Levels of leadership

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John C. Maxwell defines 5 levels of leadership:

  • Level 1 - Position - "People follow you because they have to."
  • Level 2 - Permission - "People follow you because they want to."
  • Level 3 - Production - "People follow because of what you have done for the organization. "
  • Level 4 - People development - "People follow because of what you have done for them."
  • Level 5 - Pinnacle - "People follow you because of who you are and what you represent."

Position - level 1

This is the doorway to the leadership. It mean that person is on this level where he can manage an organization with no problem. This position is achievable for everyone. That is why it does not describe the leadership qualities. Leader has almost no impact or a really small one on others. His responsibility is to make sure things are done. He only uses his position to achieve that because he has no knowledge about different solutions. People from this level are never truly leaders, the most they can achieve is being a boss.

Permission - level 2

The key to open the door to 2nd level is ‘’relationships’’. Person on leader's position need to focus on having a good relationships with his employees. It is also a person who is able to encourage people to maintain good connections with others. Leader can help employees to realize that doing their best makes sense. It is because employees have a trust in a leader and they are in a good relationship with him. Manager motivates people around him and it is easier to convince co-workers to follow his decision. Hence, whatever goals the leader has, employees will follow. Teams with leader on 2nd level, with a permission to actually be a leader, have a more positive attitude than the ones on 1st level.

Production - level 3

Achieving this level is a little more than having a good relationship with employees. This is about what benefits can leader get from working with people who trust and believe in one another, how much can this team - this people - produce. The key of this level is the possibility of measurement the leader's results. Leader at 3rd level is a part of the team, employees like him, but on the other hand he can be treated as a threat.

People development - level 4

At fourth level this is all about encouraging people to develop. For a growing company it is very important to have leaders at this level. This leader does everything to give an employee the possibility to learn and evaluate. One of the tool the leader uses is delegating work. This gives employees the feeling that someone believes in them and they are doing their best to achieve the goal so as not to disappoint expectations. It is important that leader informs co-worker about the confidence he has in them. At this level production is not as important anymore. But what the leader achieves here is the chain effect, when he teaches other how to be a leader it gives a value to a company.

Pinnacle - level 5

This level is very difficult to achieve. There is not a lot of leaders on 5th level. Person on this level presents exceptional abilities to create and train a lot of leaders who can be 4th level leaders. Leadership at this level brings up all company and makes it a desirable environment to work in. Leader at 5th level is being put up as an example and other wants to be like him. Even after work, employees still have leader's words, actions and behavior in mind and try to imitate[1][2]

Advantages of Levels of leadership

John C. Maxwell's 5 Levels of Leadership are as follows: Position, Permission, Production, People Development, and Pinnacle. Each level brings a unique set of advantages to the leader and those they lead.

  • Position: This first level of leadership is simply based on authority. A leader is given a title and is given the right to direct their team. This level requires only a minimal amount of emotional intelligence and people skills.
  • Permission: This level of leadership is based on the trust and respect of followers. People will follow a leader based on the strength of the relationship and the level of trust between leader and follower.
  • Production: This level of leadership is based on the results and achievements of the team. People will follow a leader who is able to deliver successful outcomes.
  • People Development: This level of leadership is focused on the development of the team. Leaders at this level focus their attention on helping their team members to grow and develop their skills and abilities.
  • Pinnacle: This is the highest level of leadership and involves leading from the front. Leaders at this level are able to inspire, motivate and guide their team to success. They have an innate ability to connect with their team and foster a sense of belonging.

Limitations of Levels of leadership

John C. Maxwell defines five levels of leadership which include Position, Permission, Production, People Development, and Pinnacle. However, it is important to note that these five levels of leadership come with limitations. The five limitations are as follows:

  • The five levels of leadership only provide a general framework and do not take into account the specific nuances of each leader's individual style or context.
  • The five levels of leadership emphasize the importance of developing skills, but do not necessarily provide a comprehensive understanding of the complexities of leadership.
  • The five levels of leadership focus on the leader's development, but do not consider the needs of the team or organization.
  • The five levels of leadership place emphasis on the leader's individual performance, but do not acknowledge the importance of collective action or group dynamics.
  • The five levels of leadership prioritize the leader's growth and development, but do not acknowledge the importance of the external environment and its impact on the leader's success.

Other approaches related to Levels of leadership

John C. Maxwell's 5 Levels of Leadership is one of the most popular approaches to understanding and developing leadership. However, there are other approaches to the concept of leadership that can help to further deepen our understanding of how to lead. These include:

  • The Situational Leadership Model - This model, developed by Blanchard and Hersey, suggests that the most effective leadership style is dependent upon the situation and the readiness of followers.
  • The Transformational Leadership Model - This model, developed by Burns, focuses on the ability of leaders to motivate and inspire followers through their charismatic behavior.
  • The Authentic Leadership Model - This model, developed by George and Sims, proposes that an effective leader is one who is trustworthy, honest, and genuinely cares about their followers.
  • The Leadership Grid - This model, developed by Blake and Mouton, suggests that effective leadership is a balance between task-oriented and people-oriented behaviors.
  • The Leadership Circle - This model, developed by Williams and Sternberg, suggests that effective leaders recognize the need to develop both their own leadership skills and those of their followers.

In conclusion, leadership is a complex concept, and there are numerous approaches to understanding and developing it. John C. Maxwell's 5 Levels of Leadership is just one of these approaches, and it can be further enhanced by exploring other models.


Levels of leadership — recommended articles
Path goal theory — Management styles — Leadership models — Charismatic leadership — Informal leader — Acquired needs theory — Theory X and Y — Internal motivation — Blake and Mouton managerial grid

References

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Maxwell, J. C. (1993). Developing the leader within you, p. 5-11
  2. ↑ Maxwell, J. C (2011). 5 levels of leadership, p. 3-12

Author: Ewelina Kruszewska

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