Canteen Fundas - Level 5 Leadership - The Most Effective Leadership of All

 The first requisite of a company that is not just 'good' but 'great' is a Level 5 leader - and this is how a Level 5 leader looks like.

https://www.edexlive.com/opinion/2022/mar/11/e-canteen-fundas-heres-how-you-can-unlock-level-5-in-the-game-of-leadership-27759.html

E-Canteen Fundas: Here's how you can unlock Level 5 in the game of leadership


Level 5 leaders are those who can take a team from being just ‘good’ to ‘great’. They create enduring greatness through a blend of personal traits such as personal humility and professional will

March ahead | (Pic: Edexlive)


‘There’s so much turmoil in our world,’ said Rinku. ‘I wonder how much of it reflects on the quality of global leadership?’

 
‘True,’ said Rahul. ‘And I wonder how can one find the right kind of leaders to lead the world now.’

‘Good questions,’ said Rakesh. ‘In any situation, it is the leadership that matters. And though we see all kinds of leaders at various levels — individual, group, state, national or international — it’s only the great leaders who can vision and execute plans that are good for all. They go beyond their group, society or nation and look to benefit humanity as a whole.’

‘How are leaders categorised, bhaiyya?’ asked Rahul.

‘I personally categorise them as secure and insecure leaders,’ smiled Rakesh. ‘An insecure leader is someone who clings to power and does anything to stay in power — which may not necessarily be the right thing for all concerned. And a secure leader is someone who does what is right for the greater good — even if it costs her the position.’

‘Hmm,’ said Rinku. ‘That’s a simple and interesting classification.’

‘There are many other classifications but we can look at the one given by Jim Collins in his book Good to Great,’ said Rakesh. ‘According to him, any company that wants to grow from good to great needs to have a Level 5 Leader as the primary requirement. Though his book is about companies, I feel this principle applies to any team, society, nation or the world itself.’

‘Oh, wow,’ said Rahul. ‘The Level 5 leaders must be all the popular names, right? ’

‘Not really,’ said Rakesh. ‘They are known by the legacy they leave behind and not by their own individual identities. But what’s more important for you to know is that Level 5 leaders evolve through a process of learning — from Level 1 onwards.’

‘Wow, can we look at how they evolve?’ asked Rinku. ‘Maybe we can evolve too.’

‘As a Level 1 leader, you are a highly capable individual who does the job well and contributes to the team output through your talent, knowledge and work ethic,’ said Rakesh. ‘You contribute positively to the team through your individual efforts and lead by personal example. Needless to say, you are not a good leader if you do not contribute positively to the team.’

‘So, we do our job well and lead by example in Level 1,’ said Rahul. ‘And Level 2?’

‘In addition to performing your own tasks well, you work with others in the group and find ways to contribute more as a group,’ said Rakesh. ‘You think for the group and how to achieve its objectives by collaborating. You move from focusing on individual excellence to improving group performance.’

‘So, we take greater responsibility as a member of the group,’ said Rahul. ‘And Level 3?’

‘At Level 3, you’re competent enough to lead people and utilise resources on your own to achieve group objectives effectively and efficiently,’ said Rakesh. ‘You can be trusted to lead and achieve set goals. You’ve now moved to an active leadership role.’

‘But what else can a leader do other than deliver given results, bhaiyya?’ asked Rahul. ‘What does a Level 4 leader do?”

‘Level 4 leaders take the team to the next level,’ said Rakesh. ‘They do not just deliver given results, but utilise given resources to achieve far greater results than the ones which were committed. They bring in a grander vision, improve processes, motivate people and drive them to high performance. However, though the Level 4 leaders are high achievers, their teams are only good teams and not great teams. They succeed once or twice, not over a long period of time.’

‘Whoa,’ said Rahul. ‘Now I am curious to meet the Level 5 leader. Must be a rare animal.’

‘Yes,’ said Rakesh. ‘Level 5 leaders are rare. They build enduring greatness and produce sustainable results through diligent work and benefit not just for those in the team, but for all those who are around.’

‘Wow?’ asked Rahul. ‘Must be a set of supercharged people.’

‘Not really,’ smiled Rakesh. ‘They have what Jim Collins calls a great paradoxical quality that most leaders lack — a blend of personal humility and professional will. They are not tyrants. In fact, they are described as humble, modest, gracious, mild-mannered and understated people — qualities we do not normally associate with such great leaders. They do not look to promote themselves, take credit or want to be larger than life heroes. For them, the team is always bigger. Their ambitions are not personal, but for the team. But along with their great humility, they possess a fierce determination to produce lasting results, to create leaders who can carry the legacy forward. They are true visionaries who work diligently to create win-win solutions that are beneficial for all over a long period.’

‘How I wish a Level 5 leader is now working towards bringing the world together to create peace, global harmony and abundance for all,’ said Rinku. ‘Humbly, fiercely.’

‘You could be one too,’ said Rakesh. ‘Jim Collins suggests that as you evolve from different stages, you can evolve to Level 5 by engaging in self-reflection, personal development, having good mentors and teachers and learning from life-altering experiences.’

‘Thanks, bhaiyya,’ said Rinku. ‘I will try to practice humility and bring in a strong will into my execution.’

Pro Tip: Level 5 leaders are those who can take a team from being just ‘good’ to ‘great’. They create enduring greatness through a blend of personal traits such as personal humility and a fierce professional will. They leave lasting legacies for the team and benefit all.