Level 5 Leaders

People often believe that transforming an organization requires a leader with an extreme personality, an egocentric individual who likes to take charge. Author and leadership expert, Jim Collins would tend to disagree. In his book “Good to Great” Collins argues that to take a company from good to great requires a Level 5 leader. You may have never heard of a Level 5 leader, but there are likely a few in your ranks. How do you know who a Level 5 leader is? There are some key attributes that make them stand out from the rest.

A Level 5 leader refers to the highest level in a hierarchy of executive capabilities. Level 5 leaders channel their ego needs away from themselves and onto the larger goal of building a great company. Their ambition is first and foremost for the organization and concern for its success, rather than their own personal riches and renown. They want to see the company even more successful in the next generation. As one Level 5 leader once said, “I want to look out from my porch at one of the greatest companies in the world someday and be able to say ‘I used to work there.'”

Adjectives that typically describe the level 5 leaders are quiet, humble, modest, reserved, shy, gracious, mild-mannered or understated. However, Level 5 leadership is not just about humility and modesty. It is also about a stoic determination to do whatever needs to be done to make the company great. They are fanatically driven with the need to produce results.

Another quality of a Level 5 leader is the window and the mirror pattern. A Level 5 leader looks out the window to apportion credit to factors outside themselves when things go well (and if they cannot find a specific person or event to give credit,they credit good luck). At the same time, they look in the mirror to apportion responsibility, never blaming bad luck when things go poorly. The window and mirror do not reflect objective reality. Everyone outside the window points inside at the Level 5 leader saying “He was the key; without his guidance and leadership, we would not have become a great company.” The Level 5 Leader will point right back out the window and say “Look at all the great people and good fortune that made this possible; I’m a lucky guy.”

Can you learn to become a Level 5 leader? There are two categories for people: those who do not have the seed of Level 5 and those who do. The first consists of people who could never bring themselves to let go of their ego for the greater ambition of building something larger than themselves. The second category of people, consists of those who have the potential to evolve into Level 5 leaders. Under the right circumstances: self-reflection, conscious personal development, a mentor, significant life experience or Level 5 boss- they begin to develop. Level 5 leaders exist all around us, we just have to know what to look for. They can be found in situations where extraordinary results exist but no individual steps forward to claim excess credit. Who do you know that is a Level 5 leader?