Following John Maxwell, the 5 levels of leadership theory are a measure of the success of a leader. In this article, Viindoo will provide content about the idea of leadership in 5 levels for those who aim to become great leaders in the future.
Level 1 – Position
The position is the lowest of the 5 levels of leadership. At this level, the leader often controls employees by applying rules and authority. This forces employees to act in a certain way because they have to, not because of their autonomy.
This is a common stage for new leaders. However, if leaders stay at this level for too long, they will not have dedicated and loyal employees. Therefore, to improve leadership skills, leaders should strive to understand and sympathize with employees and avoid ordering them with rigid rules.
Level 1 – Position
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Level 2 – Permission
Permission is the next stage of leadership, demonstrating that the leader has truly had his or her permission to lead. At this level, the leader has earned the trust of employees. Once employees feel respected, they will begin to listen and follow voluntarily.
A leader at this stage knows how to take care of employees and knows about individuals' personalities and working styles. Good relationships strengthen cooperation and increase loyalty and trust.
However, Maxwell believes that leaders should not be satisfied with this level because they will gradually lose motivation to develop. To continue to improve leadership capacity, only maintaining good relationships with employees is not enough. Leaders have to significantly contribute to the development of the business.
Level 2 – Permission
Level 3 – Production
End results are the basis to evaluate the qualities of a leader for employees to always trust and stay. However, some leaders are unable to move from Level 2 to Level 3. This is because they seem to not produce any positive results for the organization.
The reasons for the outcome are the lack of important skills to build and enhance the personnel capacity for the business. These skills are professional skills, communication skills, work ethics, people development skills, etc.. to company internal training programs.
To achieve this stage of leadership, leaders should focus on two goals which are producing results and training people. People are indeed the core factor to success. Qualified and supportive employees will be a solid foundation for development.
Level 3 – Production
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Level 4 – People Development
Personnel development and talent acquisition are essential for the development of businesses. These require a huge investment in factors such as finance, time, and mindset in potential employees.
In the long run, a business needs more than a good leader to operate, maintain, and develop. Therefore, Maxwell was concerned about the value of training the next successful leaders. Every employee will have the chance to become a leader after reaping great achievements and benefits. This will then build a successful young generation for the business.
Level 4 – People Development
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Level 5 – Pinnacle
In fact, not so many leaders can reach this level. At this stage, leaders should have in-depth skills and leadership abilities. They will create achievements and greatly contribute to the development of the business, thereby bringing benefits to employees.
Leaders at level 5 are often highly influential, even outside the business and the area they are working in. When reaching this leadership level, leaders should continue to train and develop the next potential leaders, gain more reputation, and contribute to positive differences. In fact, the pinnacle - level 5 of leadership is about creating a better generation of successors.
Level 5 – Pinnacle
The secret of a great leader with John Maxwell’s 5 levels of leadership
Wondering how to become successful leaders at level 5 according to the 5 levels of leadership by John Maxwell? Continue with the following content by Viindoo!
Take responsibility
Responsibility is an important virtue to help leaders overcome these 5 levels. They need to be ready to take responsibility for failure or mistakes. This presents the courage, value, and strength of a leader.
Blaming just makes the situation more difficult and time-consuming. In addition, employees will gradually lose admiration and trust in a leader who always blames others.
Great leaders must always be aware of their great responsibility
Cultivate humility
In fact, the arrogance and complacency of leaders can destroy the whole business. A sense of humility will help the leader be well aware of problems and proactively conquer the situation.
Besides, employees tend to show great respect to a humble leader and voluntarily accompany the business for a long time. The sense of close-knit between leaders and employees seems to be the reason for their behavior.
Humility helps managers know themselves and others
Ask for help
Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. In fact, this is the motivation to achieve the highest level of the 5 levels of leadership.
According to Guy Kawasaki, “A” players hire “A+” players. While the B-ranker likes to win the C-rank under the command, the A player will recruit and cooperate with better ones. With the help of these talents, the leader can grow and the business can rise.
Asking for help is essential for every leader
Develop discipline
Discipline is a must-have for leadership. Discipline does not mean loss of freedom. In fact, leaders and employees should be more comfortable when they can work freely under the right direction and clear principles.
Without a sense of discipline, everyone will easily become slaves to their emotions, moods, and illusory desires. Therefore, discipline is needed for leaders to well control themselves as well as inspire subordinates.
Discipline is the key to becoming a leader trusted by subordinates
Lead with passion
Passion is a key factor for leaders to reach the top of the 5 levels of leadership. Passion creates great motivation for leaders, thereby inspiring employees to work more effectively.
Usually, strong passion from a leader will positively impact the subordinates and generate optimistic behaviors from them. Therefore, internal strength developed by leaders is important to self-grow and inspire employees.
Passion helps leaders to succeed
FAQs
What are the 5 levels of leadership according to John Maxwell?
The 5 levels of leadership, as described by John Maxwell, are: Position, Permission, Production, People Development, and Pinnacle.
How can someone become a great leader?
To become a great leader, one must continuously learn, grow, and develop their leadership skills. It involves self-awareness, understanding others, effective communication, leading by example, building strong relationships, and embracing lifelong learning.
What are some key traits of great leaders?
Great leaders possess traits such as integrity, authenticity, vision, resilience, empathy, effective communication, adaptability, and the ability to inspire and motivate others.
How can leaders improve their ability to develop people?
Leaders can enhance their ability to develop people by providing mentorship and coaching opportunities, delegating responsibilities and empowering team members, recognizing and celebrating achievements, fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth, and providing constructive feedback and guidance.
Can anyone become a great leader, or are certain people naturally predisposed to leadership?
While some people may have certain innate qualities that lend themselves to leadership, leadership skills can be developed and honed over time. Anyone who is willing to invest in their personal growth, learn from others, and actively practice leadership can become a great leader.
Above is an article about the 5 levels of leadership by John Maxwell that business leaders can refer to. Viindoo wishes the business success and great development of the excellent generation of leaders.
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