Level 5
leadership is a concept developed in the book Good to Great. Level 5 leaders display a
powerful mixture of personal humility and indomitable will. They're incredibly ambitious, but their
ambition is first and foremost for the cause, for the organization and its purpose, not
themselves.
Why humility
The concept of Level 5 leadership is unique because it is
based on empirical evidence. Over a five-year period,
Collins conducted a research project to discover what
distinguished so-called “good” companies from “great”
ones. “Great” companies, he explained, were defined as
those that made at least three extraordinary jumps in stock
returns over a period of 15 years, independent of their
industries. By comparing data from more than 1,435
organizations, he found that only 11 companies fit these
criteria. One of the key reasons was leadership. In the end,
Collins realized that each of the 11 notable companies had
leaders with a specific combination of what he dubbed
“extreme personal humility” and “intense professional will.”
Kimberly-Clark is one of eleven companies on the Fortune 500 since 1975 that has been
elevated from good to great and has maintained its transformed status.
hare your mistakes as teachable moments. When leaders showcase their own
personal growth, they legitimize the growth and learning of others; by admitting to
their own imperfections, they make it okay for others to be fallible, too. We also
tend to connect with people who share their imperfections and foibles—they
appear more “human,” more like us. Particularly in diverse workgroups, displays
of humility may help to remind group members of their common humanity and
shared objectives.
Engage in dialogue, not debates. Another way to practice humility is to truly engage with
different points of view. Too often leaders are focused on swaying others and “winning”
arguments. When people debate in this way, they become so focused on proving the
validity of their own views that they miss out on the opportunity to learn about other points
of view. Inclusive leaders are humble enough to suspend their own agendas and beliefs In
so doing, they not only enhance their own learning but they validate followers’ unique
perspectives.
Embrace uncertainty. Ambiguity and uncertainty are par for the course in today’s
business environment. So why not embrace them? When leaders humbly admit that they
don’t have all the answers, they create space for others to step forward and offer solutions.
They also engender a sense of interdependence. Followers understand that the best bet is to
rely on each other to work through complex, ill-defined problems.
Role model being a “follower.” Inclusive leaders empower others to lead. By reversing
roles, leaders not only facilitate employees’ development but they model the act of taking a
different perspective, something that is so critical to working effectively in diverse teams.
fishbowl
One of the key strategies they’ve adopted to model this leadership style is the
fishbowl — a method for facilitating dialogue. At a typical fishbowl gathering, a
small group of employees and leaders sit in circle at the center of the room, while
a larger group of employees are seated around the perimeter. Employees are
encouraged to engage with each other and leaders on any topic and are invited
into the innermost circle. In these unscripted conversations, held throughout the
year in a variety of venues, leaders routinely demonstrate humility —by admitting
to employees that don’t have all the answers and by sharing their own personal
journeys of growth and development.
Level 5 leader : an individual who blends extreme personal humility with intense professional will
They never aspired to be put on a pedestal or become unreachable icons. They were seemingly ordinary people
quietly producing extraordinary results