Washington, DC – April 04, 2016 / (http://www.myprgenie.com) -- I am a great admirer of John Maxwell. In May 2014, Maxwell was named the number 1 leadership and management expert in the world by Inc. Magazine. I often assign reading one of his books to clients who are interested in developing their leadership skills (I particularly like The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership). Today I will write about another book of his that is simpler to summarize, The 5 Levels of Leadership.

Maxwell posits that there are five ascending levels of leadership, each of which he designates with a word beginning with the letter P. The first is leadership based on Position. At this lowest level of leadership people follow you because of your title. They have to if they want to keep their jobs because you're the boss. Leaders who don't advance beyond this level don't get nearly the best out of their people. It's the level that typifies most bureaucracies.

The second level is entitled Permission . At this level leadership is based on the relationships the leader is able to construct with his/her subordinates. Likeability is very important here, as people are more likely to follow a leader that they like and with whom they feel connected. That connection is based on the leader LEARNING from them, LISTENING to them, and OBSERVING them carefully. This equips the leader with the ability to deeply understand his/her people and stoke their motivation. It's also a level at which the leader puts particular emphasis on BEING OF SERVICE to the subordinates, which is made possible by the leader's familiarity with what's important to those lower on the totem pole.

The third level is Production of results. People like to follow winners, and the leader at this level consistently wins. The winning creates momentum, which makes problems easier to solve. At the Production level there is a lot of leading by example, modelling behaviour that produces those winning results. People have more reasons to follow because the team gets things done and succeeds – more than just a connection to the leader. Leadership without results ultimately doesn’t keep followers motivated. But if the leader has a vision that has been clearly articulated and modelled, followers will embrace it and continue to be led on the journey.

The fourth level is centred on People Development. There are three important aspects to this level: a) recruiting the right people; b) positioning those people so as to get the best out of them (i.e. putting them in the right slot with the right responsibilities), and c) equipping them with the resources they need to succeed. This will create an environment for ownership where each person wants to be responsible. Of course coaching others to develop their talents, abilities, and skills is an integral part of this level.

Finally, the fifth level is the Pinnacle level, the level at which people follow the leader because of what that leader has achieved. Leadership based on admiration. But Maxwell cautions that in order to sustain that highest level the leader needs to cultivate leadership qualities in those lower on the ladder.

About Jim Weinstein

Jim Weinstein is an experienced career advisor in Washington DC. He has been practicing career counselling in DC for many years, and provides his clients with his expert opinion and advice on how to be successful in all types of careers. Through his creative and actionable solutions, he has helped numerous clients ensure a smooth job change and career transition. Jeopardy! winner, Jim worked for 23 years in advertising and as a non-profit executive. He received his BA from Wesleyan University, and went on to get an MA in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University. Next, he attended Harvard Business School, and received an MBA with distinction. He is the co-founder of the award-wining 4Therapy.com, a leading internet provider of referrals and support for mental health professionals. He is the former President of SEARCH Alliance, a community-based clinical trials non-profit organization.