5 Keys Level of Leadership by John C. Maxwell

In disruptive era, leadership becomes a key skill that shall be possessed by people in organization, especially for managers or leaders. In this context, leadership could help managers or leaders to lead their team and organization that can lead to efficiency and productivity.

The Level of Leadership

John C. Maxwell is an internationally recognized leadership expert, speaker, and author who has sold over 16 million books. On one of his books entitled “The 5 Levels of Leadership: Proven Steps to Maximize Your Potential”, Maxwell’s have proposed the 5 Level of Leadership which described as follows.

Level 1 — Position

At position level, people follow you because they had to. Usually, team members will work only as required. This happens because you have the position of the boss. It is a good position to start with, but not a good position to settle down in. Because at level 1 the commitment and energy of team members are low, and you could not build a great organization with this level 1 leadership.

Level 2 — Permission

At permission level, people follow you because they want to. They love to work with you and be on your team. At this level, the energy increases significantly compared to level 1. Energy is closely related to good relationships. You are happy with your team and you care about them. This has resulted a synergy between you and your team. The leaders of level 2 listen to their team well, make good observations, and serve well.

Level 3 — Production

At production level, people follow you because of what you have done for the organization. You have built credibility through achievement. Leadership level 3 is about “Winning” and as the level of leadership increases, your influence would also increase. The leaders of level 3 have several abilities such as the power of momentum and attract the best people.

Level 4 — People Development

At people development level, people follow you because of what you have done for them. You grow your team to make them better and more successful. Level 4 leaders create multiplication, and the leaders of this level are very well recruited, indicated by putting people in the right position and develop people well.

Level 5 — Pinnacle

Pinnacle level is the highest level of leadership. It is the most challenging level to attain. This level requires longevity as well as intentionality. At this level, people follow you because of your reputation and what you represent. As a result, Level 5 leaders often transcend their position, their organization, and sometimes their industry.

Conclusion

To sum up, in disruptive era, leadership is an important skill for people in organizations, especially for managers or leader. Leadership refers to how leaders lead their employees and organization and by understanding the 5 Level of leadership proposed by Maxwell, the leaders could gain the insight to maximize their leadership skills and be a better leader for the organization.

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Reference

Maxwell, J. C. (2011). The five levels of leadership: Proven steps to maximize your potential. New York, NY: Center Street.