The 5 Leadership Levels Challenge!
We all have a little bit of leader in us. In fact, we influence at least of 10,000 people in our lifetimes! John Maxwell, a well-known leadership guru, said that leadership is about influence. Growing your influence is where your journey begins.
Let’s dig into the five main leadership levels discussed in John Maxwell’s book, Leadership 101.
POSITIONAL LEADERSHIP
Titles, certificates, and ranks are all assigned to someone given a leadership role. At this first stage of leadership, it’s more about management, protocol, flow charts, and having authority. Influence doesn’t go past your title and people only follow you because they have to. For employees, following a positional leader is the difference between a steak dinner and an empty stomach. It’s important to move past this phase or you’ll get stuck as a manager. Do your best to offer creative solutions and be a team player to move to the next stage!
RELATIONAL LEADERSHIP
As John Maxwell puts it “leadership begins with the heart, not the head”. If you want people to follow you, it shouldn’t be because they have to, but because they genuinely like you. Be compassionate and empathetic if you want to be a leader, because you have to motivate people on a personal level. Be honest with your co-workers and do your best to get to know them.
RESULTS-ORIENTED LEADERSHIP
Once people enjoy working with you and you enjoy building them, you can begin to focus on results. As relationships within the company grow, so do profits, innovation, and morale. People feel a common purpose when they’re engaged. At this stage, it’s important to remain focused and bring in strategic tools to drive high returns, accountability, and keep the vision alive!
DEVELOPMENTAL LEADERSHIP
When people realize you can make things happen, they’re motivated to meet you there. A true leader brings leaders up with them and personally develops others through consistent mentorship. Investing your time and energy into someone else’s ambitions will comeback ten-fold in the form of loyalty.
PERSONAL LEADERSHIP
If you’re dedicated to the development of yourself and others, you’ll reach a point where who you are will speak for itself. Your name, your work, and your accomplishments will be known in your community. People will follow you because of who you are and what you represent.
Whether it’s persuading others to listen to a song that just hit the radio or skipping the new deli that opened down the street because you didn’t like it, you have influence! The question is what are you going to do with it?
By: Genesis Moreno
