Week 10 [17.12-23.12.18] 5 Levels of Leadership

Hi there! I came up with an idea, that my article will have influence on you rather than just another summary of something. Don’t get me wrong, I like reading funny and unusual articles, but also believe that they should bring some value to your life. So, without further add, lets get started.

My article is based on “5 levels of leadership by John C. Maxwell” which I strongly recommend to read or watch on YouTube.

“True leadership isn’t about having a certain job, title, or position. True leadership is about investing in people, building relationships, and inspiring them. True leadership is about achieving results and building a team—a team that produces” – his main mindset is based on a correlation and coexisting together, regardless of the position. According to John, there are 5 levels of leaderships – the higher you get the more influence and productivity you gain. So:

Level 1: Position level – People follow because they have to

This is the bottom level, we all starts from this level. We all start with the title, job description, position. The key word for this level is “rights”. People will follow you because you are the boss. This is the beginning of all of our leadership journey. The position doesn’t make you a leader but if you are a good leader you can really make the position. The best tip to grow as fast and good as you can is “Leave your position and move toward your people” – you can rely only on your position of the boss, recognize your peoples need and go towards them -> that’s how you transition to Level 2.

Upsides of level 1:

·        Leadership position is given to people with potential
·        Leadership position means authority is recognized
·        You have the opportunity to grow as a leader
·        In that position you have the ability to shape and define you leadership

Downsides of level 1:

·        Positional leaders receive people’s least, not their best
·        Position of a leader doesn’t automatically make you a leader
·        Relying on a position often devalue a people
·        Positional leaders feed on politics
·        Positional leaders place rights over responsibilities
·        Turnover is high for positional leaders

Level 2: Permission level - People follow because they want to

The key word for this level is “relationships” – There is a difference between following because you have to and following because you want to. Now, you’ve connected with your people. Now people like you and the environment around you. Leaders at level 1 are not likeable – it’s though for people to like “the boss”. Relationships with people is the foundation of leadership. Leadership is a influence. Leaders on level 2 have 3 things that their do extremely well – they listen well, their observe and their learning. Good leaders at level 2 have an attitude of server hood. They love to serve, they have relationships stuff wired – “it’s my pleasure”, “how can I serve you?” – it’s a mindset. Now you have the position and the relationships.

Upsides of level 2:

·        Leadership Permission makes work more enjoyable
·        Leadership Permission increases the energy level
·        Leadership Permission opens up channels of communication
·        Leadership Permission focuses on the value of each person

Downsides of level 2:

·        Permission Leadership appears too soft for some people
·        Leading by Permission can be frustrating for achievers
·        Permissional Leaders can be taken advantage of
·        Permission Leadership requires openness to be effective
·        Permission Leadership is difficult for people who are not naturally likable
·        Permission Leadership forces you to deal with the whole person

Level 3: Production Level - People follow because of what you have done for the organization

The key word is “results”. At this level you’re starting the bottom line of the company – you become effective as a leader. As a leader you’re showing you leader example how to be productive. Now, you want to be a “tour guy”, you want to take people with you. At level 3 you gain credibility because now you’re fleshing out for the people around you and you’re modeling for them things they want to see. Because you are productive in your own life, you begin to attract people to become productive also. “We attract who we are, not, who we want” -> I’ve talked about it in my last semester article. On level 3 basically who you are as a leader is who you attract on your team. At this level you gain momentum – the best friend for a leader.

Upsides of level 3:

·       Leadership Production gives credibility to the leader
·       Leadership Production models and sets the standard for others visually
·       Leadership Production brings clarity and reality to the vision
·       Leadership Production solves a multitude of problems
·       Leadership Production creates momentum
·       Leadership Production is the foundation for teambuilding

Downsides of level 3:

·       Being productive can make you think you’re a leader when you’re not—
·       Productive leaders feel a heavy weight of responsibility for results
·       Production Leadership requires making difficult decisions
·       Production Leadership demands continual attention to Level 2

Level 4: People Development - People follow because of what you have done for them personally.

You grow a company by growing people – the most valuable asset of every company. When you grow them, they increase their capacity, when they can increase their capacity, they begin to increase the capacity of what you can do and what you can accomplish. The key to developing good people is in recruitment – “the better person you bring in the door, the higher odds you can do well with them”. The next thing, after recruitment is the positioning – finding the best place for them in company. Successful people have discovered what they’re good at, successful leaders discover what other people are good at.

At level 4 you recruit well, you position well and then you equip well. John explain it with a simple 5 steps equipping process:

1.      I do it – you can’t teach somebody what you can’t do yourself
2.      I do it and you’re with me -mentoring, coaching ect.
3.      You do it and I’m with you – watching, tweeking, fine-tuning
4.      You do it
5.      You do it and somebody’s with you – this is crucial, whole cycle

Upsides of level 4:

·        People Development sets you apart from most leaders
·        People Development assures that growth can be sustained
·        People Development empowers others to fulfill their leadership responsibilities
·        People Development empowers the leader to lead larger
·        People Development provides great personal fulfillment

Downsides of level 4:

·        Self-centeredness can cause leaders to neglect People Development
·        Insecurity can make leaders feel threatened by People Development
·        Shortsightedness can keep leaders from seeing the need for People Development
·        Lack of commitment can keep leaders from doing the hard work of People Development

Level 5: Pinnacle level - People follow because of who you are and what you represent

The key word of level 5 is “respect”. The people will absolutely follow you. They follow you because of who you are, the qualities you have in your life, they follow you because of what you have done. Leadership is always ongoing, always learning, growing process.

Upsides of level 5:

·        Pinnacle Leadership creates a Level 5 Organization
·        Pinnacle Leadership creates a legacy within the organization
·        Pinnacle Leadership provides an extended platform for leading

Downsides of level 5:

·        Being on the Pinnacle can make you think you’ve arrived
·        Being on the Pinnacle can lead you to believe your own press
·        Being on the Pinnacle can make you lose focus





Now, you have to understand that you’re on different level of leadership with different people. Recognize what level you on with each person. After you know what level you’re on with each one of your people then then you’re going to know specifically how to lead them.





Questions:

1)     Have you heard about John C. Maxwell and his “5 levels of leaderships”?
2)     Do you like to posses a leader position(and if so, do you consider yourself as a good leader?) or do you prefer to be manage by somebody else?
3)     Name the best qualities of good leadership







Sources:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/scschoolfiles/725/5_levels_of_leadership-themaxwellebs.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KqL_1G8JD8
http://www.saintmaryhouston.org/files/2014.02.09%20-%20Five%20Levels%20of%20Leadership_0.pdf