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The 5 Levels of Leadership
The 5 Levels of Leadership
The 5 Levels of Leadership
Summary
The 5 Levels of Leadership was written by John C. Maxwell and helps you answer
a couple of fundamental questions about leadership.
Namely, where are you as a leader right now, how do you get to the next level, and where should
you ultimately aim to be as a leader?
Leadership isn’t a position you hold; it’s a journey and a process. Just because you have the word
“manager” in your job title, you’re not automatically a great leader.
Leadership is about dealing with people, and the dynamics between those people, which means
that the better you can influence people, the higher your leadership ability. The book provides a
roadmap to get your leadership from where you are now to where you want to be.
Background
John C. Maxwell is a leadership expert, speaker, minister, and author who has sold over 20 million
copies of his books worldwide.
In 2014 Inc. Magazine named him the #1 management and leadership expert worldwide.
The 10 Insights
The book provides ten insights that can help you make more sense of the interplay between the
levels.
1. When you move up a level, you build on the previous level. You don’t leave it behind.
2. Leadership is dynamic. You can work at a different leadership level from one team member
to the next.
5. Although moving up a level takes a lot of time, moving down one or more levels can happen
very quickly.
9. When you change position or organization, you rarely stay at the same level.
Let’s move on and examine each of the 5 Levels of Leadership in some more detail.
Level 1: Position
Position is the very first level of the 5 Levels of Leadership, and it represents the beginning of
everyone’s leadership journey. Leadership at this level is granted because you receive a job title,
but you haven’t yet built the influence to command respect from colleagues, either inside of or
outside of your team.
While you have authority over your team, at level 1 you don’t wield any real influence over them so
its hard to get the most out of them. Your team does what you tell them because they have to.
At level 1, you might be the boss, but you aren’t yet a leader. As such, it’s important not to see
being given a management job title as your goal. Instead, try to see it as your starting point.
Upsides of Level 1
Some of the upsides of becoming a level 1 leader include:
»You’ve been given a leadership position because you deserve it, and this is something to
celebrate.
»It allows you to think about what kind of leader you want to be, e.g. What’s your style?
What are your values? You’re at the beginning of your leadership journey, so now is an
excellent point to think about these things.
Downsides of Level 1
»Positional leaders don’t get the best out of their team; they probably get the minimum.
»Positional leadership can be misleading, i.e. just because you have a particular job title
does not make you a leader.
»Position leaders can focus on politics and getting the next job title.
Level 2: Permission
On this level of the 5 Levels of Leadership, your team follows you because they want to. You listen
to your people and they, in return, listen to you.
Leaders on this level make people know that they matter. They make each member of their team
feel important.
On this level, people want to work for you because they feel liked, valued, included, and trusted.
Because of your strong relationships, people permit you to lead them.
As your relationships grow, so does trust, and the workplace becomes a more positive place.
Lasting relationships create the foundation of Level 3.
In a nutshell, this level is all about relationships.
Upsides of Level 2
Some of the upsides of becoming a level 2 leader include:
»Work is more enjoyable when you get on with your team, and they get on with you.
»Spending time amongst people you like boosts everyone’s energy.
»Good relationships are formed when people value and respect each other.
»Two-way communication occurs at this level. You listen to your people, and they listen to
you. This leads to better decision making.
Downsides of Level 2
»Being so focussed on relationships can make you seem weak as a leader.
»It can be frustrating to work in this way if your ambitious and just want to get things done.
»To be effective, you need to be open.
»You can leave yourself open to being taken advantage of.
Level 3: Production
This level of the 5 Levels of Leadership is about delivering results. This level separates true
leaders from leaders who simply hold a position.
There is more to being a leader than getting on with people. Great leaders get results. When
followers see you achieving great results, it gives them a reason to follow you. When you deliver
exceptional results, your leadership intensifies.
It’s on level 3 that influencing others can become fun. This is the first level where a leader can
become a change agent: tackle thorny issues, big projects, and take their followers to the next
level.
A history of achieving results combined with excellent relationships enables you to move your
team towards the organization’s vision.
Upsides of Level 3
Some of the upsides of becoming a level 3 leader include:
»Your credibility increase when you deliver results.
»Your results set a standard for your followers, further increasing results.
»Delivering results builds momentum.
»People see your results and want to be part of your team.
Downsides of Level 3
»You can fall into the trap of thinking your a better leader than you are. You need to achieve
results for your team as well as for yourself.
»There is a weight of responsibility associated with having to continually achieve results.
»Even though you are focused on results, you must not lose sight of your people. Level 2 is
still important.
Upsides of Level 4
Some of the upsides of becoming a level 4 leader include:
»At level 3, you focus on results, but at level 4, you deliver even better results by focusing on
your people and empowering them to achieve.
»Only by growing people can success be sustained.
»If you grow others, it gives you the space to work on bigger things.
»It is hugely rewarding to see others develop.
Downsides of Level 4
»If you are insecure, you can feel threatened by the prospect of developing others.
»You must be willing to focus on the long-term. If you stay focused on the short-term, it can
be hard to see the justification for developing your people.
Level 5: Pinnacle
The highest level of the 5 Levels of Leadership is level 5. Maxwell argues that not many people
make it to this level and those that do are naturally gifted.
Level 5 leaders develop their followers into level 4 leaders.
Developing leaders who can lead and not just follow is hard. It takes great skill, judgment, and
commitment. But if you succeed, you will create a level 5 organization: an organization that is
functioning at an extraordinarily high level.
Upsides of Level 5
Some of the upsides of becoming a level 5 leader include:
»It provides your leadership with reach. People will seek you out for advice.
»It creates a level 5 organization.
»You will create a legacy within the organization
Downsides of Level 5
»You can forget that there is always more to learn and more room to grow.
»You can start to believe your own press.
»You have to work hard to maintain focus on the vision.
How to Use the Pinnacle as a Platform to do Something
Greater than Yourself
»Remain humble and open to learning.
»Create an inner circle to help keep you grounded.
»Create room at the top.
»Focus on what only you can do (your core strength).
»Plan your succession and your legacy.
Laws of Leadership at the Position Level
»Respect: People naturally gravitate toward leaders who are stronger than themselves.
»Intuition: You will be able to see what courses of action lead to what outcomes.
»Timing: You will have learned how to take the right action at the right time.
»Legacy: You legacy will be measured by your successors.
»Explosive growth: Developing new leaders is the only way to explosively grow the
organization in a way you could never achieve on your own.