A business executive. A softball coach. A teacher in class. A volunteer coordinator. A parent. Whether you are one of these things or all of these things, one thing remains true:you are a leader. But where are you in your leadership journey and where do you go from there? In my years of teaching leadership, this question is at the heart of so many leaders. Everyone wants to know where they stand and how to take it to the next level. And you're probably no different! This is why I developed the 5 levels of leadership. I wanted to help leaders understand and increase their effectiveness. Read on to identify your current situation and the steps you need to take to reach Level 5 – the pinnacle of leadership. Level 1 position:People follow because they have to. The lowest level of leadership – entry level, if you will – is position. This is the only level that does not require any ability or effort to achieve. After all, anyone can be appointed to a position! While there's nothing wrong with having a position of leadership, it's not all right to rely on that position alone to get people to follow. Indeed, it only works if you have leverage (like job security or a paycheck) on your followers. At level 1, people only follow if they think they should. But the news is not all bad at this level. It's a great place to start investing in your growth and potential as a leader. Use your time at this level to learn how to direct yourself – through priorities and self-discipline – and you will be ready to move to the next level. Level 2 permission:people follow because they want to. At this level, people choose to follow the leader. To grow at this level, leaders strive to get to know their people and connect with them. You can't lead without people, which means you have to learn to love people if you want to lead well. When you love people and treat them as valuable people, you begin to develop a positive influence with them. Trust grows, which usually leads to respect. Level 2 is where strong, lasting relationships are built that create the foundation for the next level. Level 3 Production:People follow because of what you have done for the organization. At this level, leaders who produce results build influence and credibility. The Production level is where leaders can become agents of change. Work gets done, morale improves, profits increase, turnover decreases, and goals are achieved. The more you produce, the more you are able to solve difficult problems and deal with thorny issues. Leading and influencing others becomes fun, because when everyone moves forward together, the team reaches another level of effectiveness. It is important to note here that the objective with the 5 levels is not to move away from one level to grow to a new level. Instead, these five levels of leadership build on each other. In other words, Level 3 leaders still need to do the things that make Level 2 happen. They simply add level 3 strategies to the mix. And as they become effective at level 3, they are ready to layer on to the goals of subsequent levels. Level 4 People Development:People follow because of what you've done for them. Your goal at this level is to identify and develop as many leaders as possible by investing in them and helping them grow. The reason is simple:when there are more leaders, more of the organization's mission can be accomplished. The people you choose to develop may show great leadership potential, or they may be diamonds in the rough, but the main idea is the same:when you invest in them, you can reproduce yourself. The more new leaders you raise, the more you will change the lives of all team members. Level 5 Pinnacle:People follow because of who you are and what you stand for. The highest level of leadership is also the hardest to achieve. It takes longevity as well as intentionality. You simply cannot reach level 5 unless you are willing to invest your life in the lives of others for the long term. The commitment to becoming a Pinnacle leader is huge, but so are the benefits. Level 5 leaders develop Level 5 organizations. They create opportunities that other leaders don't. They create a legacy in what they do. Their leadership gains a positive reputation. As a result, Level 5 leaders often transcend position, organization, and sometimes industry. If you're like me, you have goals. You not only want to be successful, but also feel important. You want to make a difference. The level of leadership you reach depends more on your influence than any other factor. You just don't know how many lives you're going to touch. All you can do is grow your influence so that when opportunities arise, you can make the most of them. Never doubt the power of a single person of influence. John C. Maxwell + Publishes John C. Maxwell, an internationally acclaimed leadership expert, speaker, and author who has sold over 18 million books, has been named the first Means I/O Ambassador. Dr. Maxwell is the founder of EQUIP, a nonprofit organization that has trained more than 5 million leaders in 126 countries around the world. A New York Times , The Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek; bestselling author, Maxwell has written three books that have sold over a million copies. John C. Maxwell https://www.moyens.net/author/john-c-maxwell/ John C. Maxwell:The New ABC of Loving Your Work John C. Maxwell https://www.moyens.net/author / john-c-maxwell / John C. Maxwell:5 reasons why dreams don't take flight John C. Maxwell https://www.moyens.net/author/john-c-maxwell/ John C. Maxwell:instead of complaining, remember these 10 things John C. Maxwell https://www.moyens.net/author/john-c-maxwell/ John C. Maxwell:5 tips to unlock your potential
