Book Synopsis: 5 Levels of Leadership
There is obvious reason why this book is able to empower ourselves to be better leader.
I got lucky to receive this book as present from our Technology Prime Leader in Tokopedia, Pak Herman Widjaja. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/hermanwidjaja?originalSubdomain=id) The book should be available worldwide from your preferred online store, please check.
What is so interesting about this book is, it reveals our current state and encourages us to always elevate us to the next level. Let’s have a look from the lowest level.
Level 1: Position
If you are a manager, and your subordinates obey your ̶c̶o̶m̶m̶a̶n̶d̶s̶ requests because you are THEIR BOSS — then, this is your current state. This is the most fragile level. You are not able to influence other people. They follow because they have to, by rules. Once you lost this “position” then people will stop honoring you and hearing your opinions.
Nothing’s wrong with that. It is just basically how hierarchy works in the organization right?
Perhaps yes. But at this state you will not be able to push team productivity to the maximum (always blocked by official boundaries — “Hey this is 5pm, time to go home, I am only paid to work this far”). You will have difficulty in requesting and developing your team capabilities to the higher level — “Why should I do more and work harder? I am not paid more”. The book also says that Position cannot replace Influence. Position is the only level that does not need any expertise, because anybody can be chosen to fill in a position.
Level 2: Permission
At this level your subordinates obey, follow you, because they want to. You are given permission by them, to be followed. That’s right, we ought to receive permission from them, to lead them 😃
How to achieve this level?
You need to know well your team. Make friends with them. Don’t think them as your subordinates. Think them as people who work together with you. Your knowledge, your expertise will bind useless if people do not listen.
“People will not care about what much you know, until they know much you care.” — Herman Widjaja
I had been there, and I received my lessons. If only I had read this book before I started leading.
Level 3: Productivity
Being a leader does not mean you are at the back seat remote-controlling your team. Being a leader means you are getting on the front line, showing them the clear direction and how it is done. Be active and productive as much as possible. Give motivation to others by showing that you are actually bringing impacts to the company with every work done, every steps and decisions you took.
At this level, you have become a role model to your teams. People are looking up to you, and hoping that sometimes they can reach up to your level. They become confident, they finish their tasks properly and are motivated to elevate their selves to become you. With motivated teams like this, you will be able to take difficult decisions that will bring changes and positive impacts to the company — that is not possible in previous levels.
Level 4: People Development
The book says that leaders grow not because of their power. But because of their ability to produce new leaders.
At this level you are producing new leaders who follow your foot steps. You invest, coach and nurture to produce people who do not rely on their positions, people who cooperate with other people and consider them as mates, people who are super productive and are followed by their team members because of the result they brought.
At this point you are changing the lives of people you are leading. They follow you because of what you have done to them, what you did to elevate them to the next levels. According to the book, this kind of relationship may lasts forever.
Level 5: Pinnacle
The book says, to reach this level you must be growing level 4 leaders. It will be a tough, long journey that requires a lot of hard work and time investments.
However I personally agree with opinion that — there is no level 5. Able to produce level 4 leaders is not the end of everything. We should never stop learning something new, keep producing new leaders, keep strengthening our bonds, and keep bringing high impacts wherever we are.
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There’s a lot more to read from this book, including detailed checklist and examples of what we need to grow to the next level. Therefore I personally recommend this book to all my friends and readers. Because we are all bound to be leaders. A father is leading his household. A mother leads her children. Even a good friend leads their friendship towards something better. It can be applied to any part of the society.
Thank you for reading 🍻
