Which of These 5 Leadership Levels Are You At?

Monday, November 7th, 2011 at 6:41 pm

I f you are working in a network marketing business, the role of leader is seen more often as specific successful leaders emerge. If your network marketing company is one of the better MLM companies, they will provide you with leadership training to help you build your business more fully.

But in a nutshell, becoming a good leader is most often learned and breaking down leadership into attainable steps was done over 30 years ago by John Maxwell.

These next five steps can help you gauge your leadership growth. But remember that each level is built using the one before it and so if you miss building one, you essentially create an unstable leadership.

POSITION. At this level, people follow you because they have to. Your influence comes from your position. While that’s not bad—you probably got the position because of your leadership potential—you don’t want to stay here. Leadership is about relationships and leaders will make it their business to develop them.
PERMISSION. People follow you because they want to. Permission is about building relationships. It focuses on the value of each person and opens up communication. Connecting with others begins with connecting with and growing yourself. Understanding that the first person I must get along with is me, the first person to cause me problems is me, the first person that must change is me, and the first person that can make a difference is me.
PRODUCTION – recognizes that relationships alone are not enough. A leader is tasked with getting things done. Production level leaders are followed because of what they have done for the organization. They get things done. Their credibility is based on their example. The ability to get results alone doesn’t make you a leader. Leaders are measured by what the entire group accomplishes and not by the individual efforts of the person in charge. Leaders develop their people into a team to get results. To get to the next level you must develop your people.
PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT. Leaders become great because they empower others. They develop more leaders. “Production may win games, but People Development wins championships.” People development assures that growth can be sustained. Self-centered, insecure leaders neglect this stage in their development.
THE PINNACLE. Leaders at this level understand that the highest goal of leadership is to develop more leaders, not to gain followers or do work. Level 5 leaders develop Level 4 leaders. Developing leaders that can in turn develop leaders is hard work and takes a great deal of skill, focus, and a lifetime commitment. But those leaders that do create Level 5 organizations. They create opportunities that other leaders don’t. Level 5 leaders leverage their own leadership through others. People follow these leaders because of what they are and what they represent.

Becoming the leader you want can be greatly accelerated through personal mentoring or coaching as it will help you focus on the specific aspects you need to develop more quickly.