The Road to Leadership

Leaders are relatively easy to spot in a group. Just pay attention when you are in any large gathering. There are those people that others naturally listen to and follow. The question therefore isn’t how do we find leaders; they are in every organization. The question that we need to ask is how do we guide a natural leader to become a leader that leads people in a positive direction and with their team is able to accomplish what our organization is striving to accomplish.

Once we have recognized a natural leader, if we don’t guide them, we run the risk that they will become a “loose cannon” in our organization; sometimes effecting the group in a positive manner and sometimes in a negative manner. We need to approach the “Road to Leadership” as we would any educational process.

We need a foundation to build on and then a plan to move through the levels of leadership. Think about a great mathematician. When a teacher recognizes a student’s ability to quickly grasp multiplication tables, they do not immediately start teaching them advanced mathematics. The student’s knowledge must be built a step at a time.

In Good to Great, Jim Collins listed “5 Levels of Leadership”. The sequence is good, but it is a skeleton. We need to put “meat on the bones”. We need to know the skill sets needed to master positive leadership. We also need a way to measure the employees progress through the levels.

Level 1 – makes productive contributions through talent, knowledge, skills, good work habits.
Level 2 – contributes individual capabilities to the achievement of group objectives, works effectively in group settings.
Level 3 – competent manager, organizes people and resources effectively
Level 4 – effective leader, committed to and in vigorous pursuit of clear and compelling vision.
Level 5 – builds enduring greatness through a blend of humility and professional will.

Level 1 is true for every good employee; even if they only lead themselves.
Level 1 – makes productive contributions through talent, knowledge, skills, good work habits.

If we break the definition down, it becomes a process of taking a leadership candidate to their full potential. We need to measure their results to ensure movement toward the goal.
A. Talent is defined by Webster as “natural aptitude”. When a person is using their talent, the work comes easy to them. They will be comfortable and at ease.
B. Knowledge needs to be acquired. Webster defines knowledge as “acquired facts and information from experience or education”. They need knowledge to be able teach others.
C. Skills, defined as “the expertise to do something well”, takes time and practice to reach the best of their ability.
D. Good work habits are foundational. Low absenteeism and tardiness, willingness to help others, team focused, control of their emotions, etc. are expected from all employees.

Level 2 defines a team player. Their desire is for group success, not individual glory. A person that needs the lime-light will not be a good leader.
Level 2 – contributes individual capabilities to the achievement of group objectives, works effectively in group settings.

A. Employee is willing to do their best at what they do to allow the team to accomplish their objectives.
B. They are very comfortable in a team effort. They do not need to do everything themselves to make sure it is done right. Everything does not need to be done their way.

At this point we are still looking for a leader. In the first two levels, employees are not responsible for anyone else. However, at level 2 natural leaders begin to show their nature. This is where most failure happens by moving a person to quickly. If we move an employee from staff to leadership without teaching them leadership skills, failure is probable. Also, many employees with strong individual talent do not enjoy the responsibilities of guiding others. We need to be careful not to “promote an individual to their level of incompetency”; a phrase Tom Peters used and has come to be called the Peter Principle. The following skills are a key to success as a leader.

Leadership Skills to master-
Communication – Empathetic Listening
Proactive – sees issues as “opportunities for improvement” not “problems”; the cup is half full, not half empty
People Development – build into people and the organization by focusing on employees’ strengths
Team Builder – leading people from Dependent to Independent to Inter-dependent
Motivation and Discipline – know how to do both with a positive outcome; believe discipline is education, not punishment
Becoming a Planner – begin with the end in mind (goal setter); put first thing first (prioritize)
Continuous Improvement – believes in constant improvement of people and processes
Removing Waste – ability to see things that waste time and product and eliminate them

Level 3 defines a good manager
Level 3 – competent manager, organizes people and resources effectively

A. Organizes people well. Understands who to place in what role to get the best results.
B. Organizes resources well. Uses all resources in their command in the most efficient and effective manner.

After ensuring this leader has acquired the Leadership Skills listed above, move them into the role of leader on a project or two until you are comfortable that they are ready to lead. A good measurement of their readiness to lead is how comfortable the team is with their leadership. An effective measurement tool of a leader is the “Manager’s Measurement Stick” found in the book First, Break All the Rules by Buckingham and Coffman. Having employees complete this questionnaire is very telling on a leader’s ability. Understanding the management tools to get positive responses is a key to good leadership.

Do I know what is expected of me and how it’s measured?
Do I have the resources I need to do my work efficiently?
Do I have the opportunity every day to do what I do best?
In the last seven days, have I received recognition or praise for doing a good job?
Does my manager seem to care about me as a person?
Does my manager encourage my development?
Does the mission and purpose of the company make me feel my job is important?
Do my opinions count?
Do I have a best friend at work?
In the last three months, has my manager talked to me about my progress?
In the last year, have I had opportunities to grow?

Once you have an employee with Level 3 abilities, you have a good mid-level leader. You might call them a Lead Person, Supervisor, Area Manager, etc. They are leading staff with direction from Top Management.

Level 4 moves into the role of vision caster. Management at this level creates the long-range goals and has the personality that people want to follow.
Level 4 – effective leader, committed to and in vigorous pursuit of clear and compelling vision.

A. Effective leaders with a proven track record.
B. Committed to and in vigorous pursuit of the organizations goals.

This level takes an employee from mid-management to a seat on the Leadership Team. They have proven their effectiveness in a leadership role and have the ability to cast visions that their team wants to follow. To be effective at this level, they need the following skills.

1. Begin with the End in Mind – Goal Setting
2. The two Principles of Management; Leadership and Management
3. Ability to Create a Mission Statement and Organizational Goals to accomplish the Mission.

Level 5 moves from skills to the heart of a leader. Using a blend of humility and professional will, the level 5 leader builds enduring greatness in the organization. These are not learned skills, but come from the heart and will of the person.
Level 5 – builds enduring greatness through a blend of humility and professional will.

People with the top level of leadership on Jim Collin’s scale recognize employees are people with gifts, strengths, passions and desires. They know that when they line up their team to best use their natural characteristics, the team will accomplish amazing things.