Leadership Update - November 2004

Leadership Update is published by the Bresnahan Group in cooperation with the Integro Leadership Institute. It is designed to provide information on what organizations are doing to get employees engaged and committed to achieving the company vision.

Does Level 5 Leadership Work at All Levels?

Level 5 Leadership has become a talking point for many executives since Jim Collins introduced the concept in his best seller Good to Great. Collins refers to a hierarchical model of executive capabilities with Level 5 at the top. He describes Level 5 Leaders as a "paradoxical blend of extreme personal humility with intense professional will". But is Level 5 Leadership restricted to the executive level?

If Level 5 Leadership is essential at the CEO level to create a great company, would it not also make sense that Level 5 Leadership would work for creating a great business unit, a great branch or a great team?

Just think about the implications of that for your business. If every leader... every executive, manager and supervisor was operating at Level 5, they would "demonstrate an unwavering resolve to do whatever must be done to produce the best long term results, no matter how difficult."

Their focus would be on doing what is best for the organization rather than satisfying their own ego needs. They would accept responsibility for poor results, never blaming others or bad luck, and yet give credit for their success to other people.

Ego is a Barrier to Level 5 Leadership

Many organizations promote people into leadership roles who have the biggest ego needs. Ambitious people, those who are most hungry for the promotion, often have the greatest need for ego gratification... they want the power, the title and the status that goes with these positions.

The problem here is that this leader's focus will tend to be primarily on him or herself. Yes, they will claim that they are doing what is best for the organization, but can they? The leader without humility is likely to be blind to the level of their self-interest.

Maybe this is a significant part of the reason why there are so few organizations that have made the transition from good to great and been able to sustain it.

Can Level 5 Leadership be Developed?

Collins suggests that some people have the "seed" within them to become Level 5 Leaders, others do not. Those who don't would never put the needs of their organization ahead of their own personal needs.

Our view is that Level 5 Leaders can be developed... over time, if the leader has the desire and commitment to do so. It requires a significant increase in self awareness and self-management, foundational competencies for emotional intelligence. They will also need to learn to apply their new leadership skills to creating great results.

Is it worth the investment of time and effort? Well, do you want to be good or great?

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For more information about any of these topics contact us at 505-922-1973 or email BresGroup @ 4u.net.

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