What distinguishes a great leader from a good leader? The answer depends on a person’s level of leadership ability, according to John Maxwell, a leadership expert, best-selling author, and founder of the world-famous John Maxwell Group. Maxwell lays out the various stages of leadership from the least evolved to the most evolved in his book “5 Levels of Leadership.” He describes leadership as a journey with a culmination throughout the chapters: Leadership at level 5.
Level 5 leaders spend their entire lives perfecting a variety of leadership styles, characteristics, and abilities. By doing so, they establish highly profitable businesses in which team members perceive their work as engaging, satisfying, and influential. Additionally, teams in organizations with Level 5 leaders thrive. This kind of executive makes it possible for other leaders to develop in a secure and dependable workplace. Those who reach Level 5 create an infinite cycle of strong leaders who contribute to their legacy by multiplying leaders at every level of the organization.
Learn more about the five levels of leadership, why you should strive to be a Level 5 leader, the characteristics of each level, how to navigate this journey, and how to reach the highest level of leadership in this article.
Creating initiative abilities can assist you with expanding specific expert characteristics, construct and keep up with connections and increment your acquiring potential. John Maxwell’s Five Levels of Leadership is one of many leadership theories and concepts. Understanding these levels may assist you in understanding how to become a better workplace leader.
In this article, we talk about Maxwell’s five levels of leadership, what it means to follow them, and how to move up to the next level.
Position, Permission, Production, People Development, and Pinnacle are John Maxwell’s 5 Leadership Levels. There is a specific action that brings followers to each level. The smash hit creator fostered these different phases of initiative utilizing the information and data he’s assembled throughout 40 years as a fruitful pioneer.
In John Maxwell’s theory, each of the five levels of leadership builds on the one before it, allowing you to organize and comprehend your leadership development. These levels show that Maxwell was of the opinion that leadership is more about the journey than about a job title. You can improve your leadership effectiveness by adhering to these leadership levels. Leading might become easier for you as you move through the levels and your influence grows. There are five levels:
- Level1: Position
- Level 2: Permission
- Level 3: Production
- Level 4: People Development
- Level 5: Pinnacle
Overview of the 5 levels of leadership:
John Maxwell outlines the five Ps of leadership below:
- Right’s (Position): People are forced to follow you.
- Relations and Permission: People want to follow you, so they do.
- Results (Production): Because of what you have done for the organization as a whole, people follow you.
- Development of People (Reproduction): Because of what you have done for them, others follow.
- Maximum (Respect): Because of who you are and what you stand for, people follow you.
Insights of the 5 levels of leadership:
- You never leave the previous level behind when you reach a new level.
- In every relationship, you are on different levels, and your people respond accordingly.
- Leading will become easier as you advance in rank.
- Additionally, in order to move on to the next level, you will need more of your own time and energy the higher you get.
- While moving up levels takes time, moving down levels can happen quickly.
- The returns on your leadership are higher the higher the level achieved.
- More and more development is required to advance in leadership positions.
- Your and your team’s effectiveness will be limited if you don’t climb the levels intentionally.
- The level you are at will typically shift when you change jobs or organizations.
- You cannot achieve leadership success on your own.
Let us understand each of the levels of leadership in brief:
1. Position
A leader gives someone the authority to lead. As a result, they are not influential; rather, they are followed because they are told to.
When someone starts working in management, they are in a position of authority. People in these positions need to demonstrate certain characteristics of a strong leader. A few chiefs and managers stay at the position level for their vocations. To influence their employees, they rely on company policies, rules, and organizational charts.
Learn management skills, be approachable, and work with employees to master this level of leadership. Your team’s motivation to produce better work and their level of satisfaction at work can both be improved by adopting a more open and accepting attitude. At this level, you can develop your leadership abilities by:
- Show your employees you care by empathizing with them.
- Encourage others with praise for their efforts.
- To improve practices, give and receive constructive feedback.
- Make sure your team knows what they need to do by communicating with them.
Pros of Position – Level 1 leader:
“You have been invited to the table of leaders.”
Receiving a Leadership Position has four advantages:
- Demonstrates that one is capable of leading others and is not doing so because of politics, seniority, credentials, or convenience.
- Means that the position and title indicate some level of authority or power.
- Invites them to develop into a better leader.
- Enables one to define and shape their leadership through the use of the five levels of leadership discussion questions listed below:
- What am I?
- What values do I hold?
- What principles of leadership do I want to adopt?
Cons of Position – Level 1 leader:
“True leadership does not depend on position.”
The position of Positional Leaders has eight drawbacks:
- Have tiles and positions that are frequently misleading.
- They tend to devalue their people and place a high value on it.
- Eat politics because they emphasize control over contribution.
- Put rights ahead of responsibilities by acting in a way that gives the impression that they are important.
- If they don’t understand what leadership is all about, they often feel alone.
- They will miss out on opportunities if they become branded and stuck in their position.
- High turnover rates are common because “people quit people, not companies.”
- Receive people’s worst qualities rather than their best, and they will become clock watchers, just-enough employees, or mentally absent.
Behaviors of level 1 leader:
“How to best utilize your position:”
- Make use of other skills instead of relying on position to push people.
- Exchange privilege for development as extraordinary pioneers doesn’t underestimate administration.
- Move toward your people by stepping out of your position and taking action.
Laws of leadership at the Position level:
- The Law of the Lid: A person’s level of effectiveness is determined by their leadership ability.
- The Process Law: Leadership does not develop overnight.
- The Navigational Law: The ship can be steered by anyone, but setting the course requires a leader.
Tips to grow in level 1 leadership:
John C. Maxwell provides these guidelines for progressing through Level 1 in The Five Levels of Leadership:
- The people who invited you to leadership should be thanked.
- Give your all to developing as a leader.
- Define how you lead.
- Change your position to one with potential.
- Concentrate on the goal.
- Replace rules with relationships.
- Start contacting members of your team.
- Don’t say anything about your title or job.
- Learn the expression “I Don’t Know.”
- Find a coach for leadership.
What helps you move up to level 2?
- As “a positional is not a worthy destination for any person’s life,” titles are insufficient.
- The most valuable and appreciated asset of a leader is their people, not their position.
- A leader doesn’t have to know everything, but they do need to attract people who know more than they do.
- A good leader always includes others and gives up their own egotistical ambitions.
2. Permission
The leader prioritizes cultivating relationships with their staff. As a result, their coworkers grant them unrestricted authority to lead.
Employees may try their best when given a task to complete. Because they feel appreciated, included in decisions, cared for, trusted, and valued, they may attempt to assist you. Make an effort to learn more about employees, including those on other teams and those who prefer to remain anonymous. Everyone will be more willing to do their best as a result of this, and they will have faith in your integrity. Keep in mind the following to reach this level of leadership:
- Think about how your choices will affect everyone in your vicinity.
- Treat everyone equally.
- Be there for your team members.
- Ensure that each employee can effectively collaborate with other teams.
- Make people responsible for their actions.
- Know how to get along with everyone on your team.
- Reach or exceed your objectives.
- Clients, managers, and members of your team will all give you high marks.
Pros of Permission – Level 2 leader:
“Everyone now enjoys their work environment more.”
Focusing on relationships and permission as leadership permission has five benefits:
- Enables “leaders to shift their focus from me to we,” which makes work more enjoyable.
- Increases your level of energy because you are surrounded by great relationships that foster a positive, energetic atmosphere.
- By substituting “side-by-side relationships” for “top-down positional leadership,” it opens up communication channels.
- Emphasizes each person’s worth, pointing out that if you want to lead well beyond Level 1, you need to care about your people.
- Leadership Permission builds trust so that your employees can freely create, share, question, experiment, and take risks.
Cons of Permission – Level 2 leader:
“You are under pressure to build positive relationships.”
Building positive relationships as Permission Leadership has five drawbacks:
- In a setting that emphasizes high performance and leadership, it appears to be too soft for some people.
- Frustrates high achievers who would rather get things done right away than invest the time necessary to build solid relationships.
- Can be exploited because building relationships can lead to closeness and kindness that could be mistaken for weakness.
- To be effective, requires openness, which is difficult because leaders are reluctant to admit their errors and flaws.
- Makes you deal with the whole person because you have to like them and become more likeable.
Behaviors of level 2 leader:
“How to obtain permission from others:”
- Practice self-awareness, self-image, self-honesty, self-improvement, and self-responsibility before attempting to connect with others.
- Listen, learn, and lead while building relationships along the way to develop a people-focused leadership style.
- Follow the Golden Rule: Treat others as you would like to be treated yourself.
- By encouraging your team to work hard and do their best to meet your expectations, you can become the team’s chief encourager.
- Maintain a healthy balance between candor and care, as care without candor leads to dysfunctional relationships and candor without care leads to distant ones.
Laws of leadership at the Permission level:
- The Influence Law: Influence is the true metric for leadership, not anything else.
- The Addition Principle: Serving others is how leaders add value.
- The Rule of Consistency: Leadership is founded on trust.
- The Law of Attraction: Who you attract is your identity.
- The Connectional Law: Before they ask for a hand, leaders touch a heart.
- The Law of Attraction: The leader is believed in, followed by the vision.
Tips to grow in level 2 leadership:
Among the five levels of. John Maxwell, a leader, offers the following recommendations for progressing through Level 2:
- Maintain a positive attitude toward other people.
- Get in touch with yourself.
- Make sure you know where you’re coming from.
- Show respect for each member of your team.
- Analyze where you and your team stand.
- Leading involves accepting the person as a whole.
- Joke about a goal.
- Give everyone your full attention.
- Be the leader of your team’s cheerleaders.
- Show compassion and honesty.
What helps you move up to level 3?
- You need to help your employees realize their potential for performance, not just build relationships.
- To achieve the vision, a strong team must be built over the risk of losing a single relationship.
- Building relationships requires both compatibility and intentionality to grow with one another.
3. Production
A leader reaches Level Three by concentrating on improving outcomes. In turn, they attract followers because they have faith that the individual is knowledgeable and will direct them in the right direction.
Production leaders accomplish goals and have a significant effect on their organizations. They can offer helpful guidance, assist in conflict resolution, and inspire others. They can depend on all of their employees to do an outstanding job because they have excellent relationships with them. Production leaders have a variety of leadership abilities, and they can improve even more. By developing their people skills and consistent communication styles, leaders at this level can improve their skills. The heads of production may:
- Consider the most effective methods for establishing the connections necessary for employees to feel empowered and engaged.
- Listen and direct others.
- Allow employees to weigh in on decisions.
- Adapt to emerging technologies or industry shifts.
- Ensure that each employee receives adequate training.
- Have people admire them for their technical skills as well as their personality and charisma.
Pros of Production – Level 3 leader:
“You now have credibility as a leader.”
Level 3 as Leadership Production has six benefits:
- Demonstrates the leader’s credibility because your team will be pleased to see you achieve results.
- When you lead by example, you visually set the standard for others and act as a model.
- Enables your team to take action and observe progress toward the vision, providing clarity and reality to the vision.
- Solves a lot of problems because good leaders get rid of obstacles, put out fires, and fix mistakes.
- Creates momentum by bringing about change and achieving goals.
- Lays the groundwork for teamwork in order to form a winning team across the organization.
Cons of Production – Level 3 leader:
“The burden of leadership has just increased.”
Level 3 as a Productive Leader has four drawbacks:
- May believe they are a successful leader, but not all personal success leads to team success.
- Carries a heavy sense of responsibility for outcomes and may become dissatisfied with leading.
- Requires difficult decisions regarding production, making leading challenging.
- Requires constant attention to Level 2, as relationships are often overlooked.
Behaviors of level 3 leader:
“How to get the most out of leadership production:”
- Learn how your own abilities and talents support the organization’s mission.
- Create a vision for what needs to be done by assisting people in defining success, committing to the vision, and achieving success.
- By selecting people who complement one another, providing feedback, and fostering a positive work environment, you can make your employees into a high-productivity team.
- Using the 80/20 Rule, give high-return resources priority while getting rid of unnecessary things.
- Find common ground in vision, values, relationships, attitude, and communication to be a change agent for momentum.
- Keep your focus on the main objective, which is to get results, no matter what.
Laws of leadership at the Production level:
- The Respect Principle: People naturally follow those who are more powerful than they are.
- The Law of Attraction: Who you attract is your identity.
- The Picture Principle: What people see is what they do.
- The Rule of Success: Leaders find a way to win for the team.
- The Big Mo Law: A leader’s best friend is momentum.
- The Order of Things Law: Pioneers comprehend that movement isn’t really achievement.
- The Principle of Sacrifice: To rise, a leader must give up.
- The Law of Attraction: The leader is believed in, followed by the vision.
Tips to grow in level 3 leadership:
- Be the member of your team you want.
- Make your own productivity translate into leadership.
- Learn about each person’s productivity advantages.
- Continuous cast vision
- Create a team.
- Utilize momentum to resolve issues.
- Learn how members of the team affect momentum.
- Use the 80/20 Rule or the Pareto Principle.
- Accept your roles as agents of change.
- Level 2 is important.
What helps you move up to level 4?
- You need to develop your employees in a leadership culture, so production is insufficient.
- People are your company’s most valuable asset, so give more importance to their development for a brighter future.
- The most efficient strategy for achieving the vision and contributing to the leadership team is to develop leaders.
- A leader’s greatest satisfaction comes from helping others, so help yourself first to be of greater assistance to others.
4. People development
Level four servant leaders educate, guide, and multiply other leaders. Because people know they have a positive impact on the lives of everyone around them, they gain and keep followers.
It is essential to have the ability to assist others in becoming leaders in order to rise to the level of leadership at a large organization. Leaders in people development devote their time, effort, and resources to improving the leadership abilities of others. Make an effort to consider the future and the ways in which teams across the company collaborate to achieve their objectives.
Improve your interpersonal and communication abilities to motivate others and to explain the objectives of your team in a manner that inspires employees about the company’s upcoming endeavors. The following people successfully transition from production to people development:
- Honest, consistent, inclusive, and simple to talk to.
- Hard-working people who set an example for others.
- Adept at clearly articulating roles-specific expectations for employees.
- Judicious decision-makers
- Mentors for numerous workers.
- Willing to suggest employees for advancement.
- Eager to assist former workers in advancing their careers.
- Willing to discuss any issue with team members.
- Promoted due to their outstanding management abilities.
Pros of People Development – Level 4 leader:
“The company’s potential has just increased.”
There are a number of advantages to developing your employees, such as:
- You set yourself apart from the majority of leaders by prioritizing employee development over increasing productivity.
- By trusting your employees to carry out their work and delegating responsibility, it ensures that growth is sustainable.
- Enables others to carry out their leadership responsibilities, resulting in a win-win situation in which everyone shares responsibility.
- Frees up time for thinking, envisioning, and strategizing, empowering the leader to lead at a higher level.
- Enables you to achieve great personal fulfillment by bringing out the best in your team.
Cons of People Development – Level 4 leader:
“Level 4 leadership necessitates a high level of maturity and skill.”
There are four drawbacks to growing your workforce:
- Selfishness prevents leaders from maturing and neglects the development of their staff.
- As it conflicts with their egos, cedes control, and breeds distrust, insecurity can make leaders feel threatened by developing people.
- Shortsighted leaders limit the potential of themselves, their staff, and the organization as a whole.
- Because it requires a high level of skill and security, leaders who lack commitment are unable to develop their employees.
Behaviors of level 4 leader:
“How to build people up:”
- Recruiting: Examine their chemistry, character, capacity, and contribution to find the best candidates.
- Positioning: To build a smart team, assign the right people to the right positions.
- Modeling: During their journey to leadership, demonstrate to others how to lead.
- Equipping: By gaining competence, demonstrating, coaching, empowering, and reproducing, you can help others succeed in their roles.
- Developing: Through assessment, challenge, and support, you can teach them how to succeed in life as well.
- Empowering: Encourage people to achieve success by holding them to their goals.
- Measuring: Assess your employees to ensure that they exert maximum effort and perform at a high level.
Laws of leadership at the People Development level:
- The Process Law: Leadership does not develop overnight.
- The Addition Principle: Serving others is how leaders add value.
- The Inner Circle’s Law: The people closest to him determine a leader’s potential.
- The Empowerment Law: Giving others power is only done by secure leaders.
- The Law of Unstable Development: Followers should lead growth; leaders should lead multiplicity.
- The Law of Attraction: The leader is believed in, followed by the vision.
Tips to grow in level 4 leadership:
John Maxwell provides these guidelines for progressing through Level 4 in his book “The 5 Levels of Leadership”:
- Be prepared to continue developing yourself.
- Consider that helping other people is worthwhile.
- Accomplish your insecurities.
- Choose the best candidates to hire and train.
- Make a commitment to spending the time necessary to train leaders.
- Make a daily personal development routine that must include things you value, be measurable, and be in line with your strengths.
- Never work solo.
- Combine the development’s hard and soft sides.
- Accept responsibility for motivating other people.
- As a coach, leader, and role model, remain approachable.
What helps you move up to level 5?
- Rather than gaining followers or accomplishing things, the primary objective of leadership is to cultivate leaders and improve lives.
- As a leader, you must establish a culture that cultivates new leaders and makes a positive difference.
- Leadership development is a lifelong commitment as well as a job.
5. Pinnacle
Level Five leaders, the rarest kind of leader, are well-known for what they’ve done, how they’ve made people’s lives better, and how they’ve helped their organizations make a positive impact on the world. Because of who they are, what they have done, and what they represent to people, these leaders have followers.
Pinnacle leaders are able to assist others in reaching the People Development stage and becoming outstanding leaders themselves, in addition to mentoring employees. They promote the most innovative and talented individuals to work for their organizations, thereby improving their reputations. Leaders at the pinnacle frequently give speeches or lead workshops on leadership. Additionally, they have employees who truly believe that their interests are always prioritized. Work hard and set an example for others if you want to be a great leader. Leaders at the top may:
- Make almost any team or department successful and increase productivity.
- Make environments that are helpful to everyone and help them succeed.
- Have an impact beyond their organizations or the industries in which they work.
- Show respect to everyone.
- Keep their word, behave honestly and ethically, and demonstrate integrity.
- Permit individuals they regulate to go with free choices.
- Work with smart, talented people who want to do their best around them.
- Be in charge of people who create novel products and achieve outstanding business outcomes.
- Work well with other teams to communicate.
Pros of Pinnacle – Level 5 leader:
“Your influence has grown beyond your time and reach.”
Reaching the pinnacle has three advantages:
- Makes a Level 5 or tip top level association that has incredible pioneers that work at the most significant levels of initiative.
- Creates a legacy within the company that lasts beyond your time there and possibly into your lifetime.
- Enables leaders to lead individuals outside of their team and organization.
Cons of Pinnacle – Level 5 leader:
“You might start to think it’s all about you,” I said.
On the other hand, reaching the top has three drawbacks:
- Gives the impression that you have reached your destination, making you feel at ease.
- Teaches you to take yourself way too seriously and to believe your own press.
- Can distract you, so keep an eye on where you are.
Behaviors of level 5 leader:
“How to use success as a platform to accomplish something greater than oneself:”
- At the highest levels of leadership, make room for other leaders.
- You can later promote the best leaders if you consistently mentor all potential Level 5 leaders.
- Build a small group of people to support you and push you to your limits as a leader.
- Serve the organization in a way that can only be done by Level 5 leaders whose influence can be used to benefit others.
- Make plans for the Level 5 leaders who will succeed you when your time as a leader comes to an end.
- Make a positive, long-lasting impression on future leaders by leaving a positive legacy.
Laws of leadership at the Pinnacle level:
- The Respect Principle: People naturally follow those who are more powerful than they are.
- The Intuition Law: Use a leadership perspective to evaluate everything.
- The Timing Law: It’s just as important when to lead as what to do and where to go.
- The Legacy Law: Succession is a way to measure a leader’s value over time.
- The Law of Unstable Development: Lead followers for growth; To increase growth, leaders must lead.
Tips to grow in level 5 leadership:
In Level 5 of the Five Levels of Leadership, pinnacle leaders represent the following guidelines:
- Remain teachable and humble.
- Keep your primary focus.
- For you to remain grounded, choose the right inner circle.
- Do what no one but you can do.
- Establish a supercharged initiative improvement climate.
- Make space at the top.
- Educate your top leaders.
- Make a succession plan.
- Make your will a plan.
- Make your success in leadership into a platform for something bigger.
Benefits of the 5 levels of leadership
Increasing your leadership abilities has numerous advantages. If you follow John Maxwell’s five levels of leadership, you can become more influential, earn more money, and be successful. The levels of leadership can help you develop important leadership skills and improve your rapport with team members.
Additionally, they might be able to assist you in expanding your professional network. For instance, the next time you apply for a promotion, you could ask a coworker for a recommendation or some helpful advice. You can get up-to-date information about the best jobs and which businesses are most in need of new contractors. As you contribute positively to the culture of the workplace, making use of this structure to develop your leadership skills can also be advantageous to the organization.
6 tips for achieving the 5 levels of leadership
To assist you in achieving the five leadership levels, here are some suggestions:
- Ask for and use constructive feedback
- Find your leadership style
- Accept leadership opportunities
- Find a mentor
- Be flexible
- Develop leadership skills
1. Ask for and use constructive feedback
In order to learn more about your strengths and areas for growth, you should solicit feedback from your coworkers and supervisors. Make sure people know they can give you positive or negative feedback without being punished by asking specific questions about your performance. By asking employees for anonymous feedback, you can encourage them to be honest.
2. Find your leadership style
You can research various leadership styles to find the one that best suits your personality. You might try a different style for particular projects or procedures, or you might discover that a combination of styles works well. Your leadership style could also be influenced by the team you work with. You could try a laissez-faire or hands-off approach, for instance, if you work with a group of highly skilled people you trust.
3. Accept leadership opportunities
You can practice and improve your style by taking advantage of leadership opportunities. Promoting yourself can be made easier if you include projects you have led on your resume. You can also ask to lead team meetings, give managers a presentation on a group project, or take advantage of other leadership opportunities at work.
4. Find a mentor
A mentor is an experienced individual who can offer guidance and advice as you progress through the five levels of leadership. When you find someone to be your mentor, ask to meet regularly so you can get advice from them. You could, for instance, drink coffee once per week. Set up a couple of inquiries for each gathering, and invest the majority of your energy paying attention to counsel from your guide.
5. Be flexible
To remain at the Pinnacle level, leaders must be adaptable because the status quo is constantly shifting. This includes responding quickly to new personnel, market conditions, shifting business needs, and numerous other demands. Continue evaluating individuals and teams to determine the necessary software, equipment, or training, as well as to work on your own personal development through specialized training or meditation.
6. Develop leadership skills
Consistently work on improving your communication, active listening, and problem-solving abilities. Be sincere, self-assured, dedicated to your work, and inspiring to others. Be accountable for any mistakes you make, carefully consider your choices, and when necessary, delegate responsibilities to others. You can become a respected leader by reaching the five levels of leadership. You can also make the business and yourself more successful.
Why becoming a level 5 leader matters?
“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way,” Maxwell said himself. However, individuals who do not cultivate their leadership skills are unable to fully direct their teams or businesses in the right direction. It’s like trying to guide a group of people up Mount Everest because you can hike. Individuals who just depend on their regular gifts basically don’t have the provisions or apparatuses they need to arrive at the pinnacle of the mountain.
However, those with a more growth-oriented mindset do so. They are aware that they don’t know everything, but they still want to learn everything they can. They are ready for success as a leader because they have an insatiable desire for development and growth.
Employees who are not working through the five levels of leadership themselves cannot be mentored on how to be leaders. This is because they do not fully comprehend the qualities and abilities that are required of leaders. People must actively seek out and dedicate themselves to learning and putting this knowledge into practice for it to appear. A sign that a person is preparing to become a Level 5 leader is when they demonstrate that they are actively developing their leadership skills.
How to become a level 5 leader with John Maxwell’s 5 levels of leadership?
Those in leadership positions must determine their current leadership level. This enables them to begin practicing the skills required for the subsequent level and assists them in mastering their current stage. Find out more about how to get past obstacles at the leadership level, what the five levels of leadership are like, and how to get closer to the top.
1. Level one leader: The person assigned to lead
Level One is where individuals demonstrate leadership skills. Typically, an individual gets an exhibition based advancement that makes them a piece of group initiative. A person, on the other hand, is only a leader by name if they do not develop their leadership abilities. According to Maxwell’s writing, “When people follow a leader because they must, they will only do what they must.” They offer hesitant compliance rather than commitment. They might lend a hand, but they won’t give their hearts or minds.
Individuals who stay in Level One rest on their title to cause individuals to follow them. As a result, they lack the power necessary to inspire, inspire, and direct their team. However, Level One leaders can still develop into great leaders. They will quickly develop into Level Two leaders as they establish trusting relationships with staff members.
To transform into a level two leader:
- Concentrate on improving your emotional intelligence.
- Learn to use Situational Leadership and adapt to the needs of each employee.
- Meet one-on-one with members of the team each week.
- Communicate employee appreciation and recognition frequently.
- Practice being a coach who offers helpful advice. Also, make an effort to get feedback on your leadership style.
2. Level two leader: The leader with employee approval
Level Two leaders, in contrast to Level One leaders, have employee support. This is because they have worked hard throughout their careers to build strong relationships with those they are responsible for. According to Maxwell’s explanation, “You begin to develop influence with them when you like people and treat them like individuals who have value.” You build trust.” This is accepted by direct reports of leaders. They freely grant them permission to lead them because they respect them.
A person’s transitioning from Level One to Level Two is a significant achievement because it demonstrates their capacity and drive to become a Level Five leader. However, just being a liked Level Two leader is not enough. Positive outcomes and results are also required, which is what propels a person to Level Three leadership.
To move into the third level of the five levels of leadership:
- Concentrate on developing and conveying a concise mission and vision.
- Employees should be made aware of key performance indicators (KPIs) so they can feel included in setting goals.
- With project management apps, you can set attainable deadlines and keep track of progress toward both individual and collective goals.
- Focus on the work that only you can complete and develop strong time management skills. All responsibilities that other people are better equipped to handle should be delegated.
- Establish days for strategy and planning. This gives leaders time to solve organizational issues and lay out the path the company and its workers will take.
3. Level three leader: The results generator
“There are two types of people in the business community: ” Maxwell writes. those who give you reasons why they didn’t and those who do.” Leaders at Level 3 accomplish their goals. Using their well-known leadership title, they are putting a lot of effort into planning out positive outcomes. They study and practice transformational, charismatic, and democratic leadership styles to accomplish this.
People are inspired, encouraged, and motivated to pursue and achieve challenging goals by these leaders. In addition, Level Three leaders communicate effectively. They communicate a concise vision to their workers, lay out action plans, recognize the greatness of others, and give team members the impression that they are valued and heard. However, they are not focusing on the development of other leaders at this point, which will propel them to the next leadership stage.
To begin developing level four leadership skills:
- Start incorporating servant leadership into your leadership style after learning about it.
- Create a free mentorship program for employees to participate in before they are promoted to leadership positions.
- Put money into team members’ lives. Discuss employees’ dreams and goals, outline plans for promotions, assist them in achieving these goals, and serve as a support system.
- Make it a personal goal to inspire others to advance in their careers.
- Make use of delegation. Relegate “occupied work” and administrative obligations to forthcoming pioneers so you can invest more energy being a mentor, creating individuals, and increasing pioneers.
4. Level 4 leader: The creator of leaders
In 5 Degrees of Administration, Maxwell states: ” The quality of the leaders they cultivate, not their own leadership, is the metric by which leaders are evaluated. However, not all individuals are intended to be developed into pioneers. Before beginning the hiring process, Level 4 leaders therefore consider the characteristics and values they are looking for in employees.
They consider the following before bringing on a new employee: Is it worth my time, effort, and money to train this person to be a leader?” and “Does this candidate naturally possess the ability to lead others?” They avoid hiring people who will have a negative impact on the company and the team they already have if the answer is “no.”
When a person accepts a job offer, they immediately begin leadership training. This could look like having weekly meetings with employees to talk about various leadership skills, giving them a challenge that helps them develop leadership skills, or giving them more responsibility as they get used to their job.
It takes a lot of time and can frequently seem inconvenient to busy executives and entrepreneurs to keep up with this kind of work. As a result, most people make a mistake and focus on more pressing business matters. They never achieve their full potential as a Level 5 leader as a result of doing so.
How to work toward becoming a level 5 leader:
- Make it a daily priority to help other leaders grow. Plan out time blocks for mentoring team members using your time management skills in order to accomplish this.
- Know what you’re putting your money into. Give your response to the query, “What does it mean to be a leader?” The process of becoming a Level 5 leader is lengthy and does not occur overnight. To leave a lasting legacy as a great leader, it takes decades of developing others.
- Create a justification for your quest for Level 5 leadership. For instance, what motivates you to hire more leaders? How does it affect your business, your life, the lives of your customers, and the world as a whole? Why is it important to train other leaders?
- Keep track of the employee changes you notice. Regular assessments demonstrate the impact of regular leadership development. When it comes to investing in other people, this motivates leaders to move forward.
5. Level 5 leader: The leader with a lasting legacy
Rare are Level 5 leaders. In point of fact, reaching Maxwell’s “Pinnacle” necessitates a lifelong commitment to self-improvement, helping others, and mentoring the next generation of leaders. “What you do every day, over time, becomes your legacy,” he writes in The Five Laws of Leadership. When it comes to reaching this peak, which takes years to reach, leaders must be deliberate.
Even though this is a difficult journey, it is well worth every second. A person can finally see what’s on the other side of the mountain when they reach the pinnacle of leadership. A leader can see their legacy—the visible positive impact that their leadership has had on the world—from this elevated position.
When a person reaches the Pinnacle, there are several clues. Companies with this kind of CEO and founder, for instance, are extremely productive, profitable, and at the top of their respective industries. The leader is also well-known, admired, and regarded both within and outside of their market.
They are also well-known for their role as a mentor, servant leader, and guiding light. Their mission at this point in their careers is to cultivate as many strong leaders as possible and spread an infinite amount of positive influence. This subsequent generation will carry on their mission, ensuring that their legacy endures long after they have passed away.
How to maintain the status of a level 5 leader?
- Consider achieving Level 5 leadership to be a way of life and a way of life rather than an accomplishment.
- Maintain your forward-facing focus and vision. This means that you shouldn’t be satisfied with your previous accomplishments and that you shouldn’t stop trying to innovate, improve, and excel.
- Increase your reach. Teaching others how to lead is not specific to any one industry. Start giving speeches at conferences and events. Start a YouTube channel, share educational content on social media, write a book, or be interviewed for various podcast series are other options.
- Provide instruction to your leaders on how to train and develop other leaders.
Take the 5 levels of leadership assessment
Leaders can determine their current leadership level after reading this article. From here, they can frame a bit by bit plan for turning into a Level 5 pioneer. Having said that, it’s important to keep in mind that just because a stage is reached doesn’t mean it’s over. According to Maxwell’s explanation, “A leader does not automatically stay at that level at any level.”
You should acquire your degree of administration with every individual, and that level can go up or down whenever.” This indicates that a person is never “finished” at any level of leadership. In addition, it might come as a surprise to seasoned leaders to discover the various leadership qualities and characteristics that require revisiting. Take John Maxwell’s 5 Levels of Leadership Assessment, which is included in the book, to learn more about this.
John Maxwell provides a four-part survey in The 5 Levels of Leadership to provide in-depth information and assist you in determining your level of leadership development:
- Characteristics of a Leadership Position: relates to your overall leadership level.
- Individual Evaluation of Team Members: as the leader, evaluates your subordinates.
- Evaluation of leadership: your direct reports evaluate you as a leader.
- Assessment of the current leadership level: demonstrates your leadership in a nutshell.
Hey, I am Sachin Ramdurg. I run and manage futuredecider.com website that helps students, graduates, and professionals, to find and decide on their future career with ultimate future career advices and future career guides. I have an overall 12+ years of career guidance experience in multiple domains which has helped multiple students, graduates, and professionals to find the best career path for their future.