Posted on Jun 6, 2012

Different Kinds of Leaders

Leadership. It’s a big word. It’s an important word.

For some, the smallest hint of a leadership opportunity engages their heart and they’re ready to move. While for others, the thought of all the problems and challenges of dealing with people is overwhelming and burdensome.

The reality is that if you have a dream to do something, a purpose you feel compelled to fulfill, or a vision you desire to bring to life, well…. then you are a leader.

But…. not all leaders are created equal.

What all leaders have in common is an appreciation for the value of leadership.

The Value of Leadership

As a differentiating value, Leadership means a person who rules or guides or inspires others.

Immediately we see that there are three distinct qualities of leaders: rulers, guides, and inspirers.

Ruler. This kind of leader sees the need for and seizes the power required to accomplish his/her goal. A good ruler uses their power for the benefit of others. A bad ruler uses it for their own benefit.
Guide. This kind of leader is interested in the journey and the people who follow along with them. A good guide keeps their people focused on the goal while caring for their needs. A bad guide focuses on achieving the goal based on their own agenda.
Inspirer. This kind of leader lives to see others achieve their goals, which in turn enables them to achieve their own goals. Their success is based on the success of others. They are encouragers. They also tend to be leaders of leaders.

There is a time and place for all forms of leadership. And all forms of leadership can be very rewarding. They can also be very challenging.

Thus, there are numerous courses and resources to help one learn the basics of leadership and continually advance along the continuum of leadership learning. It truly is a never-ending journey.

The best expert to reference on this subject is John Maxwell. He is listed as the #1 leadership guru in the world.

5 Levels of Leadership

John Maxwell’s latest book is called The 5 Levels of Leadership. In it he highlights the 5 different levels of leadership as follows:

Level-1: POSITION. People follow because they have to.

Level-2: PERMISSION. People follow because they want to.

Level-3: PRODUCTION. People follow because of what you have done for the organization.

Level-4: PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT. People follow because of what you have done for them personally.

Level-5: PINNACLE. People follow because of who you are and what you represent.

Everyone starts at Level-1 and then must do the work to build on top of what they learn to rise to the next level. It is not a linear process. Rather, it is cumulative and expansive.

It would be too much to try and define these levels in any great detail here (I encourage you to buy and read the book). But there is some personal insight worth sharing with you.

In August last year (2011), I had the privilege of being with John Maxwell to complete my certification program as an independent speaker, trainer and coach using John’s material. On the first day, John walked the group through this (yet-to-be-released) book, The 5 Levels of Leadership.

As the #1 leadership expert in the world, someone asked him: “So which level are you, John?” Sounds like a reasonable question.

John’s response: “I believe I may be at Level-4 now. And if I’m successful at engaging others in teaching my leadership material, then I might eventually get to Level-5.”

John went on to suggest “There are very few people at Level-5. Such leaders stand out from everyone else.” He suggested Level-5 leaders include such rare individuals as Nelson Mandela, Jack Welch, and Billy Graham.

While the road to achieving Level-5 might be long and difficult, one thing is certain – we can all grow our leadership skills. And we can choose to be a ruler, a guide or an inspirer.