A Guide to Building Excellence

The following paragraphs offer a detailed exploration of leadership, levels of leadership, and the ways to advance through different levels. Keep Reading!

What is Leadership?

Leadership is the ability to inspire and guide others and offer them a clear progressive path to attain a common goal or vision. A good leader possesses the qualities of endurance, patience, intellectual honesty, self-reflection, and wins the confidence of the subordinates. Along with these vital qualities to influence and motivate their teams, leaders should exhibit excellent communication skills thereby expressing themselves and persuading others.

The critical skills necessary for excellent leadership include empathy, problem-solving, decision-making, adaptability, strategic thinking, team building, trust-building, fostering relationships, and maintaining integrity. “88% of organizations believe that leadership has a significant impact on business results.” (Source: Brimco). Leadership is crucial for driving innovation, building high-performance teams, fostering a positive organizational culture, navigating uncertainty, and instilling team confidence.

What are the Levels of Leadership?

Leadership encompasses 5 levels as proposed by famous leadership expert and bestselling author John C. Maxwell in his work ‘The 5 Levels of Leadership: Proven Steps to Maximize Your Potential.’ The five levels of leadership constituting the 5 Ps are Level 1; Position, Level 2; Permission, Level 3; Production, Level 4; People Development, and Level 5; Pinnacle. Each level builds on the previous one emphasizing impact and leaders should progress to attain the pinnacle level of leadership. Let’s analyze each of these levels of leadership and their characteristics:

Level 1: Position (Rights)

The entry-level or the lowest level of leadership is the position, where the leadership is only based on title or position. Positional leadership solely relies on rights granted by the position which is “a poor substitute for influence”. At this level, “people follow you because they have to” since they have no other option than to follow the leader.

Characteristics

• In this leadership, the leaders are only bosses and the followers are subordinates, not team members.
• This level of leadership is easily attainable as anyone appointed to the position can be a leader rather than possessing the abilities.
• The role of leaders relies on offering instructions to subordinates in attaining goals.
• These individuals exhibit difficulty working with younger people and volunteers.
• The influence of these leaders is limited to compliance where subordinates follow the instructions and regulations.

Level 2: Permission (Relationships)

The second among the levels of leadership is permission where leadership is not based on formal position but relationships. According to permission-based leadership, “people follow you because they want to” as leaders influence the followers. The leadership should like people to lead them.

Characteristics

• Leaders develop trust and value with the team members leading to influencing them.
• The focus of the level of leadership is on relational influence rather than positional authority.
• Leaders aim to figure out how to get along with people rather than toiling to preserve their position.
• The work environment is more positive and collaborative as leaders know their followers and the followers find out who their leaders are,

Level 3: Production (Results)

At the production level, leaders are respected based on the results. While a leader can get tempted to stop at the permission level, production-oriented leadership prioritizes productivity. Unlike the previous levels, people will follow you “because of what you have done for the organization.”

Characteristics

• Leadership at the production level are change agents who undertake difficult decisions that can make a difference.
• Apart from leading and influencing others, the leaders prioritize success and productivity to resolve problems.
• Stresses productivity, proficiency, and effectiveness in attaining organizational objectives.
• Along with creating a pleasant environment for the followers, the leader focuses on getting things done.
• Leaders drive high performance.

Level 4: People Development (Reproduction)

People Development level of leadership shifts its focus to empowering others to attain growth and success. Leaders at this level contribute to developing the leadership skills of others. According to this level, people “follow because of what you have done for them.”

Characteristics

• Leaders empower their followers instead of exhibiting their power.
• Ensures cultivation of talent through promoting the talent of team members.
• Utilizes position, relationships, and production to invest in followers and encourage them to be leaders.
• The team becomes more capable and independent multiplying leadership influence.

Level 5: Pinnacle (Respect)

The pinnacle level of leadership is the highest and most complex level as it is difficult to develop leaders to the extent of possessing the ability and willingness to develop leaders. This level proclaims that “people follow you because of who you are and what you represent.”

Characteristics

• It requires great effort, skill, intentionality, and extreme talent to attain this level.
• Naturally gifted leaders with strategic insight, foresight, and innovation.
• These leaders create a legacy of positive influence.
• They transcend their position, organization, and even industry.
• These leaders influence others and earn followers easily.
• The focus of this leadership is not limited to their immediate organization.

How to Advance Through the Levels of Leadership?

To be an efficient leader impacting others and leaving a legacy, it is imperative to leave beyond the initial levels and reach the fifth level of leadership. Ascending to this pinnacle level requires constant efforts from the individual to master the previous levels. Here’s how a leader can advance through these levels of leadership ensuring positive influence.

Self-Assessment and Reflection

It requires individual efforts to advance through each of the levels to master the highest goal. This involves reflecting upon the gaps in the interactions, the long-term vision for the organization and team, the integrity and values, relationships with others, and growth. To perform self-assessment and reflection, utilize tools such as leadership journals, SWOT analysis, and feedback surveys.

Strategic Thinking

Along with self-assessment and reflection, incorporating strategic thinking contributes to leveling up the leadership. This involves envisioning the legacy by defining the impact one wishes to have, making decisions with lasting impact, and visualizing transformative change beyond the organization.

Leadership Training

Participating in regular training to enhance skills such as emotional intelligence, empathy, crisis management, decision-making, problem-solving, mentoring, and succession planning is beneficial in ascending the levels of leadership. In addition, the training focuses on cultivating ethical leadership, thought leadership, community engagement, and service-oriented leadership.

Inspire and Empower

By mentoring and leading by example by demonstrating humility and integrity, leadership can inspire and empower others. Moreover, leaders can offer growth opportunities to their followers, foster a culture of empowerment to inspire individuals, and elevate to a legacy of leadership excellence.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are five levels of leadership as proposed by John C. Maxwell which are position, permission, production, people development, and pinnacle. Leaders must advance from the first level to the pinnacle level, the ultimate and complex level. The strategies to be an effective leader with respect are practicing self-assessment and reflection, strategic thinking, participating in leadership training, and inspiring and empowering others. It is suggested that leadership must thrive to reach the final level going beyond the organizational goals to leave a lasting legacy.

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Knowledge Check!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is leadership?

Leadership is the ability to inspire and guide others and offer them a clear progressive path to attain a common goal or vision.

What are the 5 levels of leadership?

There are five levels of leadership as proposed by John C. Maxwell which are position, permission, production, people development, and pinnacle.

How to reach level 5 of leadership?

The strategies to be an effective leader at the pinnacle level with respect are practicing self-assessment and reflection, strategic thinking, participating in leadership training, and inspiring and empowering others.