John C. Maxwell is perhaps the best known living Christian author in the field of leadership. He has written over fifty books, including three that have sold more than a million copies: The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, Developing the Leader Within You, and The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader. To learn more, visit his website, read his blog, or follow him on twitter.
Recently, he unveiled a graphic overview of his next book: The Five Levels of Leadership, which will be published in 2011:
So What?
Maxwell writes “The five levels define leadership as a process, not a position. This means that anyone โ even one with little natural gifting โ can grow as a leader by learning this concept.”
How have you experienced leadership as a process? How has this enabled you to be more effective as a leader and in training others to lead?
Which of the five levels (position, permission, production, people development, or pinnacle) is the most accurate description of your current leadership style? If those you lead were to complete an anonymous survey about your leadership, which level would they select as the best match?
Think of the greatest leader you have known personally. Which level describes that person’s leadership? What is one important lesson you have learned from this person about leadership?