Level-5-Leadership

Level5Leadership:Humility+WillLevel5Leadership:Humility+WillBasedonJimCollinsarticle,“Level5Leadership:TheTriumphofHumilityandFierceResolve”,inBestOfHBR,HBR,July-August,2005,p.136-146ThekeytoanorganizationbecominggreatishavingaLevel5leaderThekeytoanorganizationbecominggreatishavingaLevel5leaderSomeonewhoblendsgenuinepersonalhumilitywithintenseprofessionalwillSomeonewhoblendsgenuinepersonalhumilitywithintenseprofessionalwill“Level5”“Level5”zThehighestlevelinahierarchyofleadershipcapabilitieszLeadersattheotherfourlevelsinthehierarchycanproducehighlevelsofsuccessbutnotenoughtoelevateorganizationsfrommediocritytosustainedexcellencezGood-to-greattransformationsdon’thappenwithoutLevel5leadershipzLevel5isnottheonlyrequirementfortransformingagoodorganizationintoagreatonezOtherfactorsincludegettingtherightpeopleonthebus(andthewrongpeopleoffthebus)andcreatingacultureofdisciplinezThehighestlevelinahierarchyofleadershipcapabilitieszLeadersattheotherfourlevelsinthehierarchycanproducehighlevelsofsuccessbutnotenoughtoelevateorganizationsfrommediocritytosustainedexcellencezGood-to-greattransformationsdon’thappenwithoutLevel5leadershipzLevel5isnottheonlyrequirementfortransformingagoodorganizationintoagreatonezOtherfactorsincludegettingtherightpeopleonthebus(andthewrongpeopleoffthebus)andcreatingacultureofdisciplineTheLevel5HierarchyTheLevel5HierarchyzSitsontopofahierarchyofcapabilitieszFourotherlayersliebeneathitzEachoneisappropriateinitsownright,butnonewiththepowerofLevel5zWedonotneedtomovesequentiallythrougheachlevelofthehierarchytoreachthetopzButtobeafully-fledgedLevel5,weneedthecapabilitiesofallthelowerlevels,plusthespecialcharacteristicsoflevel5zSitsontopofahierarchyofcapabilitieszFourotherlayersliebeneathitzEachoneisappropriateinitsownright,butnonewiththepowerofLevel5zWedonotneedtomovesequentiallythrougheachlevelofthehierarchytoreachthetopzButtobeafully-fledgedLevel5,weneedthecapabilitiesofallthelowerlevels,plusthespecialcharacteristicsoflevel5TheLevel5HierarchyTheLevel5HierarchyLevel1HighlyCapableIndividualLevel1HighlyCapableIndividualLevel2ContributingTeamMemberLevel2ContributingTeamMemberLevel3CompetentManagerLevel3CompetentManagerLevel4EffectiveLeaderLevel4EffectiveLeaderLevel5ExecutiveLevel5ExecutiveTheLevel5HierarchyTheLevel5HierarchyMakesproductivecontributionsthroughtalent,knowledge,skills,andgoodworkhabitsHighlyCapableIndividualLevel1Contributestotheachievementofgroupobjectives;workseffectivelywithothersinagroupsettingContributingTeamMemberLevel2OrganizespeopleandresourcestowardtheeffectiveandefficientpursuitofpredeterminedobjectivesCompetentManagerLevel3Catalyzescommitmenttoandvigorouspursuitofaclearandcompellingvision;stimulatesthegrouptohighperformancestandardsEffectiveLeaderLevel4BuildsenduringgreatnessthroughaparadoxicalcombinationofpersonalhumilityplusprofessionalwillExecutiveLevel5Level5LeadershipLevel5LeadershipzCounterintuitivezCountercultural–peoplegenerallyassumethattransformingfromgoodtogreatorganizationsrequirescharismatic,larger-than-lifeleaderszCounterintuitivezCountercultural–peoplegenerallyassumethattransformingfromgoodtogreatorganizationsrequirescharismatic,larger-than-lifeleadersNotbyLevel5AloneNotbyLevel5AlonezLevel5leadershipisanessentialfactorfortakinganorganizationfromgoodtogreat,butit’snottheonlyonezThereareother“drivers”,combinedwithLevel5-thecombinedpackagewhichtakestheorganizationbeyondunremarkablezThedriversare–FirstWho,StockdaleParadox,theFlywheel,TheHedgehogConceptandACultureofDisciplinezLevel5leadershipisanessentialfactorfortakinganorganizationfromgoodtogreat,butit’snottheonlyonezThereareother“drivers”,combinedwithLevel5-thecombinedpackagewhichtakestheorganizationbeyondunremarkablezThedriversare–FirstWho,StockdaleParadox,theFlywheel,TheHedgehogConceptandACultureofDisciplineFirstWhoFirstWhozGood-to-greatleadersstartwithpeoplefirstandthendealwithvisionandstrategysecondzTheygettherightpeopleonthebus,zMovethewrongpeopleoff,zUshertherightpeopletotherightseats,andzDeterminewheretodriveitzGood-to-greatleadersstartwithpeoplefirstandthendealwithvisionandstrategysecondzTheygettherightpeopleonthebus,zMovethewrongpeopleoff,zUshertherightpeopletotherightseats,andzDeterminewheretodriveitStockdaleParadoxStockdaleParadoxzNamedafterAdmiralJamesStockdale,winneroftheMedalofHonourwhosurvivedfor7yearsinaVietCongPOWcampbyhangingontotwocontradictorybeliefszHislifecouldn’tbeworseatthemoment,andhislifewouldsomedaybebetterthaneverzGood-to-greatleadersconfrontthemostbrutalfactsoftheircurrentreality,yetsimultaneouslymaintainedabsolutefaiththattheywillprevailintheendzTheyheldbothdisciplines–faithandfacts–atthesametime,allthetimezNamedafterAdmiralJamesStockdale,winneroftheMedalofHonourwhosurvivedfor7yearsinaVietCongPOWcampbyhangingontotwocontradictorybeliefszHislifecouldn’tbeworseatthemoment,andhislifewouldsomedaybebetterthaneverzGood-to-greatleadersconfrontthemostbrutalfactsoftheircurrentreality,yetsimultaneouslymaintainedabsolutefaiththattheywillprevailintheendzTheyheldbothdisciplines–faithandfacts–atthesa