The 5 Leadership Levels (Definition and
Examples)
The concept of five levels of leadership was originally developed by John Maxwell in his
book The 5 Levels of Leadership: Proven Steps to Maximize your Potential, published in
2011.
John Maxwell is a globally recognized public speaker, author and pastor with over 60
books to his name. He is well known for his theories on leadership and his ideas for
individuals to develop their leadership style, increasing their potential and productivity.
The concept of the five leadership levels outlines a progressive system with five separate
stages:
1 – Position
2 – Permission
3 – Production
4 – People development
5 – Pinnacle
Individuals can work through each stage, developing their skills and increasing how
effectively they work.
The principle behind the theory is the concept that good leaders are constantly growing
and developing. They are always looking for ways to continue learning and better
themselves to improve how they lead others.
The five levels help to create a plan and a road map for those looking to better
themselves.
Examples of Leadership Levels
Each of the five levels indicates a different part of someone’s leadership journey and acts
as a guide for progression.
Level 1: Position
If leadership has an entry level, this would be it.
Someone at Level 1 of the five leadership levels has usually been placed into their role or
will have perhaps volunteered for it. The allocation of a Level 1 role is usually not
dependent on the qualifications that the person may or may not have.
One of the most important things to remember about those in Level 1 positions is that
people don’t choose to follow or listen to them. People listen to this leader because they
feel it’s the right thing to do and that they have no other option.
Position in the Real World
An example of someone in a Level 1 leadership role would be a child’s football coach or
Sunday school teacher. For someone to hold this position, they don’t necessarily have to
possess any specific skills or qualifications, but they expect to be respected and listened
to by the children in their care.
They will also expect a certain level of respect from other parents and adults with whom
they come into contact, although, especially in a church setting, there will be others in a
higher leadership position.
Level 2: Permission
Level 2 is relatively similar to Level 1, but with one distinct difference. People listen to
them because they want to, not because they feel they have to.
Leaders who want to grow at this level and increase their abilities will need to focus on
their relationships with others.
By spending time and energy on developing valuable insight and genuine understanding
of employees, people are more likely to feel valued by the individual who holds the
leadership role. This will help to build respect and a more positive working environment.
Permission in the Real World
An example of someone working in a Level 2 leadership role would be a team manager
who genuinely takes an interest in their team.
They might ask how your weekend was, or inquire after family members that they know
have been unwell. They would also share information about their weekend and personal
situation where relevant.
Another example would be the leader within a religious institution. Their role depends on
their congregation trusting them and feeling understood. Without building a relationship,
the congregation would follow any sermons or requests because they feel that they have
to, not because they want to.
All of this works toward building a relationship and rapport between a leader and the
people who are below them in the pecking order.
This feeling of relationship is what helps to transition a leader from someone whose
requests are complied with because they have to be to someone whom people follow
voluntarily.
Level 3: Production
Once you have built a relationship with the people you are leading and they are following
you through choice, the next step is to start getting things done.
Good leaders are productive. They use the skills they learned when building relationships
with their team to continue motivating them and boosting morale. This helps to increase
productivity and overall performance.
Production in the Real World
An example of production in the real world could be a telesales leader or any team
manager who works within sales. They have weekly, monthly and quarterly targets to hit
to achieve staff bonuses. To do this, they rely on a team of individuals all working
together.
They need to build relationships within the team, increase respect and motivate their staff
members to want to hit the targets for themselves. They must also maintain a high level of
staff morale and employee satisfaction, deal with any issues and work with employees to
instigate positive changes in the workplace.
The 5 Leadership Levels (Definition and Examples)
Level 4: People Development
The best leaders want other people to improve just as much as they want to develop their
own skills.
Rather than having a selfish attitude about being the best at what you do or wanting to be
the only person with specific capabilities, someone who has an interest in people
development will see the benefit of creating as many individuals with leadership potential
as possible.
The more leaders and skilled employees that a company has, the better equipped it will be
to face different eventualities and achieve targets.
Employees are also more likely to respect a leader who wants to help them to develop
and achieve their personal ambitions. They will feel valued and appreciated and are
therefore more prone to remain loyal to their leader. Staff morale and employee
satisfaction are also likely to remain at a high level.
People Development in the Real World
Leaders who are good at people development:
Consistently train their staff in new procedures
Are keen for their employees to gain new skills
Continually put staff members forward for training courses which increase their
learning
For example, in a restaurant there is a designated hierarchy. This doesn’t mean, however,
that everyone stays in the same role forever.
A head chef will endeavor to ensure that all their staff members have the same
development opportunities. This can involve taking extra courses or spending time
working in different areas of the kitchen to learn new skills.
It isn’t just the employee who benefits from this situation. By having several staff members
who are all trained in a variety of areas, the head chef is ensuring that there will always be
an employee available for every section in case of staff shortages, sickness or unexpected
absence.
Level 5: Pinnacle
As the name suggests, individuals in Level 5 roles have reached the top of the leadership
tree.
A Level 5 leader is someone who can pull together all the skills required in the other levels
for a longer period. Longevity is what sets apart a Level 5 leader from the others.
A Level 5 leader needs to be focused on their long-term targets and ambitions rather than
just what is in front of them. They see the bigger picture and understand how the pieces fit
together to help them achieve their goals.
A Level 5 leader will often be the kind of person who can sustain growth in a large market,
motivate others to perform at their best and be industry leaders. This is because they have
the passion and understanding to see the value in everything they do.
Pinnacle in the Real World
Pinnacle leaders are often found in global corporations, especially technology and finance
companies. The owners and leaders within these companies often need to be Level 5
leaders.
They have to maintain relationships, motivate their staff members and encourage growth
to keep their company at the top.
They understand that, for continued success, there must be continuous growth.
Everything and everyone within a company needs to grow, or staff satisfaction and morale
will stagnate, targets will no longer be met and relationships will not be maintained.
Using the 5 Leadership Levels
There are many things that you can do to work your way through the leadership levels.
Much of it involves focusing on maintaining relationships and encouraging others to be the
best that they can be. However, it is also important to be able to take criticism and find
ways to understand the needs of others.
Read on to discover other things you can do to improve your leadership skills.
Encourage Feedback
It is impossible to learn what you are doing wrong if you are sitting in an echo chamber.
Too many people in leadership roles react negatively to feedback, which results in
employees being too scared to tell their employers the things which are negatively
affecting them.
To grow as a leader, you must have an attitude of growth. You need to understand any
issues which occur and have the desire to resolve them. You need to listen to your
employees or team members when they come to you with a problem.
If you allow and encourage feedback, your team members will feel heard and you will
have an opportunity to resolve issues.
Find Your Leadership Style
There are many leaders in the world, but they don't all lead in the same way. Amid the
numerous styles of leadership, there is sure to be one that suits your personality and the
industry in which you work.
If you’re not sure what type of leader you are, spend some time reading about the different
styles. You might find it useful to do a leadership or personality quiz to identify your
dominant personality traits.
Think about which style feels right for you and consider the skills and traits that you need
to develop to be an effective leader.
Network
Networking is a useful tool for anyone. It helps you to grow a web of people from whom
you can ask advice. Your network will consist of individuals who offer services that may be
useful to you and others who work in a similar area but with a different skill set.
By taking the time to attend networking events and develop your own ‘little black book’ of
useful contacts, you will be more aware of trends and opportunities within the markets that
you operate. You will also be able to see what others are doing in terms of leadership and
the kinds of learning and growth opportunities that could be available.
These opportunities are everywhere, but if you don’t look at what’s around, you will never
see them.
Look for Growth Opportunities
If your team sees that you are constantly growing, they are more likely to want to grow
themselves. Every situation offers an opportunity to grow and learn, even if it doesn’t feel
like it at the time.
Be aware of the potential in any situation you find yourself, and try to develop a mindset
for accepting challenges and opportunities when you are offered them. Even if it isn’t your
natural inclination, the more that you say 'yes' to growth opportunities, the easier it will be
to seek them out in the future.
Mentor Others
One of the best things that a leader can do is offer to mentor others. Mentoring is a
valuable tool for both the individual receiving the mentorship and the one giving it.
By mentoring a younger or newer employee, you will be sharing your knowledge and
experience with them. This will help them to understand how to further their career as well
as identify any dangers to be avoided.
When you mentor someone, you will be helping them to grow and develop as a person,
but it is also possible for you to learn from them.
For example, practices and understanding of things related to your industry may have
changed since you joined it. By listening to the views of the person you are mentoring, you
could learn to see a problem differently or create a new outlook on an aspect of your role.
Final Thoughts
The five leadership levels are designed to be used as a tool to help those in leadership
roles improve their approach. By doing this, they can increase staff morale, motivation and
overall productivity.
If you feel that you should be at a higher level, rest assured that the five leadership levels
aren't static platforms. The concept was created to help people understand the steps
required to move through the ranks and reach their maximum leadership potential.
Whether you are a team leader in a voluntary organization or the CEO of a multi-country
company, you will learn from the five leadership levels. There will be principles and ideas
which can be adopted into your leadership style to help you be the best possible leader
that you can be.