll through the Levels

Level 1 – Beige

Basic survival: food, water, shelter.
Think newborn foals or humans in crisis, focused only on survival.

Level 2 – Purple

Safety in the tribe: traditions, belonging, protection.
The herd’s instinct to stick together, following familiar paths.

Level 3 – Red

Power and dominance: asserting oneself, taking charge.
The spirited young horse testing boundaries, learning its place.

Level 4 – Blue

Order and structure: rules, purpose, hierarchy.
The herd’s quiet rhythms, the unspoken codes that keep them safe.

Level 5 – Orange

Achievement and success: setting goals, moving forward.
The leader that dares to leave the herd and explore new ground.

Level 6 – Green

Community and equality: empathy, connection, collaboration.
The herd’s shared grazing, the calm sense of togetherness.

Level 7 – Yellow

Systems thinking: seeing the bigger picture, integrating ideas.
The lead mare that notices shifting winds, reading the land with wise eyes.

Level 8 – Turquoise

Global consciousness: interconnectedness, balance, harmony.
The sense that the herd is part of a much larger landscape—sky, earth, and all living things.

What the Herd Teaches Us

Horses remind us that we’re not just one thing. A lead mare might be fierce in the face of threat (Red), yet patient and nurturing with a foal (Purple). She might also sense when to move the herd, reading the land with Yellow’s wisdom or Turquoise’s calm interconnectedness.

Leadership, like horsemanship, isn’t about picking a level and staying there. It’s about knowing when to lean into each part of ourselves; when to step forward and lead and when to hold back and listen.

Leadership as a Living Dance

In the saddle or the boardroom, we’re constantly shifting between these levels. When the wind changes, when a new challenge appears, when the herd stirs, we adjust.

In a crisis, we might need the fire of Red.
In a team, we might need the empathy of Green.
When change is on the horizon, we might need Yellow’s systems thinking, or even Turquoise’s sense of the interconnected whole.

It’s not about forcing ourselves into one shape, but about staying open to the dance: aware, adaptable, and grounded in who we are.

The Invitation

So, as you step into your leadership, ask yourself:

Which parts of the herd am I embodying today?
Where do I find strength, and where might I soften?
Which level calls to me now—and which one is whispering from the edges, asking to be heard?

Want to dig deeper into how these levels can shape your leadership journey? Let’s grab a cuppa (or a carrot!) and get curious together.