Dear Friends,
A Chinese proverb says that If you think you are leading when no one
else is following you are not leading but only taking a walk.” How does a
leader ensure that when he/she leads that others are really following in
his/her footsteps?
How does one classify leadership competency? Yesterday I shared
the story of a friend of mine who had progressed to the highest level of
leadership that leadership expert John Maxwell uses to evaluate a leader’s ability.
The following descriptions of the Five Levels of Leadership is taken from the
notes I took while listening to a podcast on this subject. For the
complete message, you may go to the link below to hear the complete message.
A level 1 leader is a Positional Leader. The positional
leader has a title, but the title doesn’t make him a leader, for the title
doesn’t define the leader; the leader always defines the title. Because you
have a title, does not make you a leader, only a boss. At this level you
are the boss and people will follow you because they have to. They know if they
don’t follow you, they will get fired. Workers under a Positional Leader
will ask one question: “How little do I have to do to keep from being
fired?” This worker in minimally committed to and invested in his job, and his
efforts will result in minimum production and minimum success in the organization
that is served.
A Level 2 leader is the Permission Leader. Employees follow
you because they give you permission to lead them. They follow you because they
like you. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you are a good leader, only
a popular one. At this level people follow you because they want to, not
because they have to. But while you may be a likeable leader and a good friend,
it doesn’t always guarantee that you will be a good leader. Level two leaders
do three things well. They watch, they listen, and they observe behavior. They
serve well and appreciate and understand what it means to be a servant leader.
They know that relationship is foundational for leadership, and they have
learned the value of “walking through the crowd slowly” to listen, observe, and
learn what is going on in the lives of their employees.
Level 3 leaders are Production Leaders. People will follow
them because they see what you have done for the company or organization.
You are producer. You have something to show for your leadership and your
accomplishments produce credibility. People won’t follow people who are
unsuccessful. When it comes to leadership people will choose success over
relationships because they want leaders to take them to a level where they have
never been before. Being a production leader doesn’t mean the leader will be
successful in creating other producers, only that they are producers
themselves. Level 3 leaders provide a model for hard work, and they lead by
example and they provide a wonderful model for others.
Level 4 Leaders are People Development Leaders and those
who follow them do so because of what they have personally done for them. You
have made a difference in their lives. You have added value to them, and they
are different people because of your leadership. A Level 4 People Development
Leader get things done because he is able to reproduce his leadership in the
lives of others under him. Level 4 leaders do three things well. They recruit
well for they know that finding better people will make the organization
better. They know how to get the ‘right people in the on the bus, and they know
where to place them so they will provide the greatest value, and, they equip
them with the necessary tools-attitude and aptitude-to insure their success.
The only downside of a Level 4 People Development leader is that leadership
development is hard work and many are not inclined to pay the price it takes.
And finally, there is the Level 5 Leader who is known as the Pinnacle
Leader who had developed through the preceding levels and what he has
accomplished has gained the respect and admiration of others. This is the model
for the kind of leadership that builds a lasting legacy. A Level 5 leader
is one who had gained ‘moral authority’ which is the characteristic of being
respected for having good character and knowledge, especially as a source that
provides guidance and an example for others to follow.
The Level 5 Leader is one who as Arnold Glasgow points out has
decided “to make his life a mission, not an intermission.”
I hope this leadership review has been helpful and that it will
encourage you to evaluate where you presently are on your leadership journey.
For more information on this subject click on Check
out this 12-minute video to get a taste of what LILO is all about.
Yours in faith and friendship,
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